Nursery asking for extra fees for 15 hours funded

Tbf it had always been the rules, but LAs tended to look the other way.
After a parent complained to their LA about a nursery charging additional fees and was basically told the nursery could do it, they went to the ombudsman who found it wasn't legal.
So now LAs have been told they must ensure free places are free.

It's a reasonably new update, come in largely because parents were saying it was still too expensive. So instead of providing more funding, they just got stricter with settings! Not ideal at all.

I see why they are doing it, some of the larger firms will wait until lawful action makes them change and smaller settings will be thinking 'well of the big guns are getting away with it....'

None if it means they are allowed to by the letter if the new guidance though. And as we've seen, parents for the majority are fine with paying it.

You'll find cms dont make these kind of changes (some might) so parents will find them cheaper if parents are funding nurseries too expensive.

This clarified guidance came in April and some elements settings have until 1st September to ensure they are compliant.

No this is all settings, whether private, community, school based, home based etc, that provide funded hours.
All settings including the one in the OP will have signed a provider agreement with the LA to say they will abide by the government rules.

Because nearly all of them do and I can’t believe such widespread application is wrong…ever considered you might be?

Probably because it is so common - this article suggests 70% of nurseries in the UK and 89% in London are charging registration fees.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-12946679/amp/UK-nurseries-charge-parents-non-refundable-fees-199-child-waiting-list.html

This suggests all of them are now breaking the law…?

God this thread! How many more poster are going to incorrectly state the nursery can charge a registration fee? Tools.

No it applies to all settings. It mentions LAs because they are the ones administering the funding in their area.

Isn’t this in relation to local authority run nurseries (of which I think there are very few)? I don’t think it applies to private nurseries?

You've misread it. The nursery can't make paying an extra charge a condition of taking up a funded place.
Doesn't matter if they also make an extra charge a condition of taking up a private place.

The funded place must be provided without any extra charges.

yes but they're not funded, the nurseries get paid way under what it costs to run them. So if people kick off about extra charges, you'll just find that fewer and fewer nurseries accept funded hours.

@Mrsttcno1 do you work in a nursery?

They CAN charge a reg fee as long as ALL children are charged that same fee.

They cannot only charge funded hours parents, they absolutely can and always have been able to charge a reg fee.

It’s not a condition of funded hours, it’s a condition of the nursery for all people, totally allowed.

I work in a nursery and we are always VERY upfront about our charges. Right from the enquiry stage. Not a good sign they've sprung it on you like this.

These charges are common (and due to rubbish funding often they're needed) but under legislation, nurseries must offer places that are free to parents. If your child is doing more than 15 hours, eating nursery food and going on nursery trips, charges are to be expected. But otherwise no, it shouldn't cost you money. And they know this. (Or should).

We have uniform but also parents can buy the similar uniform from Asda etc without a logo. There was a big thing a few years ago about secondary schools forcing parents to pay ££ for the schools logo uniform. But they cannot do this.

Tapestry will be the app they use to update parents. Whilst yes of course this costs a significant amount of money...they are paying for it regardless of whether your child starts or not and I don't think they can exclude your child from being on the app.

Bottom line is the government need to find nurseries properly but parents are struggling too! There has to be a balance.

My advice is tell them you will not be able to afford it and contact the local authority if you get any issues. Or look for another nursery, I guess. They shouldn't be funny though. (It's a common thing) If they are, maybe it's not the right one for your family anyway.

eTa ; work at a private nursery. Private nurseries that offer funded places must follow the guidance.

Nope, even PRIVATE nurseries have to abide by the rules if they claim funding.

A1.41 Local authorities must take all steps available to ensure that the free entitlements are available free of charge and therefore that providers do not charge parents for the following in connection with the entitlement hours:

• Top-up fees (any difference between a provider’s normal charge to parents and the funding they receive from the local authority to deliver free places)
• the supply of or use of any materials, including, but not limited to, craft materials, crayons, paper, books, instruments, toys, or other equipment or learning resources that are necessary for the effective delivery of childcare
• business running costs, including, but not limited to, rent, staff wages, cleaning materials, insurance, or utility bills such as energy, gas or water
• registration fees as a condition of taking up a child’s free entitlement place
• non-refundable deposits as a condition of taking up a child’s entitlement place
• general charges, including but not limited to, non-itemised enrichment charges, sustainability charges, business continuity charges, additional charges, enhanced ratios, hourly rates, or any other supplementary charges on top of the free hours
• any additional fees that are not specifically identified and itemised as being for chargeable extras as described in A1.33.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-effective-from-1-april-2025#part-a-free-places

If it’s a private nursery (which it is) they are perfectly entitled to charge a registration fee and insist on uniform. They should however have been upfront about these costs, which it sounds like they weren’t.

That’s not what the article you’ve linked says? It says clearly they can charge for consumables, or alternatively the parent can provide the consumables themselves (at their own cost). The funded childcare hours are not costed to include consumables hence why nurseries charge for them. And it doesn’t say anything about registration fees which are an industry standard?

Both of my children have attended private nursery’s (different ones) and both times I have had to pay a registration fee when stating I’d like them to attend this was to keep their place. With my oldest we got it back at the last invoice before she left to go start a pre-school - although we didn’t get any funding back then. And with my youngest they have just informed us when the new government funding starts in September they will be returning our registration fee due to most people not actually having a bill of over £100 a month.

could this £100 fee they are asking for includes keeping his space for you, admin time and the uniform?

Yes they can. They can charge anybody who wishes to use the PRIVATE nursery a registration fee. She is a customer just like those who are fee paying. A one off reg fee does not in any way come up against the rules.

If it’s illegal to even charge the registration fee all other parents are being asked to pay, there are really significant disincentives to the nursery accepting any children using only the free hours.

All these rules do is make it more difficult for those only able to use the free hours access them, as the nurseries won’t enrol the children. Nurseries will not take pupils where they cannot turn a profit. Cutting off any ways of them making a profit, means they simply will not accept these pupils.

I’d also say, nearly all children will be getting some free hours from September - does this mean every nursery will have to stop registration fees, deposits etc?

You suggest these rules only apply to those just claiming free hours, and not to those also having to fund them privately. Parent working part-time using only free hours and grandparents helping are excused from fees and deposits… but parent having to pay more for hours as no family support (while claiming their free hours too)… can be charged one?

Nearly all nurseries are currently charging these fees. Are they all breaking the law?

Our DC have to wear a uniform at their nursery but its only from toddler room upwards. So the babies don't wear it, everyone else does. Could this be the reason why some children wear it and others don't? Or if they've had a wee accident, maybe they've changed into spares during the day?

The other thing is whether you can get the uniform second hand. On our local FB group, there are occasionally requests for second hand to be passed on. Maybe you could try this?

It is now illegal for nurseries to charge a registration fee if children are only accessing funded hours. Charges for things like snack, sun cream etc must be voluntary.

https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2024/02/dfe-clarifies-guidance-around-additional-early-years-charges-parents

I’m not saying it’s right, but the government funds don’t cover the nursery fees, so they only survive by hoping parents pay extra for additional hours, maybe this is another way trying to balance the books. I hear a lot of nurseries are struggling.

Nursery manager here

they cannot legally charge ANY sort of extra fees as a condition of you taking up a funded space.

I had to pay £100 registration fee for my children. We also get charged for consumables on top at £5 a day.