Online Payments, Tax Free Childcare & Childcare Vouchers

Online payments

Your one stop shop for making online school bookings for parents' evenings and payments for school meals, trips, clubs and workshops.

Your online account offers you a fast, secure and confidential way of making payments and bookings for events, at a time and place convenient to you.

The system is run by Tucasi and Worldpay, via a dedicated school portal (Scopay), and works from any smartphone or computer with internet access.

You will be able to check current balances for your child’s dinner money, trips, clubs and workshops and can top up your account ahead of a trip or dinner being purchased. You will also be able to make bookings for parent/carer consultations and other school events.

If you need more help please look at the links at the bottom of the sign-in page on Scopay. Click here to access Scopay. You will find a helpful online video tutorial.

If you are still struggling to register the account at that stage, please feel free to email office.echelford@lumenlearningtrust.co.uk

In accordance with HMRC regulations, any payments made to us using Tax-Free Childcare or Childcare vouchers can only be refunded back to the original childcare account, we cannot issue refunds directly to parents.

Tax Free Childcare & Childcare Vouchers

The Difference: Childcare Vouchers are a "salary sacrifice" benefit managed by employers (now closed to new entrants), while Tax-Free Childcare is a government-run account where you get a £2 top-up for every £8 you save.
What you can use them for: Both schemes must be used for "Approved Childcare." This includes registered nurseries, childminders, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, and holiday camps.
How to arrange: Tax-Free Childcare: Apply via GOV.UK. You pay into an online portal, and the government tops it up automatically. Vouchers: Only available if you are already enrolled. You manage this through your employer's HR or payroll department.

You cannot use both or use either for school meals or trips and visits.

Tax Free Childcare refunds

To process refunds to your Tax-Free Childcare account we will need your payment reference number which begins with 11. This can be found in the following way:

Sign into your account through the Tax-Free Childcare website
Select "your Tax-Free Childcare Account"
Select "Manage Account"
Select "Pay money in"
Your payment reference will appear on this pay under "payment reference"

Childcare Voucher refunds

Where the provider accepts refunds, these can be made directly back to your childcare voucher account. Please contact your provider to request the reference number required for the payment.

Note that Edenred does not accept refunds and the only option in this instance is for a credit to be applied to your child's account for use on other applicable expenditures in school, or it can be transferred to another registered childcare provider.