Answers to the questions parents ask us most. Can't find what you need? Email admin@precious-smiles.co.uk and we'll answer your query directly.
We currently have two settings in Ilford, Redbridge:
We currently offer places to children aged from around 2 years up to 5 years, or until they start primary school. We are Ofsted registered to care for children aged 0–5 years.
Precious Smiles is open term-time plus two additional weeks: 40 weeks a year instead of the usual 38. The extra weeks are also fully funded, with one extra week in the Autumn term and one extra week in the Spring term. We are closed during the remaining school holiday weeks and on bank holidays.
Our opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:30pm.
No. We run for 40 weeks a year: term-time plus one extra week in the Autumn term and one in the Spring term. Term dates are given to parents at the start of each term and displayed on the parent notice boards. If you need year-round cover, we're happy to provide information about holiday providers and childminders.
Most of our early years educators are multilingual and speak a range of languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi and Punjabi. We are proud to support children and parents who speak English as an additional language. If you are a parent with limited English and need extra support, please email the Admin Team in advance and we will do our best to have someone who speaks your language at your admissions appointment.
Depending on your circumstances and your child's age, you may be entitled to:
| Entitlement | Who it's for | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Working parent entitlement (from 9 months) | Working parents who meet the income rules | Up to 30 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, or around 28 hours a week, 40 weeks a year |
| 2-year-old funded place | Families receiving certain benefits, children with an EHC plan or DLA, and children who are or have been in care | 15 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, or around 14 hours a week, 40 weeks a year |
| Universal 3- and 4-year-old entitlement | Every 3- and 4-year-old, whatever your income | 15 hours a week, 38 weeks a year, or around 14 hours a week, 40 weeks a year |
Funded entitlements are set at 38 weeks a year. Because we run for 40 weeks, we stretch your entitlement across our longer year. In practice, that means:
Either way, you receive your entitlement — it is just spread over more weeks. Please check your Parent Declaration Form for more information on ‘stretched offers’.
The quickest way is to register your details on the "Register" page of our website. Our Admin Team will then check your eligibility using the details you have provided. You can also use the "Register" page to arrange a nursery visit and book an admissions appointment. We need this information before we can book an appointment, both to check eligibility and as part of our security checks for all visitors to our settings.
On occasion, we may direct you to Redbridge Families Information Direct (FiND), the council's free information service for families. FiND can check which funded childcare you qualify for, including 2-year-old funding and the 30-hour working parent entitlement.
Redbridge Families Information Direct (FiND)
FiND supports parents and carers of children up to 19 (or 25 with SEND) — not only with childcare funding, but also with health, schools, activities and financial support such as Healthy Start.
You can also check and apply yourself on GOV.UK at Childcare Choices, and through the Redbridge Parent Portal.
Apply online through the Redbridge Parent Portal. You'll need your National Insurance number and your child's details. Redbridge will confirm whether your child qualifies, and you then share the confirmation email with us. FiND can help you complete the application if you'd prefer to do it over the phone.
You may qualify if you receive Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit (with a household income under £15,400 a year after tax), tax credits (with a household income under £16,190), Pension Credit, or support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Children who are looked after by the local authority, who have left care through an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order, who have an EHC plan, or who receive Disability Living Allowance also qualify.
Apply on GOV.UK for a childcare account. If you qualify, you'll be given an 11-digit eligibility code. Please share this code with us before the start of the term you want your child to attend, so we can carry out our own checks before confirming your place.
To qualify, each parent needs to expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage over the next three months, and neither parent can have an adjusted net income over £100,000 a year. Different thresholds apply if you're under 21 or an apprentice.
Yes, and it matters. Your code must be issued by these dates (the date on the code counts, not the date you applied):
If you miss the deadline, you cannot use your funded hours until the following term, so we strongly recommend applying at least six weeks early. Remember to reconfirm your code on time before the next term starts, otherwise you could lose a whole term's funding. Nurseries cannot change these rules; they are set by the government. If you think your funding has been refused in error, you can contact Families Information Direct (FiND) or HMRC.
Funding begins the term after your child reaches the qualifying age (9 months, 2 years or 3 years, depending on your circumstances). Terms start on 1 September, 1 January and 1 April. For example, a child who turns 3 in October starts their funded place in January.
Yes. Please sign in to your childcare account and reconfirm your details every three months. GOV.UK sends reminders four weeks and two weeks before your deadline. If you forget, there is usually a short ‘grace period’ during which your child can keep their place while you reapply — but tell us straight away so we can help. The ‘grace period’ usually applies only to children continuing a funded place, not to new children joining for the first time.
Your funded hours are free, and there are no compulsory charges on top of them. If you provide your child's own daily consumables and a packed lunch, there is nothing further to pay.
The cost of hours beyond your entitlement depends on your child's age and on availability at the time, and must be agreed with us in advance. After-hours clubs vary in price depending on the activity. Please speak to your Branch Manager for more information.
All 3- and 4-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week (38 weeks a year, or around 14 hours a week stretched over 40 weeks), regardless of parents' income. Please note that funded places start the term after your child turns 3, not from their third birthday.
Below that age, you can still take a privately funded place. Our fees depend on the number of sessions and your child's age. Please email admin@precious-smiles.co.uk and we'll send you a fee quote. Rates are reviewed annually.
You may also be able to use Tax-Free Childcare (the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £500 per quarter), or claim childcare costs through Universal Credit. You cannot use Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare support at the same time, so check which is better for you. FiND can talk this through with you.
Use the "Register" tab at the top of our home page. If you have any difficulty, please call your preferred branch or email the Admin Team at admin@precious-smiles.co.uk.
Yes, and we encourage parents to visit before taking up a place. At Precious Smiles, we like to meet all parents and children before we offer a place. Use the "Register" page to arrange a visit and meet the team.
We often have waiting lists, as places at each branch are limited. Please register early, especially for a September start or if your child may need additional support, as this can take time to organise. During your visit, we can give you an idea of how long you may need to wait for a place.
If your child is attending another nursery when you apply to us, you may need to wait four weeks from the date you give written notice to your current nursery, in line with local authority rules for funded places. You must tell us if your child has already started at another nursery, to avoid duplicate funding claims from both nurseries.
Admissions appointments are usually booked on open days. We then let successful applicants know within a week whether they have a place for the current term or a future term. During busy periods, we may not always be able to meet every applicant or offer every child a place. Parents are welcome to stay on the waiting list until a place becomes available.
Places are allocated after an admissions appointment and once the relevant eligibility checks have been carried out. We also check whether a place is available in your child's age group and at your preferred session time. When we are oversubscribed, we may also take your home address into account.
We will talk through your child's routine, needs, allergies and health information, and record your session preference. We also discuss your expectations for your child's learning and development. We may also go through our policies and procedures in key areas, so you can make an informed decision.
Yes. We arrange settling-in sessions before your child's first full day, so they can get to know us and gradually build up to their full hours. Branch Managers create settling-in plans in consultation with parents, based on daily observations.
Fees are invoiced termly; each invoice includes payment details and deadlines. Please note that we may not always have private places available.
If you need to change or end your child's sessions or hours, we ask for four weeks' written notice. This is set out in the Redbridge Parent Declaration Form and also applies to privately funded families.
A labelled bag with a change of clothes, a water bottle or flask, and nappies and consumables for the whole day (if your child is still in nappies). If you do not wish to buy a catered meal, please also provide a packed lunch or snack. Your Welcome Pack has the full "what to bring each day" list, which we will also go through with you on your first day. If you have any questions, please email us.
Yes, we offer catered meals and snacks from our caterers; there is a charge for this, based on what you choose. See our website for details. You are also welcome to send your child with their own packed lunch and snacks if you do not wish to buy meals. We aim to be a nut-free setting (we advise parents not to send food with nuts) and follow a healthy eating policy, so please check the guidance in your Welcome Pack before packing food for your child.
We take allergies and dietary requirements seriously. Tell us at your admissions appointment and we'll record a plan for your child. A risk assessment is always required if a child has an allergy. There may be additional steps for you to complete before your start date to ensure your child's safety and wellbeing.
No. We welcome children in nappies and work with you on toilet training when your child is ready. We encourage parents to be proactive and to use the school holidays to establish routines, which we can then support. Toilet-training packs are available if you would like extra guidance.
Every child has an allocated key person who gets to know them, settles them in and keeps you updated, alongside the Branch Manager. We work within the statutory staff:child ratios of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and our staff hold recognised early years qualifications. Every member of staff holds a current paediatric first aid certificate and an enhanced DBS check. We can provide further information once your child starts their place.
We share daily feedback at collection, and we record your child's learning and development against the EYFS on an online learning journal platform. You'll get a secure login so you can see your child's observations, photographs and progress whenever you like. We also hold termly parents' meetings on Parents' Day, for more detailed discussions about your child's progress and development.
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework all nurseries in England must follow. It sets the standards for children's learning, development and safety from birth to five, across areas such as communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, maths, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.
Please keep your child at home if they are unwell so they can recover, and let us know about the absence before their session starts. Our Welcome Pack sets out the exclusion periods for common illnesses, including how long to keep your child at home after sickness or diarrhoea.
If your child needs prescribed medication or an ointment, please let us know in writing and complete the relevant forms.
Let us know as soon as you can, ideally before 9:00am. Regular attendance supports your child's learning and development, so it is strongly encouraged. We are also required to record the reason for any absence for safeguarding purposes.
Yes. Many of our children have a range of additional needs. Most are doing well with ordinarily available provision and some minor adjustments. Some children have higher levels of need, which may call for more planning and input from professionals and external organisations. We will never make a referral to an external organisation without your consent.
To coordinate support for children with SEND, each setting has a dedicated SENCo assistant working alongside the Redbridge Area SENCo and the Precious Smiles SENCo. Children with an EHC plan or who receive Disability Living Allowance may qualify for a 2-year-old funded place. Please talk to us early (at least six weeks before your preferred start date), as we may need to plan additional support, staff time or specialist equipment, or carry out a full risk assessment before your child's first day.
Safeguarding is our first responsibility. Each setting has a named Designated Safeguarding Lead, and every member of staff holds an enhanced DBS check and is trained in safeguarding and child protection. Our policies follow statutory guidance and Redbridge Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures. Your Welcome Pack names your setting's Designated Safeguarding Lead and explains how to contact them.
We focus on school readiness throughout the year, including independence, self-care, listening and communication skills, early literacy and maths, and building confidence. With your consent, we can also share a transition summary with your child's Reception teacher.
Speak to your child's key person first — most things are resolved quickly with good communication on both sides. If you're not satisfied, please speak to the Branch Manager. Further details of our policies and procedures are in your Welcome Pack.
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration ZB160224) and handle your information in line with UK GDPR and all UK data protection laws and regulations.
| Monday – Friday | 08:00 – 18:30 |
| Sat | Closed |
| Sun | Closed |
