Rejected from Scottish nursery - please help!

A quick google about the 30 hours sounds like it is the same in Scotland as it is in England, that you can only access the 30 free hours in the term following their 3rd birthday OP. Meaning it’s correct that if your child has an October birthday that you cannot get it until January. It’s always been this way in England so are you sure it’s a recent thing?

@PartyRingaRosie
I live in a town in Scotland with a population of 10,000 people. We only have 2 council run nurseries attacked to 2 of the primary schools. We have several primary schools with no attached nursery.

There are, however, several private nurseries in our town. It is very difficult to get a place in the council run nursery so majority go to a private nursery and the nursery claims the funded hours for your child (you get a code in the post every so often and you need to give that code to the nursery your child attends).

You seem to have got it in your head that the council is responsible for finding nursery places. They are not. They fund 30 hours; they don’t automatically give you a place. You should have been on the list for private nursery spaces months and months ago.

The school place is different. Your child will get a place at your catchment school. It is really very rare in Scotland for a child to be sent to a different school.

The only option the could offer was a nursery 10 miles away.

You have been offered a place. Take it, and stop whining about your wholly fabricated grievance of being denied educational provision for your PFB.

Or, make other childcare arrangements whilst waiting for a place to open up at the nursery you feel entitled to stroll along the road to.

You live in a village with three nurseries, and they’re all full?

Are they all really small?

Are there any other village children with no space?

I have kids and live in Scotland. I more many many people with kids who live all over Scotland. This is how it works.

You are entitled to the funded nursery hours, but not necessarily at a council ran nursery. Use the house in a private nursery.

Our council says “where possible all children will be able to access a funded place with their preferred provider however this cannot be guaranteed”

It could be that come January someone has changed their mind or moved away and a space could potentially come available? Know someone whose DS was turned down for their 1st choice initially, then was offered partial hours and by the time DS started in the January had 30 hours as other people changed there plans. Might be worth a conversation with the nursery administrator?

Do any local childminders let you use your funded hours through them?

Another avenue that you could possibly look at is if any local private schools will let you use your funded hours there? Know someone a few years ago whose mum is a teacher at a private school near us and was able to use her funded hours at the private school (her mum dropped off before work) although it was a few years ago now and not sure if every private school operates like that?

As others have said school is different you will get a place at your catchment school in P1- its only if you want to send your child to a different school that you can face problems.

Don't get your hopes up for wraparound care. It really isn't a thing in Scotland.

Educationally, things are very different in Scotland. I always find the "Did you get your first choice school?" stuff amusing. There's no looking around to find the "best school". Most kids just go to their catchment one.

Which local authority are you in?

Funded early learning and childcare for 3 to 5 year olds - mygov.scot I think there are a lot of people answering on here based on the English system. In Scotland if your child is over 3 they are entitled to 1140 hours per year nursery education, although there is nothing about where that is and that may not suit your requirements for childcare. some 2 year olds considered vulnerable are also entitled to some provision. It is worth checking as the definition of vulnerable is pretty wide ranging.

Your LA should have a team that deals with nursery placement.

LAs have no statutory obligation to provide nursery places for all. They do have an obligation to provide school places for all. Don't catastrophise about school places, just fibd out what your options are - nurseries that have a place, childminders, nannies etc, and choose the one that is the best fit for your child while staying on waiting lists for anything that might theoretically be better but isn't actually possible.

I went on the waiting list for my nursery of choice while still pregnant. It's not unusual to have waiting lists for 18 months-2 years. Or some just don't have waiting lists at all and operate an instantly-applied system each September. It's worth keeping in touch with all the local nurseries though - sometimes a child doesn't settle into a nursery and gets removed to a different option and so there might be a place coming available in 2/3 weeks.

OP, I would suggest you/DP also start researching your local wrap-around childcare options for when DD starts school.

Off topic but have you really got 3 local authority funded nurseries in your small rural village in Scotland? And still no place for you? I'm absolutely stunned!

Push for what? they dont have a vacancy so they cant pull one out of thin air,, i doubt they will go 'we have a strict adult to child ratio but sure what is one more no one will notice' you need to find a place with ehat is availablw

I know. That's what I am referring to. I'm just reassuring her that it won't affect her school place.

Nursery isn’t “education” as such. Children are not required to be in education until they are 5 and that is school.

The government hasn’t cut the October intake, it varies by local authority and nursery when a kid can start. We’re in Argyll & Bute, my kids were able to take their funded place the week after they turned 3 as they were in a private nursery. My friends kids had to wait till the start of the next term as she sent hers to a school nursery. I feel your frustration, the best thing you can do is keep her on the waiting list for any local nurseries and accept the place you’ve been given. You could also look at a childminder who uses the funded hours also.

This. It’s optional, school isn’t.

Oh dear, you've misunderstood.

They're not obliged to find you a place.

Can you find a childminder until a space comes up?

Yes where I live you get 30 hours free but it’s up to you to find the nursery who will take your child. For all my kids I put their names down about a year before I needed the place- I then paid full fees for the first year and then claimed the 30 hours free once they kicked in (at that time after the child turned 3).

Honestly OP this isn’t meant to sound patronising but do you have any friends with kids a similar age? Do you go to playgroups etc? Best thing you can do is chat to other people as they will tell you want to do or remind you by saying what they’re doing. Especially people with older kids. If you can’t/ won’t do this then maybe join some kind of online mum group as well.

Funding for childcare/pre-school education is available but the LA is not obliged to provide a space, or a space to suit the days/hours you need, at your preferred setting.

LAs are only required to provide a space at your local catchment school.

If they're full they're full. I have friends having to go fairly long distances tk get a nursery place.

It won't be an issue starting school. You will need to register your child in your catchment school in January then put in a placing request if you want the. To go to a different one.
Schools will accommodate however many P1s are due to start . We've had 2 x p1s, P1 and P1/2 depending our intake.

The local authority have an obligation to offer you a nursery placement, which they have.
They are not obligated to offer you your ideal choice - if there are no spaces, there are no spaces. Allocation of spaces are prioritised on a set of criteria which might differ between authorities slightly. Usually, something like this:
1st are all returning nursery children, deferred placements,
2nd eligible 2 year olds, looked after/care experienced children, ASN children,
3rd All new applications for preschool children with siblings in the school,
4th: All new preschool applications.
5th: All ante preschool with siblings in the school. 6th: All ante preschool applications.
7th children residing outwith the local authority.
(Scotland and experience dealing with placements)

They do but unfortunately because there is no catchment it doesn't mean it will be at your nearest nursery. Which I agree is rubbish!

For school it's different. You are entitled to a place at your local in catchment school.

She’s applying for a nursery place, not a reception place.

Sorry Hero watcher. Didn't mean to quote you there ☺️