Day care fees
We continually review our fees to make sure they are fair and competitive for the high level of personal service we provide and the ongoing investment we make in our settings.
From 1 September 2025, all eligible parents / carers of children aged from 9 months old to under 3 will be able to claim 30 hours government funding per week for 38 weeks of the year. For 3 and 4 year olds, all parents will be able to claim 15 ‘universal’ hours funding per week for 38 weeks of the year. If eligible, they will also be able to claim a further 15 ‘extended’ hours funding per week for 38 weeks of the year. Full details can be found in our
From 1 September 2025
Most working parents will be entitled to claim government funding for their child from the school term after they turn 9 months old. We will help you through the process. Our minimum attendance is two days per week, for 51 weeks of the year as we close for one week at Christmas. We do not offer term time only places.
Under 2 year olds
2 year olds
*Consumables Charge from the school term after their second birthday.
3 and 4 year olds
*Consumables Charge from the school term after their third birthday.
The cost covers the care, education and meals and snacks for your child. Consumables and trips are not included – see details below.
* The government will pay Once upon a time a level of funding for three different age groups that they believe covers the cost of providing ‘adequate care and education’ for your child at our nursery schools. The funding excludes the cost of meals and snacks, consumables and trips.
2 year olds: £12
Under 2s: £8
Parents who are eligible to claim 30 hours funding for 38 weeks of the year for their child,
will also be eligible to set up a Tax Free Childcare account with HMRC. This will provide a 20% saving on the above costs, subject to a limit of £2,000 per annum per child. Some parents may be able to claim some of the above costs via Universal Credit.
A ‘Statement of Fees’ will be produced for each school term. This will show the total number of days to be attended and the number of funded hours we will claim from the government on your behalf. It will also show the total fees for the term and the fees that will be invoiced each month.
The cost covers the care, education and meals and snacks for your child. Consumables and trips are not included – see details below.
* The government will pay Once upon a time a level of funding for three different age groups that they believe covers the cost of providing ‘adequate care and education’ for your child at our nursery schools. The funding excludes the cost of meals and snacks, consumables and trips.
2 year olds: £12
Under 2s: £8
Parents who are eligible to claim 30 hours funding for 38 weeks of the year for their child,
will also be eligible to set up a Tax Free Childcare account with HMRC. This will provide a 20% saving on the above costs, subject to a limit of £2,000 per annum per child. Some parents may be able to claim some of the above costs via Universal Credit.
A ‘Statement of Fees’ will be produced for each school term. This will show the total number of days to be attended and the number of funded hours we will claim from the government on your behalf. It will also show the total fees for the term and the fees that will be invoiced each month.
Government funding
Three and four-year-olds
This funding starts from the school term after a child’s third birthday.
All children qualify for 15 ‘Universal’ funded hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. This totals 570 hours per year (15 x 38).
Eligible working parents also qualify for a further 15 ‘Extended’ funded hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. If this applies, a maximum of 30 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year can be claimed. This totals 1,140 hours per year (30 x 38).
Two-year-olds
This funding starts from the school term after a child’s second birthday.
Since April 2024, eligible working parents of two-year-olds have qualified for 15 hours of childcare support.
Under two-year-olds
This funding starts from the school term after a child is 9 months’ old. From September 2024, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months’ old will qualify for 15 hours of childcare support.
September 2025
By September 2025, eligible working families with children aged between 9 months and 5 years old will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support.
Important notes
15 or 30 hours of childcare support is for 38 weeks of the year. Like most day care nursery schools, we stretch your funding over the 51 weeks of the year we are open.
It is a parent’s responsibility to re-confirm their eligibility for government funding every three months.
To check your eligibility for government funding,
Are funded hours free?
The government believes that their funding covers the full cost of a child’s care and education. In some cases, particularly for 3- and 4-year-olds, we strongly disagree. However, so that parents do not miss out on this help with their childcare costs, we do accept funding for all age groups.
Furthermore, nursery schools are allowed to charge for consumables, mainly the food and drink supplied during the day. However, this is optional for the funded hours and should parents choose not to pay our Consumables Charge, they would have to supply all the meals and snacks that their child would consume at nursery.
At Once upon a time we produce a ‘Statement of Fees’ for each school term. This details how many sessions are attended during the term, how many funded hours can be claimed and the fees. The total fees are divided by the number of months in that term so that parents can budget to pay the same amount each month.
A claim form is provided each term for parents to check and sign. This allows us to claim the funding direct from Norfolk County Council via an online portal.
Norfolk County Council has produced this
Tax Free Childcare
This was introduced in 2018 as a cost-effective way to help thousands of parents pay for childcare. Eligible parents simply set up an online savings scheme with HMRC and the government will pay £2 for every £8 you pay. Put another way, every £100 of nursery school fees will cost you £80.
Eligible parents are entitled to government funding and Tax Free Childcare (TFC) – a double whammy!
There is a maximum amount you can claim every three months, and there are some terms and conditions, but most Once upon a time parents pay their fees via a TFC account.
It is a parent’s responsibility to re-confirm their eligibility for Tax Free Childcare every three months.
For more details