Fees

At Barking Riverside Explorers, we’re passionate about giving children more than childcare. We provide education that nurtures curiosity, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.

We know funding can be confusing, so here’s a simple explanation of how it works at our preschool.

Government-Funded Hours (Childcare)

The government funding is designed to support childcare, covering basic provision for children during specific times of the day. For families looking just to use their hours, families can use their hours during the following sessions:

Session 1: 7:30–10:30
Session 3: 1:30–4:30

These sessions provide a safe and nurturing childcare environment but do not include the full educational programme, experiences, and enrichment opportunities we offer as part of our paid services.

Funded-only sessions are very popular and currently have a waiting list due to high demand.

Paid Spaces (Education and Enrichment)

Our paid packages include Session 2 (10:30–2:00) — the heart of our educational day.
During this session, children take part in our carefully planned Explorers curriculum, which focuses on school readiness, social development, outdoor exploration, and language enrichment. You are able to use your funded hours in these sessions.

Families can choose from our 3-day or 5-day packages, which can be extended or combined with funded hours to create a full day of care and education.

By combining funded and paid sessions, families receive the benefits of both which is the support of government funding and the quality of a high-calibre early education programme.

If you’d like to understand how your child’s funding hours can be used at Barking Riverside Explorers or to explore the best package for your family, please contact us at explorers@senspired.co.uk

What your fees cover

Specialist lessons

These are sessions from specialists that we buy into: including early PE, music and movement, Language, STEM, messy play and forest school. This is all part of our holistic learning approach.
Small group learning

This includes regular 1:1 time that allows every child to receive focused attention and tailored support.
Outings and cultural experiences

Our weekly outings include walks to local parks and the library. This also includes cultural visits celebrating festivals, foods, and traditions from around the world while also bringing those cultural and worldly experience to the preschool.
Rich Educational curriculum

Designed by highly qualified practitioners with international experience to prepare your child for school and life. Nurturing independence, curiosity, and confidence.
Strong family partnerships

We take time to know each family personally, offer feedback, and create a genuine sense of community. Through learning conferences, termly family days and even with our weekly home learning. All of this is intended to support our children and their families.
Individual support

We identify and respond to emerging needs early, through close observation, ongoing assessment, and collaboration with families—before challenges become barriers to learning. Our tailored approach ensures every child receives the right level of support at the right time so that they can reach their true potential.