Terms & Conditions
Nursery Information
Booking Conditions and Deposit
- Full day bookings only at the Nizells Avenue nursery.
- Once agreed start dates cannot be changed.
- A deposit of two weeks’ full fees is required to secure a place (N/A to EYEE only bookings). If sessions are increased, an extra deposit is required. Deposits cannot be part-refunded if there is a decrease in sessions.
- Deposits held will be credited to your final and or penultimate invoice account on receiving two calendar month’s written notice that your child will be leaving Hopscotch and will not be refunded by any other method.
- Deposits are non-refundable in any circumstance (including cancellation of booking before the start date).
- A medical information form must be completed before any booking commences.
- Booked session times must be adhered to. We cannot accept children before their booked time. Children must be picked up promptly or late collection penalties may be applied.
Absence
- Full fees must be paid if your child is absent from nursery for whatever reason. This includes absence from illness, holidays or other circumstances such as bad weather conditions or transport problems. This also includes time away from nursery due to self-isolation or quarantine, which will be treated like illness.
- No fees are due when the nursery is closed e.g. Bank holidays and Christmas closure (except on Christmas Eve when the nursery closes at 4.00pm for which normal fees are due).
- In the event of closure, as a result of pandemic or infectious disease, and as instructed by the UK Government, Hopscotch will invoice a 20% retainer fee during the period when the nursery is closed.
Lunches and Teas
- Meals are provided by external catering suppliers (Little Tums)
- Hopscotch is not responsible for the content or quality of any meals provided.
- Hopscotch has no responsibility or liability should your child become ill as a result of allergies, food intolerances or other issue.
Payment
- Monthly invoices are emailed at the end of the preceding month.
- All fees must be paid in full by the 15th of each month.
- Direct debit payments will be taken on the 15th of each calendar month (or next working day if falls on a weekend)
- Debit/Credit card payments can be made online. Please see the Fees & Funding section of our website to make a payment.
- Hopscotch cannot accept cash or cheque as a payment method due to ongoing COVID-19 measures
- No arrears are permitted. Hopscotch reserves the right to withdraw the childcare service and terminate the booking immediately if fees are not paid in full by 15th day of the month.
- Hopscotch policy is to pursue all unpaid fees through County Court Judgements as required.
- Employer Childcare Voucher Schemes – accounts will only be credited upon receipt of a remittance advice of the bacs transfer. No fees will be refunded due to late payment of childcare vouchers. Deposits are not refundable due to overpayment of vouchers.
- Tax free childcare payments – we require your child’s TFC reference number to reconcile payments. Hopscotch accounts will only be credited upon receipt of the bacs transfer from your TFC account. No late payment charges will be refunded due to late payment of TFC. Deposits are not refundable due to overpayment of TFC payments.
Charges
- £50 registration fee added to initial deposit invoice (except EYEE/EYFE only bookings).
- 5% of monthly fees for late payment of fees.
- £10 for a returned direct debit.
- Late collection charge is £15 per 15 minutes late, or part thereof.
- Hopscotch policy is to pursue all unpaid fees through county court judgements as required.
Notice of Termination of Booking or Change of Booked Sessions
- Two calendar months’ notice must be given in writing to notify us that your child will be leaving Hopscotch or the appropriate fees must be paid in lieu. EYEE/EYFE funded sessions termination notice period is 4 weeks.
- A minimum of one calendar months’ notice in writing must be given to notify Hopscotch of any change to your booked sessions. Extra deposit is required for an increase in sessions. Deposits cannot be part-refunded if there is a decrease in sessions.
- Hopscotch reserves the right to suspend or terminate a booking with or without notice for non-payment of fees, misconduct of child or parents, or any other reason, as deemed necessary by Hopscotch management.
GDPR and Data Management
- Hopscotch takes privacy and data management seriously and will use and store your data in line with our GDPR policy.
- Hopscotch is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
- We will only use your personal information and your child’s personal information to provide tailored childcare to your child. This includes entering your data into third party software such as Childsplay (our nursery management system) and Tapestry (our online learning journal software).
- We may also use other third-party software providers as required and without further notification.
- Occasionally we may contact you via telephone or email to issue invoices and provide you with essential information relating to nursery life.
- We will keep and then dispose of your personal data in line with our data retention processes and procedures which form part of our GDPR Policy.
A completed registration form assumes acceptance of all terms and conditions including our GDPR policy and supersedes any other written or oral agreement, either expressed or implied.
Refer a Friend Scheme
- You must already be an existing Hopscotch customer to qualify for the refer a friend scheme.
- The friend (“Referral”) must mention on the visit or prior to their start date, who referred them, in order for you both to qualify.
- The friend (“Referral”) must book and attend a visit at any Hopscotch Children’s Nursery for you to receive £15 off your next monthly invoice.
- The friend (“Referral”) must commit (deposit paid) to a booking at any Hopscotch Children’s Nursery for you to receive a further £15 off your next monthly invoice.
- If Referrals book a (deposit paid) place with Hopscotch they will receive the agreed amount of 10% discount from their first bill.
- You can make multiple referrals as long as each referral is a new referral and a new customer to Hopscotch. Referrals must not be existing Hopscotch customers.
- All discounts will be offset against monthly invoices. No claims can be made by the Referee or Referral for cash or cash equivalents.
- It must be your friend / referral’s first booking with Hopscotch for the referrer and friend to qualify. Existing customers cannot claim referrals.
- You cannot refer yourself.
- You cannot refer multiple friends using the same delivery address, phone number or payment details.
- In cases that we deem to be in breach of the above terms and conditions, Hopscotch reserves the right not to honour the Refer a Friend initiative.
- Hopscotch has the right not to honour any Referral claim for whatever reason it chooses to do so and has a final say on the matter.
Adherence to Hopscotch Policies
By accepting our Terms & Conditions, there is an expectation that you (i.e. parents and families) will adhere to and abide by relevant Hopscotch policies, especially those which are designed to protect and safeguard the wellbeing of our staff and children. Failure to comply with our policies could result in further action being taken, which could, in extreme circumstances, include either the suspension or the termination of a booking with Hopscotch.
Hopscotch reserves the right to update and make reasonable changes to our terms and conditions as needed and at short notice and in some circumstances without notification
Complaints Procedure
Hopscotch hopes that our work is carried out smoothly and without incident. However, if you have a concern or a complaint about our nurseries, then we ask you to please bring it to the attention of the Nursery Manager or Deputy as soon as possible. They will discuss this with you and do everything they can to put the matter right.
However, should you feel that your concern has not been resolved by the Nursery Manager, then please apply in writing to:
Hopscotch Head Office
First Floor
14 Bavant Road
Brighton
East Sussex BN1 6RD
office@hopscotch.uk.com
Your complaint will be investigated by a Senior Manager and a written reply issued up to a maximum of 28 days.
Hopscotch is unable to investigate any concerns or complaints retrospectively once your child has left the nursery.
Hopscotch Nurseries are registered with Ofsted and if you feel that your concern has not been dealt with fully, you may contact them at:
Ofsted Early Years
Applications, Regulatory and Contact (ARC) Team
Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester M1 2WD
Tel: 0300 123 1231