How do I book a place?
To register for a childcare place or to book a tour, please complete our contact form. If we can accommodate your childcare needs, one of our team will be in contact with you to arrange a tour of the nursery and a meeting with our nursery manager.
Do you accept childcare vouchers?
Yes, we accept all childcare vouchers. We can provide reference numbers for several companies, so please contact our head office or the nursery team and let us know which company you are using. We also accept tax-free Childcare Government payments. On registering with Wise Owls we will provide you with instructions on how to use your childcare vouchers.
Do you accept 15 hour funding?
We accept 15-hour funding for children aged 2-years and 3-years, and from September 2025 we will be accepting 15-hours funding for children 9-months+. These hours will be deducted from your sessions. Your child would need to attend 2 days a week to receive 15-hours funding.
If you would like to change your child’s booking to receive your full funding allocation, please contact our bookings team at admin@wiseowlschildcare.co.uk ensuring you give 2 months’ notice for any changes to your child’s booking.
You will have these hours deducted from your fees and you will receive a new monthly amount once your child is in receipt of the funding benefit. The local authority has three funding cycles. For 2-year and 3-year old funding, if your child’s birthday falls between: 1st of January – 31st of March your funding will begin in May 1st April -31st August, your funding will commence from September 1st September -31st December your funding will apply from January. For ease, we will give you a new monthly price dependent on your booking and calculating the extra hours outside the funded periods, plus consumables.
If you wish to have funded-only sessions these may be possible depending on availability. You must contact the office directly for a request form. Please note, we will also charge for consumables and food.
Do you accept 30 hour funding?
We do but only if your child attends the day nursery at least 3 full days per week.
Can I pay monthly?
All fees are due on the 1st of every month, if you do not make all fee payments before the due date late fees will apply. We charge £5 per week if your payment is late. If this is due to not having the correct payment reference when the client made the payment then the charge will still apply, as we have had to spend the time finding your payment.
I’d like to cancel my place. What notice do I need to give?
For our Day Nursery we require two month’s notice in writing for children already attending our nurseries, this is the same if it is for a day or the entire booking. If your child is due to start with us and you choose to give notice before your start date, we require 3-months’ notice in writing. If you fail to provide the required notice, you will be invoiced full fees until your notice period is completed. If you start at a new nursery and claim funding at that nursery while paying out your notice period with Wise Owls, you will not be able to claim funding and full fees will be payable. Please send your cancellation notice to the nursery manager via email or to head office at info@wiseowlschildcare.co.uk
I would like to change the days my child attends nursery, what do I do?
For our Day Nursery we require two month’s notice in writing to change your child’s day if your child already attends the nursery. For those children due to start, we require 3-months’ notice in writing to change your booking. Fees will apply if you do not adhere to these notice periods.
Do you offer term-time only spaces?
No, the nursery is too small to accommodate this; we do full days only. If you are looking to book half days temporarily, please get in touch with our bookings team.
Do you offer a sibling discount?
Depending on the nursery, some sibling discounts are offered. Sibling discounts do not apply when children move on to funding.
I’ve paid my invoice but I still received a reminder by email. Why is this?
Payments sometimes take time to show up in our account, especially voucher payments, and as reminders are sent out automatically, they may overlap. We ask you to ignore the reminders if this is the case, or if you have already contacted us to inform us of when the payment will be made. If it has been longer than 10 days since you have sent your payment, and you still receive a reminder please contact us at info@wiseowlschildcare.co.uk as it may mean we have not correctly allocated your payment.
However, if you have not paid, it is important that you pay on receipt of the reminder to avoid late payment fees. Confirmation emails for your payment are sent once the invoice has been paid in full. To help this process, please ensure all payments are made on time with the correct reference for us to log it. If you have any issues with payments, please ensure you keep us posted.
Do I pay for bank holidays/holidays/sick days?
Yes, all payments are due. We charge for 51 weeks of the year for Day Nursery. Please read our Terms and Conditions for more information about our policies. We provide food, staffing, activities and this is all organised before the day. Our fees are calculated fairly to cover operational costs for the days and times we are open.
What meals are provided?
Hot meals are prepared on site by some of our nurseries and clubs, and for others meals are provided by Care Catering or Apatito for lunch. We provide a morning snack, breakfast and tea. An example menu is available to view on our website here. The site specific menu will be on the parent boards at the nursery.
If my child isn’t attending today unexpectedly, how do I let you know they won’t be attending?
Please contact us as soon as you know your child is not attending a session directly on the nursery email or phone number. Failing that, please call our head office on 01628 620013
What does my child need to bring?
If your child is over 3-years of age and requires nappies you will need to provide nappies, creams, wipes etc. If your child is under 3-years of age this is calculated into your fees and we will provide nappies and wipes. If you have not provided nappies and wipes you will be charged £3 per day or part thereof to provide nappies for your child.
Children need a change of clothes each day in case they get wet. Please ensure these fit your child and are suitable for the weather. If your child is potty training please pack a few spare clothes as this can be a difficult time when we are having so much fun.
Children need appropriate clothing for the day to attend indoor and outdoor activities. In winter they will need coats, gloves and hats. Your child’s bag and coat will need to be brought in and taken home each day. We also ask for wellington boots to be left at the nursery.
In summer, children will need a sun hat, sunglasses and sun cream. If your child is in the baby room, please ensure you pack bottles for each feed they have.
Any medication such as inhalers etc. must be handed to the room leader and a medical form must be completed.
What is provided?
We provide nappies up to the toddler age, we also provide breakfast, morning snack, lunch and tea to all day care children. We provide all art, toys and learning equipment as well as a happy, caring team to support them.
How is my child settled into the day nursery?
We have settling in sessions before your child starts so they can get used to the new environment. Before the settling in session, you will be asked to fill in an All About Me Form which collects details about your child’s routines, comforts, likes, dislikes and family information to ensure we can offer your child the best care. After this, we do a 1-hour visit within the nursery with the child and the parent/carer. We then have a 2-hour session where the child stays at the nursery within our care without the parent/carer. So, when your child starts with us they are very familiar with the setting and staff. If you require more settles, we may be able to accommodate this for an additional fee.