To think DD should get place at nursery over children deferring reception?

I kind of think the nursery can't win though. If someone decides to defer reception, and then comes back to the nursery and the nursery refuse to take them, they are going to be just as annoyed as you are.

Because the parents deferring are taking up space in nursery for an extra year. Out of choice. Whereas those who are not basically repeating a year will have nowhere to go.

And if the now deferring parents gave notice a term ago as is normal and have only recently changed their mind then they should be behind the OP in the waitlist.

No, you don't get priority. The current children are attending, for example, 4 mornings a week. You want full time. For that to happen, you need to have a spot on those mornings as well as the missing afternoons and the extra day. You need the current children gone whether you want their part time hours or full time. They're not leaving and their reasons are none of your business.

The nursery are unreasonable to have promised you a space only to rescind that offer with such little notice though.

It’s a private nursery so they can apply what ever criteria to their admissions process unless it is discriminatory of course.

But YANBU, if people want to defer reception start I do believe they shouldn’t be taking childcare places from children who have no other options. I say this as a a family of all summer born children. Myself, my dad, sister, brother, DH, and DS are all born in July or August. I actually think delaying reception should be completely scrapped

@Matronic6 Have you responded to the email from the nursery?

I would respond in a confused tone saying, "We discussed this back in March and then confirmed in May that DD would be full time from August. I double checked this with you before committing to go back to work full time. Are you sure you aren't confusing us with another family? Because we definitely confirmed this with you months ago and I don't have time to find another childcare solution before I go back to work full time next month."

Yes, the nursery should prioritise your child over parents who have changed their minds especially if those parents actually gave notice. I completely understand why you're annoyed.

That is separate from deferring. Simply deferring means they will start in year 1.
If you wish them to start in reception it is an entirely separate process and they the parent would need to make a request to the school’s admission authority. The U.K. government website calls this ‘requesting admission out of the normal age group’. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summer-born-children-school-admission/summer-born-children-starting-school-advice-for-parents#delaying-your-childs-school-start

Unfortunately you didn't push for written conformation that your DD had the place so I don't think you have a leg to stand on. If you asked and were told you had a place, then yes you should be given a place, but if you can't prove that then the rest is not really relevant.

Gotcha. In that case the deferral point is irrelevant. You were first on the waiting list for a full time place because you asked first. Therefore you should get the first full time place that becomes available. Others that asked after you to move from PT to FT should not get to leapfrog you on the waitlist. How old is your DD? The only reason I can think of that would explain this decision would be ratio related- if logistically they could take the other kids FT because they’re at a higher ratio because they’re older but they couldn’t take yours because she’s younger with a lower ratio and they don’t have the staff. Otherwise I agree with you that it’s grossly unfair. But deferral doesn’t come into it.

YANBU at all. They never should have told you it was sorted if there was a chance it wouldn't be. It's unreasonable of them to suddenly spring it on you last minute that she doesn't have a place. Those saying yabu seem to think it'll be easy for you to suddenly find a full time place somewhere else within a month when you already had it sorted.

I agree it must be annoying but they can't boot out people who have an existing rolling contract. Yes they might have given notice and then had a change of mind but the contract is still in force. It would be quite hostile to insist on enforcing the notice.

It is probably annoying for the nursery too as it is financially and organisationally better to have FT kids rather than PT ones. We had this with an after school childminder - arranged a place 5 days a week. Then a family who had 3 days a week had a move that fell through snd stayed. So she only had space to offer us 2 days a week which didn't work for us. And she was lumbered with 3 days money rather than the 5 we would have paid as no one wanted to fill the random 2 days!

She should get priority over new full time applicants but not those already there. Plans change unfortunately.

I agree with you OP. There is usually a waiting list for places. Your name should have been at the top.l for a full time place as soon as one came up.
However, it seems this did not happen and you have nothing in writing. I would be really annoyed if ai had asked them but there is probably not much you can do now except find a childminder for the other days.

I think the deferring reception thing is a red herring. I agree your DD should get a place as you asked first!

But as you have nothing in writing I wouldn’t know what to advise.

I think the person who said they wanted a full time place first should get priority.

If said children were part time and only now want to go full time (after you made your request), or had given notice and now changed their mind, I agree your daughter should be given priority.

If the nursery just assumed they’d be leaving because of their date of birth, and they already have a full time space, no they shouldn’t have that taken away because you want the space.

Yabu I think. Although the nursery should have been more transparent with you and said that they expected X number of children to leave for reception but couldn’t confirm the place until the parents of those children officially gave notice.

I bet this is the shitshow of Scottish school deferrrals.

I think the youngest 2 months should be able to defer, any very prem babies or ASN. Otherwise no.

or stop the extra nursery year and watch the deferrals ‘needed’ fall

Or to reduce disadvantage. DD was the youngest in her year and a little research after her ADHD diagnosis showed that more of the younger children receive a diagnosis because the expectations of their behaviour are too high. Top sportspeople are often the oldest in their year. It is a very pervasive and problematic issue.

I did start DD ‘on time’ but it is a disadvantage and I understand why parents do it.

And no OP, I don’t know why your child should be prioritised.

No, they don’t. They start reception with the year below their cohort by age.

Can you explain why your desire for a nursery place should overrule another parents’ desire for a nursery place? Cos I’m not seeing it.

You should have got confirmation in writing that she had a place before telling your work. Lesson learned.

You’ll need to look into other childcare options or talk to your employer, like everybody else does.

You should have got confirmation of her space in writing. I'd never go on the basis of a verbal agreement.