to think this nursery are going to have great difficulty filling their places?

[bubblesinthesky]

I am looking for a nursery for DS. I wanted just 2 or 3 mornings a week initially from September.

I phoned one local nursery a couple of months ago but they had no places. This morning they called me and said a place had become available for 2 mornings a week. I said I'd like to come and look round before I made a decision and asked for a confirmation of their charge. They said "its £35 a session so that will be £10 5a week".

I pointed out the mistake in their maths only to be informed "we have a policy that we won't take children for less than 3 sessions a week so if you only book him for 2 you'd still need to pay for the 3rd" So I asked if they had a third session he could attend and was told "no you can only currently book him for 2"

What? Is this normal? Surely not? I think we'll look elsewhere if they are this diffiuclt over something simple I dread to think what will happen if I want something remotely complicated.

How old is your little one? Aren't you elegible for 15 hours free childcare? Education Grant? How long are the sessions? This is a bit of a rip off - they can 'sell' the same time more than once and there is no reason for them to insist on a minimum session attendance.

If they have a waiting list, a good OFSTED report and there isn't a lot of competition, they could do very well. If they can afford it, people will pay over the odds for the right setting for their child.

I wonder if some people can get money back for some of that fee through child tax credits or a work voucher scheme.

£35 for a 3hour morning session?!

Ours is between £59 and £90 per week!

This is based on 3-5 sessions a week (so you could do up to 5 half days or 3 full) depending on age as it goes down after 3, plus you get the £688 nursery grant per term (London, I'm assuming its similar elsewhere).

Jesus, we pay £8.50 for our three year old and before she turned three it was £6.50 a session. They have a two year waiting list and are Ofsted rated Outstanding. They could put their prices up!

We are nowhere near London.

surely there is some law or regulation that prevents them for charging for a service they are unwilling or unable to provide?

I can see how they are within their rights to insist on a 3 session minimum, but you'd need to be able to take them up on that surely? They want money for 3 but can't offer 3? How grabbing.

Regarding people getting money back, I don't know what everyone's voucher schemes are like, but dh and I both get vouchers - that only means getting the tax back, it's not like they are free or something.

From your OP, it sounds like they don't have any spare places, so no!

Is the nursery grant scheme nationwide or is this a London thing?

They can put a minimum session in their t&cs but to be so inflexible as to insist on full payment even when they don't have the space is a bit odd unless the area is so oversubscribed people are falling over themselves to get places in the hope that a space becomes open later for an extra session.

However, september is the 'busy' term so they are more likely to get someone in for one term then bugger off when they find somewhere that can fit them in as I know that if somewhere was a bit money-grabbing I'd be looking around. Its amazing how when one parent is hacked off and leaves, others follow (they need to remember this!)

Ok, School Admissions hat off now!

Nursery funding for children from the term after their 3rd birthday is nationwide, and for all children in that age group.
There is 2 yr old funding as well, which comes with criteria attached.