FUNDED (Free Education) At Good As Gold, 5 hour and 10 hour sessions are available for eligible children from 9 months to 4 years old up to a maximum of 25 hours per week. If you have an entitlement of 30 hours then you still use your full entitlement by 'stretching' your funded hours over more weeks (see Q&A below). Free sessions can optionally be taken in conjunction with paid sessions or independently.

Q. What sessions are available for eligible funded children?

A. Subject to spaces availability, sessions are available all week Monday to Friday. Sessions can be taken as follows:

• Mornings being 07:30 to 12:30 (5-hours)
• Afternoons being 12:30 to 5:30 (5-hours)
• Full Days being 07:30 to 17:30 (10-hours) 

Q. Do I have to pay fees for the days you are closed?

A. No! While we understand some nurseries charge for Bank Holidays, this is not the case at Good As Gold. If you have any optional (payable) sessions or other fees, they will not be charged for the days we are closed.

Q. Are you open all year or just term time like schools?

A. We are open Monday to Friday (7:30 to 17:30) all year round with the exception of the following:

• All statuory public / bank holidays
• Christmas Week being December 25th - January1st inclusive

Q. Does my funding cover the whole year?

A. No! While the funded year is September 1st to August 31st, your funding will end when your funded hours run out. Your EYFS funding is for a total of 38 weeks annually and how those 38 weeks can be used is broken down into 3 terms as follows:

• Autumn Term - September 1st to December 31st - upto 14 weeks
• Spring Term - January 1st to March 31st - upto 11 weeks
• Summer Term - April 1st to Agust 31st - upto 13 weeks

The funded sessions will commence at the start of each term and end when the number of hours for the term have been consumed. Therefore the 'funded sessions' will end before the end of each term. If you only want to attend for the funded sessions, then your child would not be able to attend the latter weeks of the term. This attendance pattern is generally referred to as 'term time only'. You can optionally attend for the whole of the term by agreeing to 'payable' sessions when the funding runs out. This attendance pattern is what we refer to as 'throughout the year'. Whether you wish to attend 'throughout the year' or 'term time only', this must be specified on your EYFS 'parental agreement' which you are required to sign before your funded care starts. Your funded sessions will of course resume at the start of the 'Spring' and 'Summer' terms. The 'throughout the year' option is commonly opted for by parents who require more all year round childcare.

Q. What is 'stretching' of hours?

A. Stretching is a mechanism to spread the total annual funded hours over more weeks of the year, rather than just the standard 38 weeks of term time. This results in fewer sessions per week but provides more consistent, year-round funded childcare support. The total annual funded hours remain the same, whether taken 'term time' or stretched. The stretching option provides flexibility for parents who need year-round care. We are happy to do this for you where we can.

Q. Do I have to also book some paid sessions?

A. No! You are not required to book any 'payable' sessions for us to provide you with funded care. If you choose, you can limit your childs attendance to funded sessions 'term time only'. Most of our parents however, do require either additional sessions each week, or attend 'throughout the year'. It is important to note that additional (payable) weekly sessions are not available 'term time only' and must be booked 'throughout the year'.

Q. What if I require care all year round?

A. While 'funded' sessions typically last for 38 weeks of the year, if you require your child to attend for the whole term, then you can optionally attend the same sessions by electing to pay for them. Your funded sessions would automatically resume at the beginning of the Spring and Summer terms.