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Thanx for ur comments! I thought they would have told us when they'd sent the funding form in as they would have known then. She told me she had just received a letter from county telling her they'd had210 hours instead of 225hrs funding etc but when I spoke to my manager at work she said we hadn't got a letter so very unlikely my sons nursery did! i contacted lcc and they said I just had to speak to the manager of ds nursery about the payment and it was up to individual nurseries if they need to charge extra!

We have this once a year (usually spring term) where the term, even with half term holiday, is longer than the fee paid period. My DD goes for 15 hours per week, term time only, so I expected not to have to pay at all during term time. The thing is, I don't think we even have the option of not going for a week because we need to give a month's notice about changes in hours used.

Seems strange that the nursery didn't tell you at the beginning of term, or following Head Count day (when they give the funding figures to the council) thus giving you the option of not sending your son for the unfunded time.

Found a Lanashire County Council claim form, which states that funding for Autumn Term 2012 is max of 210 hours.
"PROVIDERS MAY CLAIM FOR AS MANY WEEKS AS THE SETTING IS OPEN BETWEEN 1 SEPTEMBER 2012 AND 31 DECEMBER 2012 UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 15 HOURS A WEEK AND A MAXIMUM OF 210 HOURS OVER THE TERM."
(sorry for Caps, I just copied and pasted)

So yes it looks like the funding is for 14 weeks, not 15 weeks, when the claim is 15 hours a week.

Certainly do contact the county council, try calling FIS on 0800 195 0137 they may be able to confirm the situation, or put you in touch with the Early Years department. Though I doubt much can be done. Over the whole year you will get the funded hours but it does seem unreasonable for the nursery not to have told you if unfunded weeks would occur if your son attended all the weeks they are open.

I am sure they are not allowed to do that as the funding will be for 38 weeks. As a childminder who can deliver the nursery funding we sign an agreement to say we will not charge for free hours. I bet they won't refund you a week next term. I would not pay and contact the local authority to clarify the situation.

I can't remember where I read it, but I do recall reading something that said if the terms are unequal, they split the 38 week funding as 14 / 12 / 12 for the 3 terms. It should all balance out over the year but appreciate its not ideal only being told now. It depends I assume on what the nursery knew and whether they thought they'd be getting funding for the 15 weeks.

Thing is that the nursery I work at isn't charging for the extra week and next term at ds nursery is open for 10 nxt term and county fund 11 so shortfall cud be made up plus they expecting the £ in nxt 2 wks. Will make them wait as I have ds2 Fees to pay as well

I was only funded for 14 weeks, but they should have probably warned parents in advance, so they could choose not to use the extra week.

Ds1 is 3.5 yr we live in west lancs. been funded since April. Have been billed for one week at his term time nursery coz they are sayin the funding does not cover the full term as the autum term was 15 weeks long yet the funding covers only 14 weeks. I work in a nursery myself and is term time and we aren't charging our parents just wondered if this has ever happened to anyone before?