Enrichment Charge
Due to the changes to funding for nursery school children that came into effect in April 2024, which had an adverse effect on our income, we decided to introduce the enrichment charge. The money received by Redcliffe Nursery School for your child’s funded hours by Bristol City Council is only intended to cover the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum; however, this does not cover all of the enrichment activities that we provide as part of your child’s learning and development.
In the past we have asked for voluntary donations through our School Fund for us to continue providing enrichment experiences, but this is not supporting us enough to ensure that these activities can be sustainable. After many conversations with colleagues, Governors and Bristol City Council, we chose to start an ‘Enrichment Charge’ Parents/carers will automatically be enrolled into this. This is something many nurseries already have in place, most likely called consumables charge.
We have done everything we can to keep the costs as low as possible for our parents and carers and to ensure that the amount is reasonable and value for money considering the additional resources and experiences we provide for your child.
The charge will be:
- £10.00 per term for a child who attends 12-20 hours, or
- £20.00 a term for a child who attends 20-30+ hours.
Here is what is currently included in the charge. We will keep the list under constant review.
- Enrichment experiences (musical encounters, forest experience, food project, trips etc.)
- Seasonal events (e.g. cultural celebrations, end of year trips etc.)
- Trips (transport costs, including the Clean Air Zone, parking and entrance fees)
- Hygiene items (nappies, wet wipes, nappy sacks)
- Sun safety (sun cream and spare hats)
- Spare clothes / wet weather gear
- Gardening tools, plants, compost etc
If you wish to opt out, please email us at bursar.redcliffe.cc@bristol-schools.uk to confirm this
Please note: no child will be excluded from any activities should you choose to opt out; however, if we do not receive enough contributions, we may not be able to continue offering all that we currently do.
Do let us know if you would like to make an additional contribution to support other families who are unable to pay this charge. We will be able to receive any additional contributions through our newly formed charitable arm, Redcliffe Nursery School Trust CIO, and claim 25% gift aid on this. This will help us to continue the enrichment offer for all children and families.
Paying for the enrichment charge
The enrichment charge will be shared with you on a termly invoice, due within 14 days of issue. Remember, for families claiming Tax Free Childcare, there is up to 20% government support for enrichment charges, reducing the cost to your family to £8.00/£16.00. For families claiming Universal Credit, there is up to 85% government support for enrichment, reducing the cost to your family to £1.50/£3.00, and you can claim in advance. You can claim for any expenses related to childcare, including lunches.
For children who are eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), the enrichment charge will be paid for using this, so there will be no cost to the family at all. This is to ensure we continue to support families who are currently out of work, so their children get the same experience at Redcliffe Nursery School as their peers. If you think your child may be eligible for EYPP, please speak to a member of the reception team who can check this for you.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support.