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Original poster

Nursery asking for extra fees for 15 hours funded

115 replies

Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:09

Good morning everyone, I wonder if anyone can help me?
My son is entitled to 15 hours funded care and is due to start in September. We have had a fair few visits and all fine until yesterday on his last visit before starting in September they told me that there is a £100 registration fee for tapestry and uniform etc I asked if this is compulsory as I'm not too bothered about uniform and I noticed other children without uniforms she advised me it was, is this correct? I don't want to come across as entitled I'm so grateful for the 15 hours he gets but I just know I'm struggling already and will not have the £100 fee so if this is right I'll not be able to send him.

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Creu · 23/07/2025 10:37

MidnightPatrol · 23/07/2025 10:26

Registration fees are completely normal for private nurseries OP.

It covers the administration of onboarding a new pupil usually - plus in your case the cost of tapestry (which they use for tracking and sharing info on development) and some uniform.

I had to pay a £2,000 deposit and a £150 registration fee for each of my children. All very normal round here.

Was that for a nursery attached to a private school?

MidnightPatrol · 23/07/2025 10:37

fruitbrewhaha · 23/07/2025 10:29

It may well be ‘normal’ but it’s illegal to insist that op pays.

I don’t think it is - it’s not a top up fee.

If a nursery has a registration fee for new pupils, why would those claiming free hours be excluded from it, but not those paying? The fee isn’t to fund the hours used - it’s a set up fee.

Stop the nurseries being able to operate as private businesses, and they’ll just stop accepting people wanting 15 free hours. I don’t think that’s in anyone’s interests really.

Original poster
Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:34

I've used private nurseries before and I've never been charged anything extra for registration none of them required uniform so no charge for that but again it was a few years ago so it could just have all changed. I do understand they are underfunded and I get that they need to make it work for them but parents are struggling too and for me £100 just isn't doable

OP posts:
fruitbrewhaha · 23/07/2025 10:29

It may well be ‘normal’ but it’s illegal to insist that op pays.

MidnightPatrol · 23/07/2025 10:28

Sparklybutold · 23/07/2025 10:13

my understanding was from April this year nurseries couldn’t charge this for funded places. The extra for food too should be optional as you can supply your kids lunch instead.

I don’t think this sounds like any kind of top up fee for the hours - it’s a registration fee, much like you’d have if you joined a gym or something.

MidnightPatrol · 23/07/2025 10:26

Registration fees are completely normal for private nurseries OP.

It covers the administration of onboarding a new pupil usually - plus in your case the cost of tapestry (which they use for tracking and sharing info on development) and some uniform.

I had to pay a £2,000 deposit and a £150 registration fee for each of my children. All very normal round here.

SErunner · 23/07/2025 10:24

If their policy is the children wear uniforms yes you’ll have to get one. Perhaps it’s a new policy and that’s why there are some that don’t? I would ask them about it. It’s poor form they didn’t outline all of this to you clearly when you expressed an interest though. Charging top up fees for funded hours is common place in most nurseries although the amount varies dramatically. They are perfectly entitled to do this (and need to as the government does not provide sufficient funding) but they should provide you with a breakdown as how rhis money is being used. Again this should have been explained to you at the beginning.

BoredZelda · 23/07/2025 10:23

Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:21

Its a private pre school, so not attached to a school.

That doesn’t matter, they have to follow the same rules for funded places. What is tapestry?

Original poster
Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:21

Its a private pre school, so not attached to a school.

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Original poster
Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:19

Thank you, it sounded like it wasn't optional and I've used tapestry before for free although it was 4 years ago I thought maybe it had changed. It's the way they did it that's put me off because they didn't tell me this at the start, they let me take him and get used to going and then told me at the last minute it seems a bit underhand.

OP posts:
Makingpeace · 23/07/2025 10:19

Is it a preschool attached to a school? That's probably why they have uniforms.

If there are other children not in uniform I'd query it.

It might be that the deposit is required to secure the place, and it will be refunded when your child leaves. That's what my children's nurseries do (but they are private nurseries not attached to a school).

ShesTheAlbatross · 23/07/2025 10:15

Additional fees for accessing free hours have to be optional, but they don’t have to provide the thing they’re charging for.

Ive had two DDs in nursery and was never charged a registration fee for tapestry so that sounds like bollocks. However they are allowed to say “we charge for putting pictures on tapestry. If you don’t pay, that’s fine you can still have your free hours, but you won’t have tapestry access”

Sparklybutold · 23/07/2025 10:13

my understanding was from April this year nurseries couldn’t charge this for funded places. The extra for food too should be optional as you can supply your kids lunch instead.

Original poster
Teacup40 · 23/07/2025 10:10

Apologies if I've posted in the wrong place!

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