Opening hours, Sessions & Fees
Shepherdswell Pre-School is open approximately 38 weeks of the year (term time only). We follow the term times as specified by Kent County Council.
The pre-school is currently open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3pm.
Please note - 08:30-09:00am is chargeable and not included in Free Early Education
The preschool is registered for Early Education entitlement funding which can be used to pay for up to 15 hours or 30 hours for qualifying parents.
Free for 2 funding eligibility - if a family is in receipt of certain benefits, they may be able to get up to 15 hours over 38 weeks a year free childcare for their 2 year old. Kent County Councils website has more information on how to apply for free early education for 2 year olds.
If applying for Free for 2 Funding, your eligibility email needs to be sent to the preschool.
In order to access free early education, you will be required to complete a parental declaration form (termly) confirming your free early education hours. we also need to see your child’s original birth certificate or passport to confirm their date of birth
If applying for Working families free early education, you will need to supply your eligibility code the term before you require the funding.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) - provides extra funding for 3 and 4 year old children who have parents that are in receipt of certain benefits or have been in care or adopted from care.
disability access fund (DAF) - to support children with disabilities or special educational needs. Children may be eligible for DAF if they meet the following criteria:
the child is in receipt of disability living allowance (DLA)
the child receives free early education and childcare entitlement
Available hours:
Monday 8.30am start 9am - 12 noon 9am - 1pm 9am - 3pm 1pm - 3pm
Tuesday 8.30am start 9am - 12 noon 9am - 1pm 9am - 3pm 1pm - 3pm
Wednesday 8.30am start 9am - 12 noon 9am - 1pm 9am - 3pm 1pm - 3pm
Thursday 8.30am start 9am - 12 noon 9am - 1pm 9am - 3pm 1pm - 3pm
Friday 8.30am start 9am - 12 noon 9am - 1pm 9am - 3pm 1pm - 3pm
Shepherdswell Pre-School charges £7.50 per hour ( with effect from January 2024).
consumables:
Shepherdswell Preschool will be charging £10.00 a week for consumables starting 20th April 2026.
The consumable fee helps us to offset the cost of living and rising running costs for the preschool. We are committed to ensuring high quality provision and enrichment experiences for your children. Please be aware that this fee is optional. Please contact the setting to discuss further details.
Consumables - £6.00 - Each day we supply snack for the children, including a minimum of 4 healthy choices of fruit and vegetables. We also use snack time to promote independence and celebrate food and culture. Eg - buttering their own toast, cooking experiences (stir fry, pancakes and soup), serving themselves and much more! Consumable fees also cover essential materials we use to operate, such as spare nappies, nappy sacks, tissues, wipes and sun cream. Necessities such as these ensure the preschool follows hygienic care practices.
Enrichment - £4.00 - At preschool we try to create magic for the children and make every day fun, interesting and engaging. Across the year we arrange treats and surprises for the children. For example, leaving gifts, Christmas parties and presents, birthday cards and buffet/party food lunches. In the spring, we’ve had chick eggs to look after until after they have hatched and caterpillars we watch grow into butterflies. We often grow our own plants/food in the garden and make bird feed that attracts birds to our garden. The children love to care for the world around them and experience lifecycles first hand.
Offering these experiences at preschool come at a cost, a cost we see as vital to creating a rounded Early Years experience and we value and appreciate your contribution.
Fees must still be paid if children are absent without notice for a short period of time. If your child has to be absent over a long period of time, talk to the committee chairperson or preschool manager. For your child to keep their place at the preschool, you must pay the fees.
Notice is one month in advance for chargeable hours and must be given in writing or the following months fees will be charged.
The preschool operates a monthly billing system where bills are issued one month in advance.
Please see our 'Fees and Charges' policy for further details
If parent/carers fail to collect their child on time and all named emergency contacts are unavailable we reserve the right to contact the relevant Social Services department for advice and assistance. As stated in our Non-Collection of children policy.