Private nursery - nursery funded place with additional hours

[virginnamechanger]

Does anyone have a DC who attends a private nursery where they have a funded place and also attend for extra hours that you pay for?

In previous year DDs nursery deducted funded hours from overall hours attended, calculated the cost of those hours and I paid for the non-funded hours over 12 months. She attends holidays too and I pay for all time spent during school holidays.

This year they have deducted the actual value of the funding paid by council from the total number of hours times hourly rate and charging me the difference. In effect DD is sitting beside funded only children for 2.5 hours a day but I'm paying an extra few pounds an hour for the privilege. She gets nothing extra.

AIBU in thinking this is pretty cheeky or is it common practice?

[freddy05]

At our nursery they deduct the £45ish a week from the bill and we pay the rest for the cost of the day. I never really though about it as an hourly rate to be honest it was just a reduction on the price we had to pay.

[jugglingmug]

Are they saying that they spend more on the funded children than is paid for by government? Because if they are I'd be very, very surprised...why would they be doing the parents a favour in this way?

You should only have to pay for the non funded hours, whether you do that monthly per hour or annualised is between you and nursery to decide. Your DD is funded for the hours she does (15 x 39) not for the amount the nursery charge for this.

If they won't look again for you, I'd take it up with your local Childcare Information Service and Ofsted...all children are entitled to 15 hours FREE childcare, and that's what your DD should be getting.

[virginnamechanger]

The point is last year that's what they did I paid the difference but this year's is calculated differently.

Going to speak to them about it this week.

I am not a happy bunny.

[Lexilicious]

there was a change in the funding formula this year and that is why your nursery have changed their practice. It was really confusing arithmetic and I won't attempt to explain it here, but it was intended to make it fairer, not that paying parents would subsidise funded-only. can try to find the letter my son's nursery sent us to explain if you like (I think it's still quite baffling though)

[virginnamechanger]

jugglingmug I'm not asking for any favours but I've paid full whack since DD was a year old, why should I subsidise other kids who are brand new to the nursery. 'Cos that's how it's looking. Like you say they're unlikely to be spending more than they get on the children who pay nothing.

Lexilicious I'd be interested to know.

[BluewaterGirl]

Our DD has attended a private nursery since she was 10 months and she is settled so we would like for her to remain there. We had thought that upon reaching the term after her 3rd Birthday (which will be January 2012) we would be eligible for free funding.

I do not now work as am looking after our new DS so have flexibility in when I can take and collect our DD from her nursery. Although I am not working I am still keen for her to attend for a couple of mornings a week so she continues to experience the social aspect of nursery in the run up to her years starting school.

Upon asking about the free funding the private nursery she attends have been a little unhelpful with providing us with the correct info on how best to go about things. First of all they said that the correct forms were not yet in, something they are still telling us (I think said forms need to be completed and handed in quite soon!), and then today we have been told that as a nursery they only offer two free places which have already been taken!?

If perhaps we had been made aware of this we could of found out when we were eligible to apply for these two free places and then do so at the earliest opportunity in order to try and secure one. However, now it seems we will end up paying about £200/month for just two mornings a week when we had previously thought that at least some of the 15 hours free funding would mean this cost was greatly reduced.

Any advice on the ins and outs of this, whether the Nursery are playing by the rules or not and also how best to deal with the situation would be greatly appreciated. We are keen to remain on good terms with the staff given that they are looking after our DD.

Thanks!