The eight we are actually asked.
In the order they come up on the phone, which is not the order a brochure would put them in — the first one is always the money.
- 01
What does it actually cost a week?
Five full days is $385, and that is everything — lunch, two snacks, tea, waterproofs, the forest morning. Three school days is $176. The whole table is on the fees page including what families on the state subsidy pay, which at the highest level of support is about a quarter of the full rate.
- 02
How do I know if I qualify for help with fees?
Come in and we will work it out with you in about twenty minutes. Roughly a third of our families are on the state program and most of them told us they assumed they earned too much. The ceiling is higher than people think.
- 03
How long is the wait?
It depends entirely on the room and we publish all four, counted on the first of the month. Acorn, the toddler room, is the long one — fourteen children waiting and typically about nine months. Elder usually has room. Nobody here will tell you to “just call”.
- 04
What happens at 10:15?
Snack at the table in all four rooms, then everybody outside — whatever the weather, short of lightning. It is the question we are asked most often, which is why the whole day is written out hour by hour on the day page.
- 05
What if my child is not toilet trained?
That is fine and it is expected. Acorn and Hazel are set up for it and it is not something we charge for, hurry, or mention to you at the door. You send whatever they wear and we deal with it.
- 06
Who cooks the lunch?
Aggie, in the kitchen here, nine years now. One menu for everybody, cooked that morning. Allergies and diets are catered on the same menu at the same table — no child eats separately because of what is in their food.
- 07
What happens if my child is bitten, or bites?
Both happen, in every nursery, mostly in the two-year-old room and mostly to do with language rather than temper. You will be told the same day, in person, either way round. We do not name the other child and we will not name yours to anybody else.
- 08
Can I come and look round?
Yes, and during the day rather than after hours — a nursery at four in the afternoon with the children gone tells you nothing. Come at about ten and stay as long as you like. You do not need to book, but ring first if you want a specific room.