FAQs
We welcome children from 3 months until they start school.
The best first step is to book a tour of the nursery you’re interested in. After your visit, we’ll send you a registration form, and once it’s back with us we’ll confirm your place and start date. You can find out more in Registering at Kid Ease.
Yes, and we’d encourage it! A tour gives you the chance to see the rooms and garden, meet the manager and team, and ask any questions you have. You can book a tour online or by calling the nursery directly.
Before your child starts, we arrange at least two free settling sessions so they can get to know their surroundings and their Key Person. Sessions usually last around one to one and a half hours. We tailor any further sessions to your child’s needs, with no fixed maximum, and will plan the arrangements with you.
Meals, snacks and drinks are provided if you opt into our meal charges. Please bring a change of clothes and, for children over 2 or in size 6 nappies and above, their own nappies. We provide Sudocrem; please bring any other creams your child needs. Children are outside every day, so clothes that can get muddy are best. Please label everything with your child’s name.
It’s very normal for children to be unsettled when they first start, and our team are experienced in helping them through it. Your child’s Key Person will comfort them and help them settle into an activity they enjoy, and many children settle soon after their parent has left. You’re welcome to call the nursery to check how they’re getting on, and we’ll tell you how their day went at pick-up.
Our fees depend on your child’s age and the sessions you book. Each nursery publishes its own fee guide, and you can ask for a full breakdown during your tour. A 14% discount is available for children attending five full days a week, and a 10% discount for older siblings.
Yes. All our nurseries accept government-funded hours. In England, eligible working parents can get up to 30 funded hours a week from the term after their child turns 9 months old until they start school. All 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 funded hours whatever their parents’ circumstances, and some 2-year-olds from families receiving additional support are also eligible for 15 hours. Working parents can take their hours as 30 hours a week in term time only, or stretched across the year at around 24 hours a week. You can check your eligibility and apply at childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Yes. With Tax-Free Childcare, the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 a year for each child. You can use it to pay your Kid Ease fees. Apply at childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Yes. Our standard private fees include healthy snacks, a hot lunch and tea every day. Government funding does not cover meals, so for funded hours there is a small charge for lunch and tea if you choose this option.
Usually, yes. The deposit is normally two weeks' fees (double your regular weekly amount), so the exact figure depends on the sessions you book. Funded-only places do not need one. It's payable when you register, to secure your child's place, and we return it after your child leaves, provided the required notice has been given and the account is clear.
Speak to your nursery manager and we’ll do our best to help, subject to availability. We ask for four weeks’ notice to change your child’s booking pattern.
Children learn across all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage, from communication and language to early maths, literacy and understanding the world. Learning happens through play, indoors and outdoors, and is planned around each child’s interests and next steps. We also focus on what prepares children for school: confidence, independence, making friends and managing their feelings. Read more about it in Curriculum & Learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the government framework that all registered nurseries in England follow for children from birth to five. It sets the standards for children’s learning, development and care, and is organised into seven areas of learning. You can read more about how we use it in Curriculum & Learning.
Your child’s Key Person gets to know their interests, strengths and stage of development, and uses what they observe to plan activities that help them take their next steps. They keep a Learning Journey to track progress and share updates with you regularly. If your child needs extra support, the nursery’s SENDCo will work with you and their Key Person to put it in place.
Young children learn best by doing. Building a den means solving problems and working as a team. Counting the steps out to the garden is early maths, and a role-play café builds language and social skills. Our practitioners plan play carefully and join in, asking questions and introducing new words to extend what children are learning.
Children go outside every day, whatever the weather. All our nurseries have large gardens, and outdoor play is part of every room’s daily routine. At our Triangles nursery, children also take part in Forest School sessions led by a qualified Forest School practitioner, at no extra cost.
Children who feel safe and secure are ready to learn. Every child has a Key Person who knows them well and is a trusted adult they can turn to. We don’t use agency staff, and over a third of our team have been with us for more than ten years, so children see familiar faces every day. Our practitioners help children name and manage their feelings, and we work closely with you so that home and nursery support your child in the same way.
From their first settling session, your child has a named Key Person: the practitioner who gets to know your child and family best. They support your child through settling in and moving rooms, plan experiences around their interests, keep their Learning Journey up to date and are your first point of contact for day-to-day updates. Read more about our Key Person Approach.
Every Kid Ease nursery has a dedicated SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) who works with you, your child’s Key Person and outside professionals where needed. We identify needs early, put individual support plans in place and review progress regularly. Ofsted has recognised the quality of our SEND support across our nurseries. You’re welcome to talk to the nursery manager about your child’s needs before you apply.
Please tell us about any allergies when you register. We’ll agree a plan with you before your child starts, make sure everyone caring for your child knows about it, and provide suitable alternatives at every meal. We keep your child’s plan up to date, and allergy information is checked at every mealtime.
If your child becomes unwell at nursery, we’ll call you and ask you to collect them as soon as possible. Their Key Person will keep them comfortable until you arrive. To stop illness spreading, we follow UK Health Security Agency guidance: for example, children with sickness or diarrhoea need to stay at home until 48 hours after their last episode. More information can be found in our terms and conditions.
We offer comfort and reassurance and work with you to understand what helps your child. Suitable teethers can help soothe sore gums. Please speak to your nursery team about your child’s needs and any products you would like us to use, so we can agree support in line with our medication policy.
Healthy snacks, a hot lunch and tea are provided each day, with drinking water available throughout. Lunches at our Kent nurseries are supplied by Apetito, and at Norwich by Country Kitchen Foods, both specialist providers of meals for education settings. Menus change through the year and include vegetarian options. You can see sample menus on our Menu & Nutrition page.
Yes. We cater for all allergies and dietary requirements, as well as cultural and religious preferences. Let us know your child’s needs when you register and we’ll make sure suitable alternatives are provided at every meal. Your Nursery Manager will be happy to talk through your child’s requirements in detail.
We provide nappies for younger children. If your child is over 2 or wears size 6 nappies or above, please bring their own nappies. We provide Sudocrem; please bring any other creams your child needs.
Each room follows a routine suited to the children’s ages. Mornings usually start with free play and a snack, followed by outdoor play and planned activities. After a hot lunch, younger children have a sleep while older children enjoy quieter activities. Afternoons bring more play indoors and out, then tea before home time. Babies follow their own feeding and sleep routines, which we agree with you. Some days also include outings or additional experiences for preschool children such as Forest School (at our Triangles nursery) or French lessons (at our Hawkinge and Swingfield nurseries).
Example routine – Raspberries, Norwich
- 7.30-8.00am optional Early bird session including breakfast
- 8.00am Free flow play, child and adult led experiences
- 10.00am Snack bar and teacher led experience
- 10.20am Outside play, child and adult led/teacher led experiences
- 11.30am Indoors, carpet time, stories, singing, focused activity.
- 12.00pm Lunchtime, followed by quiet rest time
- 1.00pm End of morning session, beginning of afternoon session, free flow play, child and adult led experiences/ teacher led experience
- 2.15pm Snack bar
- 2.35pm Outside play, child and adult led experiences
- 3.30pm Indoors, carpet time, stories, singing, focused activity.
- 4.00pm Teatime
- 4.30-6.00pm Free flow play, child led experiences.
Keeping children safe comes before everything else. All our nurseries have secure premises and clear procedures for drop-off and collection, and children are only ever collected by adults you have authorised. Staff are carefully recruited and trained, and every nursery has a Designated Safeguarding Lead. Read more about our safeguarding policies and procedures.
Yes. All our nurseries are registered with and inspected by Ofsted, and each nursery displays its registration certificate. All our nurseries are currently rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’. You can read each nursery’s latest report here. https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/49/RP905544
We always meet the staff-to-child ratios set out in the EYFS: one adult to every three children under 2, one adult to every five 2-year-olds, and one adult to every eight children aged 3 and over. Where possible, we aim to exceed these ratios, staffing one adult to every four 2-year-olds where we can.
We follow safer recruitment practices, and every member of staff has an enhanced DBS check before they start. Around three quarters of our practitioners hold Level 3 qualifications or above, and every nursery has the support of a qualified Early Years Teacher. All staff take part in regular training, including safeguarding, and our Head of Childcare supports teaching and curriculum development across the group.
Every nursery has a Designated Safeguarding Lead, and all staff have regular safeguarding training so they know how to recognise and respond to any concern. We work closely with local safeguarding agencies and professionals, and Ofsted inspections consistently recognise the strength of safeguarding across our nurseries. Read more about our safeguarding policies and procedures.
Still have a question?
Speak with a Nursery Manager or contact us and we’ll be happy to help.