Frequently Asked Questions
What age children do you care for at Little Farmers?
We take children from the age of nine months up until they leave us to go to Reception class at school.
How many weeks a year are you open?
We are open 51 weeks a year, closed between Christmas and New Year (during which time no fees are charged). We are closed on Bank Holidays, for which no fees are charged.
Where are your settings based?
We have two nurseries - Little Farmers @ Cuckoo Down Farm is in West Hill, near Ottery St Mary and Little Farmers @ Burrow Farm is on the edge of Broadclyst.
Do you offer termtime only places?
We are open 51 weeks of the year and do not offer termtime only places.
What ratio of children to adults do you have?
We follow the Ofsted requirements for adult:child ratios, which are:
Under-twos: one adult to three children
Over-twos: one adult to four or five children
Over-threes: one adult to eight children
Will my child have a key worker?
Each child has a key worker and deputy key worker. The key worker’s role is to focus on the child’s development, so they will be in charge of the majority of observations, reports and tracking your child’s progress. It is important to be aware that when it comes to looking after your child on a daily basis, we work collaboratively as a team. So all the staff will know your child well. If your child’s key worker/deputy key worker is away from nursery for any reason, your child will still be well cared for with us.
What does child-led learning mean and what will my child learn at Little Farmers?
We follow the national Early Years Foundation Stage recommendations, which are in force in all British childcare for the under-5s. The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It recommends child-led learning and learning through play. We now know that young children learn better when we pay careful attention to their interests and that play is essential for their development.
How do children learn outdoors?
Unlike a lot of childcare settings, we spend a lot of time outdoors. We plan lots of interesting activities for the children to explore when they are outside. Our ethos is all about learning through play and practical activities, which is the best way to learn when you are very young. We count eggs when we visit the chickens and count tomatoes growing in our gardens. With our daily storytime and wide range of lovely children’s books, we encourage a love of reading and stories. When we talk about filling up buckets with water, we are exploring the mathematical concepts of capacity and volume - as well as strengthening our arms and hands to hold a pencil. Every day is a learning day at Little Farmers.
What clothing do children need?
We believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. We provide a full kit list for new starters. Children will need warm neoprene wellies and waterproof clothing. In winter they will need lots of warm layers, waterproof trousers and a warm woolly hat. In summer we ask for sun hats, light, long-sleeved tops, Crocs or similar beach shoes and a good coating of sun cream. We love this video which shows how to dress for Forest School.
Are the children outdoors all the time?
We aim to be outside as much as possible. But we also have lovely indoor areas in both our settings. We have lots of indoor toys, books and activities so there is always plenty to do, inside and out, no matter what the weather.
How does Little Farmers Childcare communicate with parents?
We use a software package called Famly to communicate daily with parents. We will send you pictures and updates on your child’s day and you can send pictures in from home to show important moments, such as what they did at the weekend, for us to talk about with them. When you check in with Famly, you will see what your child has eaten at mealtimes, when they fell asleep and woke up and when they had a nappy change. On a weekly basis we will send you a formal observation of your child to let you know how they are getting on and what their next steps will be in terms of progress and learning.
What is Forest School?
According to the Forest School Association, “Forest School is an inspirational process, that offers ALL learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.” In a nutshell, it’s all about being outside in nature, learning and having fun.
What Health and Safety policies do you have?
Every nursery practitioner is trained in Safeguarding, Food Safety and Paediatric First Aid. All staff also have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced certification. We risk assess all activities in advance and during the activity and are fully insured. We have a full handbook which parents/guardians can read with details of all our policies. We also have a Lone Working Policy which means that staff always work in pairs and are never alone with the children.
Can we visit to look around?
Yes, by appointment. Please contact us to book a visit.
Do you accept Government funding for places?
We do. You can check your entitlement here
Do you accept workplace childcare vouchers ?
We do. Let us know your company’s scheme and we will work with them.
Are you registered for the Government’s tax-free childcare scheme?
Yes we are. We highly recommend this scheme as it can save you up to £2000 a year on your childcare costs. Find out more here
Fees
Please find below details of our costs at Little Farmers Childcare. Our minimum attendance is two full days per week and we do not offer part days
Private fees: Our private fees are £87/day, £9.16/hour
Two days a week: £174
Three days a week: £261
Four days a week: £348
Five days a week: £435
Government Funded Childcare
Most children of working parents are now entitled to funded childcare and some non-working families are also entitled to funding. You can check your entitlement here
If you are receiving funded childcare, it will substantially reduce your bills. See below for how the Government funding is applied at Little Farmers Childcare
Sample Weekly Funded Place Costs
Two days a week
Two days per week = 9.5 hours per day/19 hours attendance per week
19 hours of Govt funded childcare = free of charge
Two days of additional charges (see below for details, £16/day or £14/day) £32 in nappies, £28 out of nappies
Total cost per week: £32 (in nappies) or £28 (out of nappies)
Three days a week
Three days = 9.5 hours x 3 = 28.5 hours per week
22 hours Govt funded childcare: free of charge
6.5 hours privately funded (£9.16/hour): £59.54
Additional charges ( see below for details, £16 or £14 per funded day): £37.05 (in nappies) or £32.42 (out of nappies)
Total cost per week: £96.59 (in nappies) £91.96 (out of nappies)
Four days a week
Four days = 9.5 hours x 4 = 38 hours per week
22 hours Govt funded childcare: free of charge
16 hours privately funded (£9.16/hour): £146.56
Additional charges (see below for details £16 or £14 per funded day): £37.05 (in nappies) or £32.42 (out of nappies)
Total cost per week: £183.61 (in nappies) £178.98 (out of nappies)
Five days a week
Five days = 9.5 hours x 5 = 47.5 hours per week
22 hours Govt funded childcare: free of charge
25.5 hours privately funded (£9.16/hour): £233.58
Additional charges (see below for details £16 or £14 per funded day): £37.05 (in nappies) or £32.42 (out of nappies)
Total cost per week: £270.63 (in nappies) £266 (out of nappies)
Additional Charges
We charge as follows for the sundries that the Government funding does not cover, such as our home-cooked food, enhanced activities (Forest School, farm activities) and personal care items (nappies, wipes, disposal, suncream):
Child in nappies (costs per day):
Food £10
Enhanced activities (eg Forest School, farm activities) £3
Personal care items (eg nappies, wipes, sun cream) £3
Child out of nappies (costs per day)
Food £10
Enhanced activities (eg Forest School, farm activities) £3
Personal care items (eg wipes, suncream) £1
The Government stipulates that these additional charges must be voluntary. If you choose not to pay them, let us know and we can explain what you will need to provide from home.