Fees & Funded Hours
Our approach
Flexible funded hours across booked sessions, transparent food choices and selected optional extras, and high-quality nursery experiences rooted in real experiences, real learning, real childhood.
Important Principle
Funded hours are shown as Free Entitlement hours. They are not shown as a cash discount or monetary value. Optional items are selected by parents and can be opted out of individually.
What is optional?
Food choices and selected specialist experiences, such as specialist sports coaching, visiting specialists, paid visitors or transport-based trips, are itemised separately so families can choose what works for their child.
What is included in core care?
Our session fees include standard EYFS care and education, staffing, supervision, everyday nursery resources, indoor and outdoor provision, Forest School, Beach School, outdoor learning and the core curriculum offer.
Opening pattern and session choices
Apollo Nursery is open 51 weeks per year. We offer a choice of sessions so families can choose a pattern that supports work, family life and their child’s needs.
Session | Time | Notes |
Early Start | 07:00 - 8:00 | Charged separately at £2.50 per session.
|
Morning | 8:00 - 13:00 | 5-hour session.
|
Afternoon | 13:00 - 18:00 | 5-hour session.
|
|
| Limited spaces per day and subject to availability, ratios and admissions priorities.
|
Full Day | 08:00 - 18:00 | 10-hour session.
|
Core session fees
Age Group | Morning | Afternoon | School Day* | Full Day |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registration fee and deposit
To help us set up your child’s place properly, Apollo Nursery may charge a registration fee and deposit when a paid nursery place is accepted. These charges are shown clearly before a place is confirmed.
Charge | Amount | When it applies | Refundable? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payable when accepting a paid nursery Refundable against the first invoice. place.
|
Refundable against the first invoice.
|
Important
Food Choices and Optional Enrichment Experiences
Food charges and selected Optional Enrichment Experiences are separate from funded childcare hours. Forest School, Beach School, outdoor learning, everyday sports and movement, creative resources and core nursery experiences are included as part of the Apollo curriculum. Parents can opt in or out of food choices and selected specialist extras, and may provide reasonable alternatives where appropriate.
To keep this clear, we do not use a single bundled “consumables” charge. Food is shown separately, and only selected specialist experiences, such as specialist sports coaching, visiting specialists, paid visitors or transport-based trips, are charged as optional opt-in extras.
We take great pride in our approach to snacks at Apollo. Snack time is not just something children are given; it is something they are part of. Children are encouraged to help choose, prepare, make, and, where possible, grow their own snacks, turning everyday routines into rich learning experiences. Through carefully supervised activities, children also learn to understand and safely manage real-life risks, such as using utensils, preparing ingredients, and taking part in simple cooking experiences. This may include making focaccia, preparing homemade pasta, exploring sweetcorn batons, or making and flipping their own banana pancakes. These experiences support independence, confidence, curiosity and a positive relationship with food.
Optional item
| Charge | Alternative / opt-out route |
Morning snack
|
|
Parent may provide a suitable snack.
|
|
|
Parents may provide a suitable packed lunch where agreed with the manager and in line with our packed lunch policy. This Packed lunch will be eaten in the nursery setting all year round and will not benefit from the transition preparation
|
Afternoon snack / light tea
|
|
Parent may provide a suitable snack or tea.
|
Cookery, tasting and food experience
|
Included where part of the core curriculum
|
Children may still opt out of tasting activities; alternative EYFS provision will be available.
|
Why we encourage a hot lunch
At Apollo Nursery, we believe a healthy hot lunch is an important part of a child’s day. A warm, balanced meal helps children refuel, supports concentration, wellbeing, and energy levels, and gives them the opportunity to try a wider range of foods, flavours, and textures.
Lunchtime is also a valuable social and learning experience. Children sit together, practise independence, use cutlery, develop table manners, build communication skills and learn about healthy routines. For older children, eating lunch in the school hall where appropriate can also support confidence and transition skills, helping them become familiar with school-style routines in a gentle and positive way.
Lunch provider review
Apollo Nursery is currently working with two potential nursery meal providers to secure the best balance of quality, nutrition, reliability and value for families. The launch charge is £4.00 per lunch. This may be reviewed once final supplier arrangements, delivery charges and children’s meal numbers are confirmed. Any increase to the lunch charge will be clearly communicated in advance and will be capped at a maximum increase of £1.25 per lunch, if an increase is needed at all. Parents will continue to have the option to provide a suitable packed lunch where agreed with the manager.
Included curriculum experiences and optional specialist sessions
Experience unparalleled comfort, cutting-edge design, and performance-enhancing
technology with this latest innovation, crafted to elevate every athlete's journey.
Item | Charge | Notes / opt-out route |
Forest School / Beach School | Included | Core curriculum. No routine extra charge. |
Everyday outdoor learning, mind and movement | Included | Part of everyday Apollo life. |
Specialist sports coaching | Subject to fee | Optional opt in/out. Alternative EYFS provision available. |
Visiting specialist: music, movement, language etc. | Subject to fee | Optional opt in/out. Alternative EYFS provision available. |
Larger trip, paid visitor or transport-based experience | Subject to fee | Parent consent required; no charge if not attending. |
Routine food and optional specialist charges
Routine food choices are charged only where selected: £2.00 morning snack, £4.00 hot lunch and £2.00 afternoon snack / light tea. This means a full day with all food choices selected would usually be £8.00. A school day or morning session including lunch would usually be £6.00. Specialist sports coaching, visiting specialists, paid visitors and larger trips are separate Optional Enrichment Experiences and are only charged where parents opt in. Nursery-supplied sun cream or emergency nappies/wipes may be charged separately where used. This is not a mandatory charge.
Nappies and wipes
We do not include nappies and wipes within our standard Optional Enrichment Experiences menu. Parents are asked to supply nappies and wipes for their child because this supports parental choice, preferred brands, allergies, skin sensitivities and reusable nappy routines. We also do not charge for nappy disposal, nor do we send children home with dirty nappies in bags. We believe this cost falls under the day-to-day expenses of a nursery and should not be passed on to parents.
If Apollo Nursery needs to supply emergency nappies or wipes because a child has run out, these will be charged and shown clearly on the invoice.
How government funded hours are used
Government funded hours are allocated across your child’s agreed booked attendance pattern. This means families can book the sessions they need, subject to availability and eligibility, and their child’s funded hours will be shown clearly as Free Entitlement hours.
Any booked hours above your child’s entitlement are treated as additional privately paid hours. Food choices and selected Optional Enrichment Experiences are shown separately and only charged where selected.
Entitlement | Annual hours | If used over 38 weeks | If stretched over 51 weeks |
15 hours entitlement | 570 hours per year | 15 hours per week | Approx. 11.17 hours per week |
30 hours entitlement | 1,140 hours per year | 30 hours per week | Approx. 22.35 hours per week |
Our story is built on passion, dedication, and a commitment to delivering meaningful experiences. Over time, we have grown through collaboration, innovation, and the trust of those we serve. Every step of our journey reflects our values and the vision that continues to drive us forward.
Great stories are for everyone even when only written for just one person. If you try to write with a wide, general audience in mind, your story will sound fake and lack emotion. No one will be interested. Write for one person. If it's genuine for the one, it's genuine for the rest.
Why stretched funding is lower each week
The annual number of funded hours stays the same. Stretching simply spreads those hours across more weeks of the year, which reduces the number of funded hours available each week.
Funding examples for parents
The examples below show hours, not monetary values. Exact patterns are confirmed through the parental declaration form and depend on eligibility, availability, term dates and final funding claim arrangements.
Example | Booked pattern | Funding allocation | Parents pay for |
1. 30 hours term- time only | 3 Full Days, 8:00am-6:00pm = 30 hours per week during funded weeks | 30 hours shown as Free Entitlement hours on the invoice / parental declaration | No privately paid care hours. Food choices and Optional Enrichment Experiences only if selected. |
2. 30 hours stretched over 51 weeks | 3 Full Days, 8:00am-6:00pm = 30 booked hours per week | 1,140 hours ÷ 51 weeks = approx. 22.35 Free Entitlement hours per week | The remaining approx. 7.65 hours are additional privately paid hours, plus any food choices or Optional Enrichment Experiences selected. |
3. 15 hours stretched over 51 weeks | 2 Full Days, 8:00am-6:00pm = 20 booked hours per week | 570 hours ÷ 51 weeks = approx. 11.17 Free Entitlement hours per week | The remaining approx. 8.83 hours are additional privately paid hours, plus any food choices or Optional Enrichment Experiences selected. |
4. 15 hours free-only term-time pattern | 3 Morning or Afternoon sessions of 5 hours each, subject to availability | 15 hours shown as Free Entitlement hours | Nothing for care if no food choices or Optional Enrichment Experiences are selected and parents supply suitable food / care items where appropriate. |
5. 30 hours free-only term-time pattern | 3 Full Days or 6 half-day sessions, subject to availability and ratios | 30 hours shown as Free Entitlement hours | Nothing for care if no food choices or Optional Enrichment Experiences are selected and parents supply suitable food / care items where appropriate. |
Free-only access and opting out
Families who wish to access only their child’s Free Entitlement hours without Optional Enrichment Experiences can request a free- only attendance pattern. These places are subject to availability, ratios and the agreed parental declaration.
- Parents may provide packed lunches, snacks, sun cream and other suitable alternatives where appropriate.
- Children will not be excluded from core nursery provision because a parent opts out of food choices or Optional Enrichment Experiences, but will not experience all that Apollo has to offer.
- Where a paid specialist activity is not selected, Apollo Nursery will provide alternative EYFS provision.
- All agreed free-only patterns must be confirmed in writing through the parental declaration process.
What your invoice will show
Invoices are itemised so families can clearly see what has been booked and what has been selected.
Invoice section | What parents see |
Free Entitlement hours | The number of funded hours used in the agreed pattern. These are shown as free hours, not as a cash value. |
Additional privately paid hours | Any booked hours beyond the child’s entitlement or beyond the chosen stretched allowance. |
Food charges | Only the food items the parent has opted into, such as lunch or snacks. |
Non-food consumables | Only specific optional consumables used, such as nursery-supplied sun cream or emergency nappy/wipes use. |
Optional Enrichment Experience charges | Only selected specialist experiences chosen by the parent, such as specialist sports coaching, visiting specialists, paid visitors or larger trips. |
Registration fee and deposit | Only where a paid place is accepted. The registration fee is non-refundable; the deposit is refundable against the final invoice where the account is clear and notice has been given. |
Booking and reviewing your pattern
Before a place is confirmed, we will discuss your preferred attendance pattern, your child’s funding eligibility, any food choices and any Optional Enrichment Experiences you would like to select. Where a paid nursery place is accepted, the registration fee and deposit will also be confirmed before the place is finalised. Your agreed pattern will then be recorded clearly.
If your family’s needs change, please speak to us as early as possible so we can review availability, staffing and funding declarations. Apollo reserves the right to change it offering of sessions and hours with a notice period of four weeks. In a situation of an unpaid balance, Olympus Learning Collective reserves the right to cancel sessions and offer the place to other parents.
