FAQs, T&Cs & Links
What are the session timings for the Nursery & Preschool at Matford Brook Academy?
Our sessions are designed around the core day of 9am–3pm. We also have wraparound/extended care available from 7.30am–6pm. We are a term-time provider (38 weeks per year) and our site is closed when we have non-pupil days for the rest of the school. Please check our term time dates for information.
Our sessions are in 1.5, 3, 6 or 10-hour blocks. This enables families to make the best choices that suit their needs within the 15- or 30-hour entitlement.
Please visit our page here for the latest times and fees: https://www.matfordbrook.academy/who-we-are/nursery-and-preschool/sessions
Do you offer wraparound provision?
We are pleased to offer wraparound provision as an offer for families. We know that this flexibility is important and endeavour to make Nursery & Preschool work for you.
You can see our session timings here: https://www.matfordbrook.academy/who-we-are/nursery-and-preschool/sessions
Families with children in Year Reception and above may access wraparound care using FISH Kids who are on site daily: www.fishkids.co.uk
What will my child's day at Nursery and Preschool involve?
We plan our day carefully to incorporate the very best learning experiences for your child with a balance of child-led independent activities and adult-guided activities.
Throughout the day, your child will have access to a wide range of indoor and outdoor experiences that both harness and nurture their interests.
As your child plays, they are continually learning and developing. Our curriculum is language-rich with inspiring stories and nursery rhymes underpinning their learning. We love stories and want to help your child become story-lovers, too!
What are the arrangements for lunch at Nursery and Preschool?
The lunch period starts at 11:50am and is available to children who are attending between 9am and 3pm. However, if your child starts at 12pm, they can bring a packed lunch and join the rest of the children eating.
Families have two options for lunch meals:
- provide a packed lunch for their child
- choose a hot meal for their child as an optional extra at an additional charge of £2.60 per hot meal (for children attending between 9am and 3pm only)
Families who have children eligible for free school meals can also only book these when their child is booked into the nursery/ preschool for both the core morning (9am-12pm) and core afternoon (12-3pm) session on any given day.
Meals are booked through our My Child at School (MCAS) app and you will receive login details for this once your child is enrolled.
Apps: My Child at School (MCAS) and Famly
We currently use two apps to support our communication with Nursery and Preschool families.
My Child at School (MCAS)
The first (MCAS) is linked to our management information system which contains your child's details and your contact details and enables you to order hot school meals where eligible (see above FAQ). We need to use this app in addition to Famly as it's accessible by all staff (where required) and links to our safeguarding platform (CPOMS). We will sometimes use this to send our communications, particularly when they are school-wide, such as our weekly newsletter.
Famly
The second app is Famly which is mainly used for our nursery, preschool and reception aged children. This also contains your child's details and your contact details, but also includes things like a collection password which are used directly by our nursery and preschool staff.
In Famly we also record observations and other information to share with you as well as billing.
We have only started rolling our Famly since August 2025, so we may start to use it for a wider range of features.
Terms & Conditions
Please refer to the contract document at the end of this page [to follow] for the full list of terms and conditions, which must be signed before your child can start with us. You will receive a copy of your Terms and Conditions when you join. If we make any changes in the future, we will notify you in advance, and you will have the option to decline the changes. A decline may result in the termination of a child's place with a month's notice by Matford Brook Academy as the provider.
Useful Links
Best Start in Life - find out all of your funding options (previously Childcare Choices)
Devon County Council - Tax free childcare
Devon County Council - information for families
Devon County Council - Nursery and Preschool free school meals information