What we offer
Funded Entitlement Nursery Places
We operate as a North Northamptonshire Local Education Authority Nursery, providing funded education for two, three and four year olds in the neighbourhood. The majority of children attend from the September after their third birthday for one year before continuing the foundation stage of their education in the reception year at Infant School. Where spaces are available children may be able to attend Ronald Tree Nursery from the term after their third birthday. Demand for our places is very high so please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
All children are entitled to 570 hours per year (15 hours per week) funding starting from the term after their third birthday. Parents on low incomes may be eligible for funding from the term after their child's second birthday. To see if you qualify for two year old funding go to the childcare choices website.
Where a single parent earns the equivalent of 16 hours at the minimum wage, or where both co-habiting parents earn this amount they are entitled to 15 hours free childcare each week for children from the term after their second birthday and 30 hours free childcare each week for children from the term after their third birthday. To check your eligibility please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
The fifteen hour sessions for two and three year olds are term time, either:
- each morning (8.30 to 11.30am),
- each afternoon (12.30 to 3.30pm) or
- 2 days (8:00am-3:30pm or 8:30-4:00pm)
Three year old places are limited to 64 children each morning and 64 children each afternoon. Two year old places are limited to 12 children each morning and 12 children each afternoon.
Please see below for the thirty hour sessions.
Children who attend Ronald Tree transfer to most of the infant and primary schools in Kettering but the majority transfer to the Kettering Buccleuch Academy, Park Infant School and St Mary's Church of England Primary which are close by.
Additional Hours and the 30 Hours funded entitlement for Working Parents
We offer a range of extended services to parents including; breakfast club (8am-8.30am), lunch club (11.30am - 12:30pm), afterschool club (3.30pm to 4.30pm) or extra sessions. All additional hours above the funded entitlement are charged at a core rate of £5.50 per hour from 1 April 2024.
If parents work for more than 16 hours per week at the minimum wage they may be eligible for 15 hours funded childcare from the term after your child's 2nd birthday, and 30 hours funded childcare from the term after your child's 3rd birthday. To check whether you are eligible please go to the Child Care Choices website. If you do meet the government criteria please talk to us on 01536-514240 about what hours you need; we try to be flexible but cannot guarantee to be able to meet all requests. We open at 8am and close at 4.30pm each day, but we do limit drop off and collection times to certain times to minimise disruption to the school environment. Many parents choose to access the thirty hours over four days only, but others have children attending everyday and pay for the additional hours above the funded entitlement. Parents must obtain a valid code and by the day before the funding period begins in order to qualify (ie by the 31st August to qualify between 1st September and 31st December).