FAQS for September 2025
What do our fees go towards?
Your fees go towards a range of costs such as:
● Paying our dedicated team a fair wage (at least the Real Living Wage)
● Paying our community partners a sustainable rent
● Overheads such as utilities, statutory team training and software
● Children's meals and snacks, outings and learning resources
The largest expense for RiB is staffing costs - this is almost 80% of all our outgoings. Your fees then go towards rent, which is paid to our community partners and helps ensure a sustainable future for these community spaces, children’s meals, staff training, insurance utilities and other statutory expenses (such as business rates), and improvements to the nurseries, toys and equipment.
How is Raised in Bristol run?
We are a CIC - or social enterprise. Any profit (or surplus) we may make must be reinvested into our communities and serve our social purpose. No one can take any of that profit for personal gain. From March 2024, we have a fully non-executive board of directors, who receive no payment other than expenses for their work with Raised In, holding our executive team accountable and ensuring we are delivering on our social mission. You can find out more about this here.
Does Raised in Bristol have any other sources of income?
Currently, the only income Raised in Bristol has is nursery fees and funding provided for eligible children from Bristol City Council. We’re always on the lookout for additional grant funding to help improve the nurseries or to allow us to do special projects.
What do we mean when we say ‘term’ or ‘terms’?
Although our Raised in Bristol nurseries are open all-year-round (for 51 weeks of the year), funding eligibility is calculated based on terms defined by Bristol City Council, which are the same as school term times. When your child is old enough to get funding, we endeavour to move children onto our applicable fee rate and/or sliding scale on the first Monday of the month after they turn the relevant age. If eligible, your funding will continue, but you will see your invoice adjust accordingly.
We’ve provided these terms below:
Autumn Term - September, October, November, December
Spring Term - January, February, March
Summer Term - April, May, June, July, August
You can find more information on the specific term dates at Bristol City Council’s website here.
Why can’t I receive funding from the day of my child's applicable birthday?
If your child has turned nine months old and is now eligible for funding, you can start using your entitlements from the term after their birthday (turning nine months old) - as long as you applied for your funding code by the end of the term before the term you wish to claim for has ended.
For example, if your child is eligible for funding for the Summer term, then you will need to apply for your funding code before the end of the Spring term (see term dates above). You’re only able to claim the entitlements from the term after they become the relevant age because this gives Bristol City Council and us as the childcare provider, enough time to prepare.
When should I apply for my funding?
Please see the childcare choice link below about when you can apply for funding. Please ensure you have secured your code, and renewed this, in good time each term to avoid missing out on your funding.
Can I claim funding if my child starts nursery in the middle of a term?
Yes, you can claim funding if your child is starting nursery mid-term (and you’re eligible to receive funding for that term). If you're starting partway through a term, you will need to have secured your funding code before the start of that term; otherwise, you will not be eligible for funding for that term. We advise you to do this as early as possible to avoid missing out on funding for your child. Please visit the government website for the deadlines for applying here.
If you are moving to Raised In partway through a term from another nursery, we can only claim funding if your previous nursery releases this to us. Some nurseries don’t release funding partway through a term, and you will need to speak to your previous nursery to confirm their policy.
Will you still be accepting Tax-Free Childcare vouchers alongside the new funding?
Yes, we accept Tax Free Childcare at Raised in Bristol and will continue to do so when the new funding comes into effect in September 2025.
If you need more information about tax-free childcare and how it works, you can find out more at Childcare Choices.
Do you allow split funding with another nursery?
Yes, you can split your funding with another nursery provider in instances where your child may be attending two settings. If you’re only claiming 11 hours or fewer of funding at Raised In, you’ll need to take your funded sessions on a Monday or a Friday. Please ask our Admissions team more about this when you enquire.
My child is eligible for 15 hours of funding, why can I only claim 11 hours?
Although our Raised in Bristol nurseries are open all-year-round (for 51 weeks of the year) funding eligibility is calculated based on terms defined by Bristol City Council, which are the same as school term times.
The ‘15 hours’ are calculated for term-time-only nurseries that run 47.5 weeks of the year. Raised In Bristol nurseries run all-year-round, which means we stretch the funding over the 51 weeks of the year, entitling you to 11 hours of funding per week. Please see our Admissions Policy for further information.
My child is eligible for 30 hours of funding, why can I only claim 22 hours?
Although our Raised in Bristol nurseries are open all-year-round (for 51 weeks of the year), funding eligibility is calculated based on terms defined by Bristol City Council, which are the same as school term times.
The ‘30 hours’ are calculated for term-time-only nurseries that run 47.5 weeks of the year. Raised In Bristol nurseries run all-year-round, which means we stretch the funding over the 51 weeks of the year, entitling you to 22 hours of funding per week. Please see our Admissions Policy for further information.
When can I access my funded hours?
If you’re claiming working family funding (22 hours per week):
20 hours of your allocation can be taken whenever you wish, in line with our standard session times (equivalent to two full days, four half days or a mixture of full and half days).
2 hours can then be taken between 11 am-1 pm OR 1-3 pm on any day of the week. If you require a longer session, you’re welcome to purchase additional hours at our hourly rate to make up a full half-day session or more if needed.
For children starting with us from September and eligible for two year old (disadvantaged) or universal 3 and 4 year old funding only (11 hours per week):
These hours will only be available on a Monday or Friday.
10 hours will need to be claimed in two half day sessions of 5 hours or one full day session of 10 hours.
The remaining 1 hour can then be used at either 8-9 am or 5-6 pm.
Wherever possible, we’ll do all we can to honour all existing booking patterns for children funded by either of these routes.
Do you offer flexible sessions outside of the set half-day or full day sessions?
No, we only offer half-day sessions: morning sessions from 8 am-1 pm, afternoon sessions from 1 pm-6 pm and full day sessions from 8 am–6 pm Monday to Friday. We don’t offer sessions outside of these set times unless you are in receipt of funding and wish to add hours to your funded sessions to make up your hours to a half or full-day booking. Sometimes, it may be possible to drop your child off at the nursery later than the session start time and collect them earlier than the session end time, but this must be arranged with the nursery team. Please note that if you come to collect your child after their session has ended, you may incur Late collection fees.
Please contact the nursery team if you know you are going to be late. If you are late in collecting your child after their session has ended, we will issue a late collection form and charge you £1 per minute in addition to your monthly bill.
Can I secure more than one nursery place at Raised in Bristol nurseries for my child so I have a backup?
No, you can only secure one space per child at a Raised in Bristol nursery. You cannot secure a place for the same child at a different Raised in Bristol Nursery. Nursery places are in high demand so it is not fair to other families trying to access a place. However, you are welcome to join the waiting list at more than one of our nurseries should you wish (charges apply).
What is a Consumables Charge?
Our consumables policy has been developed in collaboration with Bristol City Council.
The Early Years Entitlement funding is designed to cover the cost of delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage. It does not cover meals, snacks, drinks, online child progress journals and logs, activities, external facilitators, the cost of or the resourcing requirements of trips, events and/or parties, the RiB Family Club, other consumables, extra resources or materials, additional hours or any other additional services. This charge allows us to continue to sustainably deliver our high-quality educational offer, and continue to support your community partners, which many parents explicitly choose a Raised In nursery for.
We charge a consumables charge of £1.80 per funded hour to contribute towards the additional cost of materials, activities and trips, resources and food and drinks. We hope families continue to see the value of this, and support us to deliver our full curriculum with a termly agreement to pay this consumables charge.
What is the enhanced provision charge?
Our enhanced provision charge is 20p per funded hour. Under new guidance, we’re no longer allowed to ask for a contribution to running costs (such as higher staff ratios, staff salaries, staff training or utilities) or things like our online family logs and communications tools via a consumables charge. Therefore, to support our ethical business practices and overall enhanced provision from the legal minimum, we’re asking families to contribute 20p per funded hour to help keep Raised In able to offer our enhanced provision.
Can I opt out of the consumables or enhanced provision charge?
Our consumables and enhanced provision charges are necessary for us to deliver our full curriculum sustainably. Food and other consumables and activities are included in the cost of any privately paid hours and sessions.
Please speak to our Admissions team if you are unable to pay our consumables and/or enhanced provision charges to discuss your options.
If your child is in receipt of the Early Years Pupil Premium, we can use this to cover the cost of nursery food while they are accessing their funded hours. Please speak to the Admissions Team for more information.
Is the consumables charge a top up fee?
No - we are not allowed to charge a ‘top up’ fee, and our consumables charge is to cover the cost of things not covered by funding. Our private fees are separate from the consumables charge and only apply to families wishing to purchase additional hours.
Why are you making these changes now?
While we’ve always adhered to all the rules and requirements stipulated by the government and Bristol City Council, additional rules are coming into effect to support the roll out of the new funding entitlements. The changes we have made have been because of new guidance from the government on how nursery settings can deliver the new funding entitlements. The expanded entitlements have also supported us in reviewing our fee structure to ensure that we are accessible to as many families as possible while remaining sustainable.
My child is leaving for school in September and we’re going to miss out on these changes. Why are you changing this now?
Government funding is expanding from September 2025 which supported us to review our model. Due to the increased funding entitlements, we’ve been able to make some changes which we hope will benefit our families. As the changes are linked to the funding roll out, we are not able to implement them before September.
While we appreciate that some current families may not see the benefit of these changes, we have always acted in line with all applicable guidance and worked closely with Bristol City Council to ensure this. Funding and rules associated with this are set by the government, and we unfortunately have no say in how funding decisions are reached.
I completed an EYR01 parental declaration form for my child’s funding last term. Do I need to complete another one this term?
Yes, you’ll need to complete an EYR01 form each term. Bristol City Council requires us to have a newly signed form on file from each parent for every term that you are claiming funding for your child with us. We cannot submit a claim for your child's funding without a newly signed form. If the information on your form has not changed from the previous term, please just resign and date at the bottom of the form.
I’m only eligible for 11 hours of eligible 2 year old funding or the 11 hours of universal 3 year old funding. Does this mean I will need to change my child's schedule to Monday and Friday?
Wherever possible, we will honour all existing booking patterns. For any child starting from September 2025 claiming 11 hours of funding or fewer at Raised In, you will need to access your funded hours on a Monday or a Friday. You are welcome to purchase additional hours on other days should you require them.
What are your fees?
Our standard fees if you aren’t eligible for any of the government funding entitlements are:
Babies (6 – 24 months)
Full Day 8 am-6 pm £111
Half day 8 am–1 pm/ 1 pm–6 pm £55.50
Toddlers (24–36 months)
Full Day 8 am-6 pm £96
Half day 8 am–1 pm/ 1 pm–6 pm £48
Preschool (36 months +)
Full Day 8 am-6 pm £85
Half day 8 am–1 pm/ 1 pm–6 pm £42.50
If you are in receipt of funding and wish to add additional private hours to your funding entitlements, these are charged on an hourly basis:
Babies: £11.10 per hour
Toddlers: £9.60 per hour
Preschool: £8.50 per hour
Any privately purchased hours include the cost of food, snacks, trips, activities, events, etc, otherwise covered by our consumables and enhanced provision charges.
Please note that if you are booking additional hours, these are only available in our standard session times. Purchasing additional hours is not a condition of accessing a funded place at Raised In.
My child is starting with you soon. When will their Settling in Sessions be?
The admissions team will be in touch around three months before your child's start date to book in their three settling sessions. These will be booked in over the two weeks directly prior to your child's start date on the days that you have scheduled. Please do not book holidays over the two weeks before their start date to allow for a smooth settling in period. If you cannot attend settling in sessions over these two weeks, this will incur a charge and result in your child's start date being delayed.
Have the recent changes to legal staffing ratios had an impact on fees?
The Government has recently made the legal ratios higher, so one member of staff can look after more children. We’ve chosen not to work to the legal minimum and are using the previous ratios as much as possible as we don’t believe that this is the right decision to ensure high-quality care, nor does it lead to a positive and sustainable work environment for our team. This was an attempt by the Government to support the sector which is struggling with staffing generally, but does nothing to solve the overall challenges with recruitment, and we believe it devalues the excellent education we offer.
However, funding doesn’t take into account settings like ours who have more staff than legally required. This is partly why we ask for an enhanced provision contribution to ensure we can continue to work to enhanced ratios.