Enrol with us
Filled with love, learning and laughter, our beyond brilliant nurseries create magical childhood memories. Secure your child’s place, today.
Discover our admissions process
Applying for a nursery place
When wishing to join the nursery we ask that an application form is completed for each child, so that we can review your details and put you onto our waiting list. If you are looking for a place with an immediate start date, we will be able to give you an idea of availability for the coming months. We encourage parents to complete an application form as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please bear in mind that most nursery places become available in the summer months, as our older children move on to school, releasing spaces across the whole nursery. We usually start to offer places for this period in the Spring Term (January – April) but can continue to offer them right the way up until a month before. Spaces can also become available throughout the year. In this case we will first review our families on the waiting list.
Once you have joined the waiting list, we will keep in touch with you from time to time but ask that you please keep us updated if your situation or details change.
Viewing the nursery
When making an enquiry we invite you to visit the nursery for a tour. This will give you the opportunity to see first-hand our fantastic learning environment, observe our children enjoying an array of activities and experiences, learn more about our 5Cs curriculum and meet our brilliant team. You will also meet our management team who will discuss your requirements, give you an idea of availability, and answer any questions you may have about starting nursery.
Securing a nursery place
Nursery places are generally offered on a first come first served basis, however, there are a range of other factors that we need to match together, alongside the available places we have. These include the age of your child, their pattern of attendance and the number of days you require.
It is usually easier for us to place children with an attendance pattern that includes a Monday or Friday. Only occasionally are we able to offer a mid-week place, Tuesday to Thursday. We do give priority to children who are already attending and wishing to extend their attendance, as well as to siblings and to families who have attended a Seymour House nursery in the past. In our workplace nurseries priority is given to employees of the place we are serving.
When we have a nursery place for your child available, the Nursery Manager will contact you to discuss your agreed attendance pattern, timings and start date. Following this we will then confirm your place via email. You will then be required to complete a Registration Form and pay a month’s fees as a deposit. When we have received these, your child’s place at your chosen nursery is confirmed. The deposit will be held for the life of the nursery place and used as your last month’s fees when you leave, assuming the required notice period is given. It is important that you review our Terms of Attendance at this time.
Nearer to your start date we will be in touch with you to arrange settling in visits. This is usually done by your child’s key person, someone who you and your child will get to know well. They will be able to answer any questions that you may have and help you to feel at ease about your first steps into Seymour House.
Details of our Local Offer
Applying for Oak Trees Ford Dunton Nursery
Our Oak Trees Nursery at Dunton is solely for children of Ford employees based at Dunton. To apply for a place, you will need to complete an application form specific to the Oak Trees Ford Dunton nursery. The application form will request details regarding your employment at Dunton to ensure that you meet the above criteria. Please note, we are required to share information on the application form with Ford HR for those using the nursery.
Once you are offered a nursery place for your child, which is usually via a verbal conversation to agree the attendance pattern, timings and start date, we will confirm the place via email. You will be required to complete a Registration Form, and pay your first month’s fees in advance, which when received will confirm your child’s place at the nursery. You will still receive an invoice for your first month’s fees prior to starting, however, the fees paid will be offset against fees due.
Guide to funding
Many families are entitled to Government support with childcare costs that can be worth thousands of pounds.
What funding is available?
Childcare funding eligibility
- You must be a working family, including the self-employed, in the UK.
- You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £184 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage) over three months.
- No parent can earn over £100,000.
Childcare Funding FAQs
How do I know if I am eligible for funding?
You can confirm your eligibility through:
Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK
You will need to confirm your eligibility the term before you wish to access funding. Once confirmed you will be given an eligibility code / working parents entitlement code.
When you have received this code you need to share it with the Nursery Manager along with your National Insurance number and a copy of your child’s birth certificate. These are usually requested at Registration.
How does funding work at Seymour House?
Government funding is for 38 weeks of the year. Funded hours are provided entirely free of charge and any balance due is for additional hours, services and meals. This charge is then divided into 12 equal payments to ensure that we support parents wishing to use Tax-Free Childcare.
To claim funding parents will be asked to complete a Parent Agreement form, which will be issued by the Nursery Manager along with guidance on how to complete it. Alternatively, the form and guide can be downloaded using the links below.
Essex Parent Agreement Guidance form
How often do I need to confirm eligibility?
You will need to confirm you are still eligible for childcare funding every three months. You will receive a reminder from HMRC when your reconfirmation window opens and a second reminder a week before your deadline. A final reminder will be sent the day reconfirmation is due. It is important to keep your details up to date with HMRC to ensure these messages are received. In most cases reconfirmation only takes a few minutes.
Find out more about funding
For more information about available funding and help with childcare costs, please visit Childcare Choices.
Ready to enrol?
Adventure, excitement, and discovery are just a few clicks away. Complete our application form to join a Seymour House nursery near you.
