How to apply to Meadow Nursery School:

​

​

If you would like your child to go to Meadow Nursery School please register your details with us by filling in a registration form which will be given to you during your visit. 

 

We kindly ask all prospective parents to come and visit us in person. You will get a real feel for the nursery and have an opportunity to ask any questions and meet the team. Please call us on 0118 979 0284 to book in a visit. ​

​​

• You can register your child at any age.  

• We are not restricted by catchment areas. 

​

Funded Sessions and Fees:

 

If your child is eligible for 15 hours of nursery education, you can access your 15 hours in the following ways:
1. Children can attend one 3-hour session per day, over 5 days equating 15 hours. If lunch clubs are required that would be at an extra cost of £5.50 per lunch club.
2. Children can attend 4 sessions with lunch clubs which equates to 15 hours.
3. Children eligible for 15-hour funding have the option to attend two full days per week. Due to our opening hours, 2 full days equates to 13.5 hours of your funding.
4. You do not have to attend all 5 sessions or take the whole 15 hours of funding. Flexibility will continue, so you can pick the number of sessions to reflect your child’s needs. However, there is a minimum requirement of 2 three-hour sessions, over 2 days each week.​​

​

​

If your child is eligible for 30 hours nursery education, you can attend up to two sessions per day which will be covered by the government funding. Please note you do not have to use your full entitlement, but rather pick sessions that suit your needs. Here are some examples of how you could use your funding at Meadow Nursery School:

1. You could use a selection of half and full days. For example attend 2 full days and 3 half days.

2. To access your full 30 hours funding, without having to pay for additional hours, your child can attend 4 full days and one morning or afternoon session on the fifth day. Lunch is not included in the half day.

3. If you wish to attend 5 full days with there will be a chargeable fee as the hours your child attends will be over the 30-hour funding.

 

For non-funded children (rising 3's), a 3 hour session is charged at £25.50.

 

For 3 and 4 year olds, additional sessions are charged at £18.30.

​

Lunch Club can be added to a session* at £5.50 per session. 

​

*Please note that all sessions and lunch clubs are subject to availability. 

​

 

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

​

All children are unique and some children require a little extra support when first coming to nursery.  At Meadow Nursery we are always ready to work with parents to provide that support. If you think your child might need some extra support, or if you have any concerns about your child starting nursery, then please inform us as soon as possible so we can be ready for when they start. This will not effect your place on the nursery waiting list.

 

Check out our local offer. 

​

​

​

​

 

​

Meadow Nursery School Admissions Policy

​

​You can find our Nursery Admissions Policy below:

​​​​​​​​

 

 

 

 

Funding and Childcare Choices

​

​Please refer to https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ for your eligibility and information.  

15 HOUR UNIVERSAL FUNDED ENTITLEMENT (FOR ALL FAMILIES):
Children aged 3 and 4 years old are entitled to 15 hours of nursery education which is funded by the government. 3 and 4 year olds childcare funding (wokingham.gov.uk)

 

How you can use your 15 hour entitlement at Meadow Nursery School:
1. Children can attend one 3-hour session per day, over 5 days equating 15 hours. If lunch clubs are required that would be at an extra cost of £5.50 per lunch club.
2. Children can attend 4 sessions with lunch clubs which equates to 15 hours.
3. Children eligible for 15-hour funding have the option to attend two full days per week. Due to our opening hours, 2 full days equates to 13.5 hours of your funding.
4. You do not have to attend all 5 sessions or take the whole 15 hours of funding. Flexibility will continue, so you can pick the number of sessions to reflect your child’s needs. However, there is a minimum requirement of 2 three-hour sessions, over 2 days each week. The child’s wellbeing and development will continue to take priority, so you do not have to use your full 15 hours from the start. You can gradually increase the number of sessions each term, depending on how your child is settling and reflecting their current needs. 

 

 

15 HOURS 2-YEAR-OLD FUNDING (FOR FAMILIES RECEIVING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT)

• 15 hours of early education for 38 weeks.

• At Meadow Nursery School your child can start the term they turn 3 years old. For example, if they turn 3 years old in October they could start in the Autumn Term (September). They are classed as a rising 3-year-old. (Subject to availability)​

 

Eligibility:

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments

• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax

• The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

• Are looked after by a local authority

• Have an education, health and care (EHC) plan

• Get Disability Living Allowance

• Have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

 

How to apply:

You can access the form on the Wokingham Borough Council’s Website. 2 year olds childcare funding (wokingham.gov.uk)

​

 

15 & 30 HOUR EXTENDED ENTITLEMENT (FOR WORKING FAMILIES)

• Up to 15 hours of early education over 38 weeks of the year for 2 year olds (from September 2025 it changes to 30 hours). 

• Up to 30 hours of early education over 38 weeks of the year for 3-4 year olds.

• Funded childcare for working families (wokingham.gov.uk)

 

Eligibility:

• You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £167 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).

• You can't get either 15 or 30 hour childcare if you, or your partner, each individually expect to earn £100,000 adjusted net income or more.

• To keep your 15- or 30-hours childcare place you need to check your details are up to date every 3 months*. If you do not claim your code in time, you will be responsible for paying the fees.

• For a September start, your code applications need to be made* before 31st August 

• For a January start, your code applications need to be made* before 31st December

• For an April start, your code applications need to be made* before 31st March

• ​ *This is the responsibility of the parents/carers. ​​

  • Are you eligible for 30 hours funding?  Click HERE to see the Parent Eligibility flow chart.  

  • Click HERE to see a brief summary of this information.

 

How you can use your extended 30 hour entitlement at Meadow Nursery School:​

• 1. To access your full 30 hours funding, without having to pay for additional hours, your child can attend 4 full days and one morning or afternoon session on the fifth day. Lunch is not included in the half day.
  2. If you wish to attend 5 full days with there will be a chargeable fee as the hours your child attends will be over the 30-hour funding.

• 3. You do not need to use your full 30 hours and any hours taken under the 30 hours will be covered by your extended working families entitlement. For example only attending 2 full days, attending 1 full day and 4 mornings. 

 

​

PUPIL PREMIUM

This provides Meadow Nursery School with additional funding to support families from disadvantaged backgrounds. To apply for Pupil Premium please contact Wokingham Borough Council or complete the declaration form found in the funding form (given at the start of term to all 3 and 4 year olds).

This is paid direct to Meadow Nursery School. 

To apply you must:

• be eligible for the 15-hour universal funding and accessing it.

• income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190

• Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

• Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax not including any benefits you get.

• adoption

• special guardianship order

• a child arrangements order

​

 

DISABILITY ACCESS FUND

Meadow Nursery School could get £828 or more per year to help with your child’s education and support.

This will be paid directly to Meadow Nursery School. We will use the additional funding to help towards a one-to-one or specialist equipment and training. This will be discussed with you and together we will agree how best the money should be spent.

To apply to get disability access funding, you must have:

• 15 hours’ free childcare (universal 3 and 4 year olds) - you do not need to use all of your hours to be eligible

• Disability living allowance for children

You can either contact Wokingham Borough Council for more information or fill in the Disability Access Fund for found in the funding form (given at the start of term to all 3 and 4 year olds). We really encourage families to apply for this if they are entitled to it.

​​​​​