The College recognises that working parents must meet large childcare costs for their children under five. There are a range of childcare support available to all eligible College employees. Provision of these benefits will be reviewed from time to time and the College reserves the right to vary or discontinue the arrangements outlined below.

Tax-Free Childcare

What is Tax-Free Childcare?

A new Government-run scheme has been launched called Tax-Free Childcare (TFC), and is available to all eligible College employees. You can get up to £500 every 3 months (£2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare.

TFC can be used to pay for approved childcare, such as: childminders, nurseries and nannies, after school clubs and play scheme and home care agencies.

Local nursery discounts

Merchant Square Day Nursery

The College has secured a 20% discount on fees at the Merchant Square Day Nursery, which is close to the St Mary's campus in Paddington. 

Nature's Nursery

The College has secured a 10% discount on fees at Nature's Nursery, which is close to the Silwood Park campus in Sunninghill.

For more information on these nurseries and the College's affliated nursery for the Hammersmith and White City campuses, Old Oak Early Years Centre, please see the EYEC affliated nurseries page.

Childcare Support Scheme

Please note: following the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare, childcare voucher schemes have been closed to new entrants. Therefore, the College’s childcare vouchers scheme is now only available to those currently in the scheme, subject to their continuing eligibility.

A monthly allowance taking the form of free childcare vouchers is available to eligible employees who are currently in the College’s childcare vouchers scheme, until their child who is currently in receipt of it reaches their fifth birthday. The vouchers are provided through the College childcare voucher provider, Computershare, and may be used to meet the cost of childcare in College or independent nurseries. The allowance is not available as a cash supplement to employees’ salaries.

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