Little Crickets Nursery offers both 15 hours and 30 hours Free Early Education Funding for eligible children.
To ensure transparency and clarity for all families, we have outlined below how funded places work at Little Crickets; what is included within the free entitlement, and which services are optional and chargeable.
| Description | Unit | Unit Price | Notes |
| Free Entitlement Hours [15 or 30]* | Weekly | Free | See below for allocation patterns |
| Additional hours/sessions purchased for wraparound care | Per hour | £10/hr | |
| Breakfast | Daily | £1 | (at wraparound care) |
| Lunch | Daily | £5 | View menu |
| Tea | Daily | £1.50 | (at wraparound care) View menu |
| Snacks | Twice daily | ||
| Optional events | Ad hoc | (Approx. £5 for party days, once per term) | Suggested donation, which helps us offer these events. |
Good News! Parents can claim back 20% of their chargeable extras, such as extra purchased hours and meals, by applying for Tax-Free childcare.
Free Hours Allocation At Little Crickets
Funded hours are free at the point of delivery and are not conditional on the purchase of any additional services. Days/sessions at Little Crickets are offered at two x 3 hour sessions per day = 6 hrs per day. We will clearly confirm how your child’s funded hours are applied and show this separately from any privately paid hours for wraparound care. Please see below the options that we offer and feel free to contact us if you have any questions – we are always happy to help!
30 Hours Per Week Childcare Entitlement
For families accessing the 30 hours per week entitlement, we offer two patterns for you to use those hours in the way that best suits your needs.
Term Time Provision
5 x 6 hour days per week, taken in line with Walsall Council’s term time dates.
Term Time Provision with Wraparound
3 x 6 hour days per week at Little Crickets with 4 hours provided by Tiny Crickets wraparound care service, to form 3 x 10 hour days, taken in line with Walsall Council’s term time dates.
15 Hours Per Week Childcare Entitlement
For families accessing the 15 hours per week entitlement, we offer
Term Time Provision
5 x 3 hour sessions per week, taken in line with Walsall Council’s term time dates, with additional hours at £10/hr. A weekly pattern of sessions will be arranged and confirmed before hands. We make our best efforts to be accommodating of families’ preferred hours where possible, and they are issued on a first come, first served basis.
Charges and Optional Extras
Funded hours cover early education and care only. Families may choose to purchase additional services, but these are optional and are not a condition of accessing funded hours.
Optional and chargeable extras at Tiny Crickets include:
- Extra nursery hours/sessions not covered by your government funded hours.
- Meals and snacks
- Additional activities such as parties
Parents are not required to pay any mandatory charges in order to take up their funded entitlement.
If you have any questions about funding, eligibility, or charges, please contact us. We are always happy to help!