Buy Extra Nursery Hours

Application Process

• You can book sessions in advance for the whole year (August - July) however these can be paid for monthly.
• All applications/requests to buy extra nursery hours must be made using the online application form. If you have any issues with the application form please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk

Next Steps

You can pay for sessions using a -
 

• Debit/credit card
• Government Tax-Free Childcare (opens new window) account
• Some employee childcare vouchers schemes
• West Lothian College students who receive help from the West Lothian College Childcare Fund (opens new window) can arrange for the childcare payments to be made directly to West Lothian Council. 

Please see below for further information

Debit/Credit card

You can pay for your session using a debit/credit card using West Lothian's "pay for it" facility. A link for this will be sent with your confirmation email. If you choose this option we will receive information of your payment and your account will be updated with details of the payment automatically.

Tax Free Childcare Account

If you have a tax free childcare account and would like to pay for extra sessions using the account, please email buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk each time you make a payment to let us know the amount you have paid, the date of payment and your child's tax free childcare number. After we have checked that we have received your payment we will update your account

Childcare Vouchers

If you would like to use childcare vouchers please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk to see if we are able to accept these as payment.

West Lothian College

If you are studying with West Lothian College, and are eligible to receive help with childcare, then we can arrange for some or all of your extra hours to be paid for by the college. Please contact buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk for further information. Once we have confirmation from the college we will let you know if there is a balance to pay for any hours purchased.

All payments, except those made directly from West Lothian College, should be made 4 weeks in advance. Reminder emails will be sent the day before a booking if we haven't received any payment. We may cancel  future bookings If payments are not made on time.

If you have paid for sessions more than four weeks in advance we can arrange a refund or apply the payment to a future booking.

Additional morning, afternoon or full day sessions are available at the nurseries below - please note that availability may be limited.  For bookings up until the 18 April 2025 please use the Make a Booking (opens new window).  For enquiries and bookings for dates after the 18 April 2025 onwards please e -mail buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk .

Short session extension - available in all nurseries for children who have a two full day and short session placement.  Afternoon short sessions can be extended to 12:30-18:14.   Friday morning short sessions can be extended to 08:00-11:57.  You can book short session extensions up until August 2025 using the Make a Booking (opens new window).

For the Booking form, you will need to -

1. Enter your ID Number (if this is unknown, please e-mail buy extra nursery hours to request), select the nursery your child has been allocated and how you intend to pay for the extra hours.
2. Choose the session you would like to book. State the number of weeks you wish to book this session for (the system will automatically discount any dates the nursery is closed).
3. Once you click the submit button at the end of the form, you will receive an automatic email within 24 hours to let you know whether the sessions/dates are available or not.  
4. When you get the e-mail confirming the availability, you must click on the 'Yes' button in the e-mail within 24 hours of receipt to complete the booking.  If you don't complete this step the sessions will be released again for other people to book.

• Please e-mail buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk stating your child's unique ref and request a View My Bookings report and we will provide this manually.

• To cancel a booking please email buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
• Please note that 4 weeks notice is required for cancellations and for requests to change any bookings within the next four weeks. Refunds will not be give for cancellations or changes with less than 4 weeks notice

The information you provide on this form will be used to administer your request to buy extra nursery hours.  We will check the information we hold on our school information management system to confirm that your child attends the nursery you wish to book extra nursery hours with.  The nursery will be informed of the times you have booked once you have paid for the hours. 

We hold the information about your application and booking securely.

Our nurseries will keep a record of attendance in line with legal requirements.

Your Rights Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access:

You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure:

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing:

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances. You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. To make a request please contact us at Education Customer Services, West Lothian Council, West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6FF.

Providing accurate information It is important the information we hold is correct. If you need to make any changes, please e-mail or call your child's school. You can view school contact information from the main council website.

Further information If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact us at the address above.

You can also contact the Data Protection Officer:

West Lothian Council
West Lothian Civic Centre
Howden South Road
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 6FF
email: DataProtectionOfficer@westlothian.gov.uk (opens new window)

More information about data protection and how it applies to you, including how to 4 make a complaint, is available from the Information Commissioner's Office (opens new window).

The ICO's address:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113.

• Places available to buy through the "Buy Extra Nursery Hours" pilot can only be offered where there is spare capacity within the nursery.
   
• We cannot guarantee that where places are made available at a nursery for one session they will be available the following year.
   
• A new application for recurring weekly slots must be made each year (August - July) using our online application form.  The number of extra hours available to buy may vary from year to year.
   
• You can only buy extra nursery hours in the setting in which your child has a nursery place and during the days the setting is open.
   
• Places will be granted on a first come, first served basis.
   
• The session fees are reviewed annually.
   
• No discounts or concessions are available in relation to session fees.
   
• We reserve the right to cancel sessions in exceptional circumstances such as severe weather and a refund will be processed.     
   
• 4 weeks notice is required for cancellations If you would like to cancel or change your booking please send your request to buyextranurseryhours@westlothian.gov.uk
   
• No refunds will be given for non-attendance (for example through sickness or holidays).
   
• Payment must be made in advance of using the session.

Modification of Terms & Conditions

West Lothian Council reserves the right to amend the Terms & Conditions for example to comply with revised fiscal, legislative or operating requirements. Changes will be notified in writing to parents/carers, and will replace all previous Terms & Conditions.