£300 monthly increase in nursery fees - thoughts please

[Lukie2013]

Hi

I'm new to Mumsnet and just wanted to get your opinion on this increase in nursery fees.

We've been given approximately 6 weeks notice that our nursery fees will increase by £300 per month, from £210 per week to £285 per week. The nursery say that they are no longer in receipt of a grant from the local authority to subsidise the fees, and the increase brings them in line with other local childcare providers (who they failed to name).

Am I right in thinking that a) the increase is ridiculous and b) we should have been given more notice to at least look for another childcare provider before September?

Thanks for reading.

[ScrambledEggAndToast]

You've got the whole summer holidays to look for a new provider. Hopefully you'll find something. How much longer have you got until your child/children go to school?

[ImperialBlether]

That's a terrible increase! Surely they'll lose a lot of customers?

[LIZS]

That is the equivalent of £5 per hour so if they no longer qualify for the grant it would not be an unreasonable increase. Many settings no longer find it viable as the amount of the EY grant was far less and they had to jump through hoops.

[SurlyCue]

Its a horrible increase but 6 weeks is plenty of notice IMO. I would however be prepared to find that other nurseries are at least as expensive as the new price. Definitely look around though.

[mandy214]

Is that based on a 5 day week, so presumably £15 per day? It does sound alot but on the basis that they are right, and their fees have previously been subsidised, you've been making a saving for some time. I do agree it's relatively short notice but if another provider would be charging about the same as their new rates, it's probably not worth looking for an alternative.

[BackforGood]

It does sound a big increase, but, as others have said, six weeks is plenty of notice. You need to do some research now and see what other Nurseries cost, then move, or discover that you've actually been very lucky all this time having cut price fees

[Littlef00t]

I'd be seriously deliberating giving up my job at that price hike, and although it sounds legit, I'm surprised they didn't know the writing was on the wall.

You've not been given time to find somewhere else/negotiate with work/find a second job/save for the short term.

Unless they genuinely didn't know, I'd have lost trust in them and be mightily pissed off.

[Lukie2013]

Thanks for your responses. It's based on a 5 day week and my son has been been at the nursery for 9 months. Most of the local nurseries are closing for 2 weeks in August so don't have much time to look around. I've started to look at other nurseries and the fees are £210 per week for now, I suspect they will all increase their prices and have significant waiting lists if most of the parents leave my current nursery

[SurlyCue]

£285 a week works out at £5.70 per hour for 8am-6pm, some nurseries are 7-7 though so it would be £4.75 an hour. That is not expensive. You'd be hard pushed to beat that where i am.

[Settlingdown]

Lukie what area are you in?

[Lukie2013]

Hi

I'm in Edmonton, N18, London.

[AlexD72]

If they no longer receive the Grant they are not providing what they should to receive it. Alarm bells. I would ask questions as to why they no longer receive the grant. I have heard before of nurseries still receiving the Grant AND charging parents the full price without deducting their free hours as they are entitled too.

[Littlefish]

Have they had an Ofsted inspection recently. In my local Authority, if you receive a "requires improvement" grade then the Local Authority withdraws the funding.

[TendonQueen]

From what I've read before on here that's comparable with other London nursery fees. As others have said, research other prices locally. I would assume they have decided this is the only viable option, as they must be expecting to lose custom over this. What's it like as a nursery - do you love it, or would you be happy enough to look elsewhere?

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Feel for your OP. What a pain.

Have they said why?

I am in East London a full time place is £1k a month here with no funding as DD isn't 3 yet.

It isn't much notice but I guess they don't to give you much.

I'd get ringing around other nurseries asap.

Good luck.

[littleducks]

I think it depends. how long is notice period?

[softhedgehog]

They need to give you enough time to give notice. So if you have to give them less than 6 weeks notice to give up the place, they've given you enough time. What do other nurseries charge?

[afreshstartplease]

I would also be asking exactly why they no longer receive the grant, have they been downgraded