My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Nurseries

Nursery charging more per day when 15 hours free childcare starts -is this normal

26 replies

Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 19:18

Dd has been in her nursery for 18 months. I have always been billed for 2.5 days per week. 2 days at the daily rate of £51 per day and half days at £32.

As of January she gets 15 hours free childcare - equates to 1.5 sessions . Therefore I am charged for the remaining 1 day. Which is expected to be £51 per week. Today I received the invoice for January. Rather than 4 X £51it was 8 X £32 (8 half days) therefore I am paying £64 per day as apposed to £51 per day!... Is this normal?? And would I be unreasonable. To question this. I have checked the pricing on their website and it does state non funded session is £32 but this seems unfair.

OP posts:
Report
Hamiltoes · 09/12/2016 19:19

Yes, funded hours can only be used 1/2 day per day.

Report
Marmite27 · 09/12/2016 19:22

Hamiltoes I'm sure that's not correct, I know a child that does full days Monday, Tuesday and half day Wednesday on funded hours.

It may be how your nursery runs it, but I'm certain it's not a 'rule' as such.

Report
Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 19:28

Thanks for your replies. I could understand if I was using my funded days for morning sessions and then paying for afternoon but I am actually paying for one additional full day per week

OP posts:
Report
xyzandabc · 09/12/2016 19:28

It may be that your nursery only does funded hours for the morning or afternoon session or some such like. Funding is also term time only do 39 weeks a year, so there may be some adjustments to be made if your nursery is open in the school holidays.

It definitely does not happen in all nurseries though hamiltoes, for all 3 of my children they did 2.5 days at nursery and I didn't have to pay top up fees. It was a school nursery so 8.30-3.30 term time only.

Report
Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 19:30

Thanks xyzandabc ... Dd is only at nursery term time. It is a private nursery attached to an independent school. She does 8-6 Monday and Friday and 8-1 Wednesday. There are no rules on the website with regards to when you can and can't use the 15 hours

OP posts:
Report
nannynick · 09/12/2016 19:30

Funded hours may be run only during certain times.
You have put that 15 hours = 1.5 sessions but is that what the nursery told you?

Local authority rules for childcare providers are sometimes on the LA website, so see if you can find your LA rules/guidance.

Also 15 hours per week funding is term time only. It can be spread over a year but would then be less than 15 hours per week.

Ask nursery for a clear bill calculation. Ideally it will show paid sessions and funded sessions or something which shows when the funding applies and when it does not.

Report
Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 19:33

My bill states 12 funded sessions and 8 non funded sessions for January which is 2.5 days per week each session is 5 hours which covers 1.5 days. Leaving one full day for me to pay for

OP posts:
Report
NickNacks · 09/12/2016 19:35

But the funding can be applied when the nursery chooses sonjt might be all the morning sessions leaving you to pay for the two afternoon sessions.

Report
Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 19:38

Ah thanks nicknacks I get what your saying. But Aibu to think this is wrong? Charging me £64 per day for what was £51 prior to the other 1.5 hours being funded?

OP posts:
Report
nannynick · 09/12/2016 19:38

January 2017 has 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays, does that help account for why January is 20 sessions?
Can you work out when those 20 sessions occur?

Report
nannynick · 09/12/2016 19:40

YANBU to expect details of how the cost has been calculated.
If the cost with funding is higher than it would be without funding, then is there the option of not having the funding?

Report
NickNacks · 09/12/2016 19:40

The government seriously under funds the 'free ' hours forcing providers to cover the shortfall. If they didn't do this they would withdraw from the scheme altogether.

Report
PatriciaHolm · 09/12/2016 19:41

They have obviously decided to allocate the funded sessions as one half day per day, which they are allowed to do. So you are getting 3 half days as funded, say the 3 mornings, then the 2 afternoons need paying for as 2 half days. It's not uncommon; the payment they get for the funded sessions will be much less that the normal price so they will work it so to get the maximum for the paid for hours.

Report
pinkblink · 09/12/2016 19:44

I moved my son from nursery to school when he had his free hours as they failed to tell me 'the education is free but the time in nursery is not' and it was going to cost me a fortune!

Report
nannynick · 09/12/2016 19:52

I also guess that funded sessions are mornings only.

If first day of term is Wed 4th Jan, then up to and including Mon 30th Jan with attending on Mon,Wed,Fri there are 12 funded sessions.
As only Wed 8-1 is used, you have 2 afternoon sessions per week to pay for, so 4th Jan-30th Jan would give 8 non funded sessions.

Report
nannynick · 09/12/2016 19:59

So they are not charging more per day, they are charging a higher rate when you pay for less than 10 hours per day.
Those paying for 10 hours per day get a discount. Those paying for 5 hours do not.

YANBU to be surprised that this is how it gets calculated, it should be explained prior to signing up for funded places.

Report
Rachelly123 · 09/12/2016 20:05

Thank you all for your responses. I now understand and to a degree also understand why they do it. Still very frustrating when effectively I am paying £64 for a days nursery X

OP posts:
Report
Trulyamnearanear · 09/12/2016 20:12

Our nursery does something similar. I knew it was going to be so as they explained when they revised the fees a while back, but I still got them to break it all down for me for my own understanding.
I still have to pay it, but at least now I can see where they're charging more to cover the shortfall from govn funding.

Report
insancerre · 10/12/2016 07:39

Please watch this video
It might help to explain why the nursery has to do this
m.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zm-mYA6XpQ

Report
HSMMaCM · 10/12/2016 08:35

Yes, now you're funded you're on sessional care. These are 2 half days, rather than 1 whole day. It would have been better if you'd known in advance.

Report
insancerre · 10/12/2016 08:55

Plus the nursery can only claim for a maximum of 3 hours in each session over 38 weeks
So has to charge you for the difference

Report
HSMMaCM · 10/12/2016 10:28

Sessions can be longer than 3 hours can't they insancerre?

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

insancerre · 10/12/2016 13:10

Yes, the sessions can be longer than 3 hours, but the setting can only claim 3 hours
Our funded morning session is 3 hours and is free but is only available term time which is 38 weeks
Our nursery morning is 4 1/2 hours and is for 52 weeks a year so the funding doesn't cover it

Report
HSMMaCM · 10/12/2016 13:13

I do 5 hour sessions and claim them. But, as in the OP, the other half of the day is charged at a sessional rate, which is not half of the day rate.

Report
Outofoptions · 10/12/2016 13:22

Private nursery we use just takes the 15 hours off our total weeks hours during term time.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.