Nursery fees...have I got this wrong??

[OhNoNinkyNonk]

Hi all, hoping I can get some extra pairs of eyes on this...

DS goes to nursery 3 days a week, nursery T&C say that they close all bank holidays and a week at Xmas which are not charged for. They have also recently announced they will be closed on Mon 31st Dec as well.

Nursery calculate 3 days x 50 weeks and divide by 12 which is what we are due to pay each month. The 2 weeks they don't charge for are to allow for the bank holidays.

Received the December invoice and it's the usual amount, I have been trying to speak to the manager for over a week but not having much luck... if anyone else's nursery charges like this would you expect the invoice to have some sort of deduction for the Xmas week? And also the 31st as they have opted to close?

Will happily be told I have the maths wrong but I just can't work it out! I just don't want to pay more than we have to just to have to sort it out afterwards!!

I don't think there should be a deduction for Christmas. That's already been taken into account with the charging for 50 weeks.

What does the contract say about charging for ad hoc days? What three days a week do you use the nursery?

Nursery calculate 3 days x 50 weeks and divide by 12 which is what we are due to pay each month. The 2 weeks they don't charge for are to allow for the bank holidays.

this answers your question. They calculate fees so you pay the same every month.

Of course there is no deduction in December! They’ve already made the reduction by multiplying by 50 instead of 52!

How many bank holidays do you think we have in Britain?

Ours close bank holidays and xmas week. We are charged for 51 weeks. Weekly feex 51/12. Bill is the same every month that way.

They’ve already taken into account the reduction for Christmas week in their calculations, so your bill will be the same every month.

So they are shut for 10 days a year- 2 weeks. BUT If you’re not doing full time and one if your days is a Monday you’re losing out based on the way they calculate it

If the two weeks off the calculations are to cover bank holidays, then they do need to add in another week

There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales in 2018. So they can add in New Year's Eve without needing to adjust the calculation as this takes it to 9 closure / non-charged for days.

But it should be 49 weeks, if indeed they don't intend to charge for the Christmas week, so that they still charge the same every month rather than just reducing December's bill

@IMissGin
She’s not losing out as the Mondays aren’t charged (all bank holidays and Christmas week), but if you don’t do a Monday you will actually gain as your child will also have a 2 week reduction but it’s only Christmas week they would have off.
That’s the way I see it anyway!

Thanks for the replies

DS goes Mon/Tue/Fri

I see it as 6 bank holidays, the Mon/Tue/Fri of Xmas week and also Mon 31st, so 10 days?

IMissGin that's my line of thinking, they will be shut for 10 days in the year, by not charging for those 2 weeks that counts for 6 or our sons days which leaves 4 days unaccounted for.

When nursery calculation refers to a 'week' they are referring to 3 days?

Yes, they're referring to your week. 2 weeks is 6 days.

Its one of the reasons we chose not to send ds on a monday - we'd still have to pay for 51 weeks but he wouldn't be there for 5 mondays, at 42.50 a day it adds up.

They’re closed for 10 days, but that’s only 6 days attendance for your child so they only take 6 days off your bill, not 10.

All 10 days that they are closed would normally be days he attended though? All 10 days closed that I mentioned are mon/tue/fri.

Nursery T&C specifically say they don't charge for any bank holidays, or the week of Xmas.

In a year:

New Year's Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Early May
Late May
August
Mon of Xmas week
Tue of Xmas week
Fri of Xmas week
Mon 31st

Of course if any bank holidays fell on a wed or a thu I would understand but in this case they don't.