Every child is given a 'Key Person' in their unit. The role of this Key Person is to ensure your child feels safe and secure within our care by creating a strong bond between them. They are the person who will typically communicate directly with yourself about your child.
Our nurseries use a software called "Famly" which enables parents to receive live updates throughout their child's day via the Famly app. Each child is set up with a secure profile where parents can view a timeline of their child's day at nursery, including what they ate, how much they ate, nappy changes and much more. It is also where invoices and important information can be found.
We are very proud to hold two 'OUTSTANDING' and two 'GOOD' Ofsted grades.
Derby (2-5years) - View Report
Derby (0-2years) - View Report
Mickleover - View Report
Heanor - View Report
For anyone we do not recognise to collect your child we ask you to inform us about the person and give a password that they will be required to tell us when collecting your child. If you would like this to be a regular occurrence then we ask you to place it in writing.
The first step is to arrange a show round so you can see the setting in action. During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions and get a thorough understanding of your child's time at nursery. You will be able to complete the registration forms via this link within your own time. We do require a four-week deposit to secure your child’s place along with a £35 registration fee- the deposit is then taken off your first month’s invoice.
After the registration process is complete, we will arrange a "Meet & Greet" session for you to meet your child's Key Person where they gain a clear understanding of your child's likes, dislikes and requirements- these sessions typically last up to one hour. "Settling in Sessions" will also be arranged for when the Meet & Greet has been completed. Settling in Sessions are two-hour long sessions where you leave your child within our care to ease them into nursery life before their official start date. These sessions are complementary.
We take allergies and dietary requirements very seriously and we have built robust and effective policies and procedures to ensure each child is catered for.
Yes. In order to keep your child's place in the nursery secure we charge for holidays and sick days, however, where possible, we can swap your child's day within the same week.
Here at The Cottage, we offer funding for 2,3 and 4-year-olds. The funding works in terms, January, April, and September.
Some families with two-year-olds may be eligible for 15 hours funding per week as long as they meet the criteria. You can find out if you are eligible going to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. Children who are eligible will usually receive a letter from Derby City Council before they turn two years old to say they can claim these hours. The letter will have a unique code for the child which will need to be provided to the setting for proof. The letter will also tell you when you can claim from.
All three and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week of funded early years education for 38 weeks of the year. Some working parents and carers may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours funded childcare if they meet certain criteria. Again, the parents would need to go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for the additional 15 hours, a 30-hour code would need to be obtained through the government gateway to be able to make use of the hours.
The funding will start the term after your child’s 3rd birthday.
| Born between: | Eligible for a place from: |
| 1 Apr - 31 Aug | Sep following 3rd birthday |
| 1 Sep - 31 Dec | Jan following 3rd birthday |
| 1 Jan - 31 Mar | Apr following 3rd birthday |
Example – Fred turns three on 9th September so he will be able to claim from the following January term.
Funding is prepared in terms, so before each term starts you will be asked to confirm your child’s sessions and weekly funding amount. This will then be entered onto your child’s account meaning your invoices will reflect the funding deduction each month. The costs you will be paying for are the additional hours that the funding does not apply to, outstanding childcare within the setting, excellent resources used within the nursery, alongside homemade meals, and snacks.
The tax-free childcare scheme was first introduced in April 2017 to provide parents with a 20% tax-relief on childcare services. Per year, parents can save up to £2,000 on childcare costs through the tax-free childcare scheme.
Tax-free childcare will eventually replace childcare vouchers. Since tax-free childcare was introduced, childcare vouchers were closed to new entrants.
To use the tax-free childcare scheme, you will need to create an account through the government website (https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare) . Once your account has been set up you pay money into it like you would with a bank account. The government then tops up your account with their contributions.
Example: For every £8 you pay into the account; the government contributes £2
Anyone can pay into your tax-free childcare account, so it’s a great way for relatives and extended family such as grandparents to help with your childcare costs. You can pay as much or as little into the account as you want. You can also build up credit to use at a later date. There are no costs to using the scheme.
From your account, you can then pay your childcare provider so long as they are also signed up to the scheme. You should bear in mind that it can take up to 5 working days for the money to be transferred through, so make sure you plan your payments in line with our payment terms (1st of the month). All we ask from parents is that you send us confirmation of payment once this has processed through on your account, via a screenshot each month.
Accessing our website tells us you are happy to receive all our cookies. However you can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out more.