FAQ

I am returning to work and am worried about settling my child into nursery beforehand. How will you help me to do this?

We operate a 'settling in' procedure at Hopscotch free of charge. These sessions start off small, maybe just an hour, where you come and stay with your child and have the opportunity to meet the staff and experience the new environment. A short first session allows your child to experience nursery without being overwhelmed. During this session you will be introduced to your child's personal keyworker who will become your main point of contact. These sessions will then increase in duration with you leaving your child, to allow him/her to develop the confidence to stay for a full day. Babies also learn at this time that it is ok to be left, and that Mummy / Daddy always come back! We want this time to be a stress free enjoyable experience for both you and your child!

My employers offer a voucher scheme, will I be able to use this to pay for my nursery fees?

Yes, We already accept the majority of voucher schemes as payment for nursery fees. If you book a place just check that we already accept the vouchers that you can access - if we don´t it is easy for us to set up a new account with another company. If your workplace doesn´t currently run a voucher scheme, why not look into it? It can be a great way of saving a few pounds!

Can I claim working family tax credits?

Yes, to claim the childcare element of working family tax credits your child must attend registered provision. All you would need to do is inform tax credits of our registration number and your weekly childcare costs. This information is available from the office upon registration of your child.

Do you offer discount for siblings?

Yes, we offer a 10% discount for the oldest sibling.

Will you be able to help to potty train my child?

Yes, potty training usually occurs in the 2-3 year old´s room depending on the child´s readiness (& willingness!). This is always done in partnership with parents and we will discuss with you how you wish us to approach the change. We offer various rewards for successes such as stickers and we never reprimand accidents.

Are your staff qualified?

The vast majority of our staff are qualified or working towards a childcare qualification. CSSIW state that 80% of the workforce should be qualified to level 2 or above - we more than exceed this expectation. Aside from childcare qualifications we also have experienced workers, mothers and grandmothers amongst us. We believe that all experience is beneficial and can sometimes even teach you things that qualifications cannot. We have full details of our staffs´ qualifications on the notice board in the front entrance.

My relatives may collect my child from time to time, will this be ok?

When you register your child you will be asked to provide a password of your choice and a list of people permitted to collect your child. We will only allow those people to collect your child. If however you needed a neighbour, for example, to collect your child you would need to inform the nursery staff and we would arrange a method to be sure of that person´s identity when they arrived.This could be by either providing a photograph of the person or by your password.

What do I need to bring?

We can provide the majority of the things that your child will need throughout their day at nursery. However, we do ask you to provide a full change of clothes, any comforters that may help your child to settle and nappies and wipes if applicable. Some parents choose to provide nappies daily whereas others prefer to bring in a large pack and we can then let you know when it´s running low - one less thing to think about!

How do I pay?

Fees are due weekly or monthly in advance, by cash or cheque, payable on the first session your child attends in a week.

I am currently breastfeeding my baby, how will this fit in with nursery life?

If you are able to express milk we can store this in the fridge for up to 24 hours or we can freeze milk provided in pouches for up to 3 months. This milk can then be offered via a bottle or beaker.

These are just a sample of the questions that we get asked. If you have a different question please do not hesitate to contact us and ask. Please do not feel that any question is a “silly” one! All questions are important regarding the care of your child, you need to be comfortable about every aspect of nursery life - and trust us, no matter what your question is, or how trivial, somebody has probably asked us before!