Nursery- service charge to bring a packed lunch

[strongagain1985]

AIBU to be surprised that the nursery (attached to a primary school) my 4 year old dd attends, charges £1.75 for children to bring a packed lunch in? If the child has a school dinner then it's £2.75. What do you make of this?

So where did you hear about the school charging to bring in packed lunch?

Oh, I've just had a thought, is it a regular state primary or is it a newfangled academy or suchlike?

It's a regular state primary school. I found out when I got a note to say please pay x amount for lunchtime

But that relates to your daughter in nursery. Do you have anything in writing relating to the charging at school?

If the first you heard of it is when you were asked to pay, I'd put in a complaint to the governors, the charges should be transparent. Like this one. www.lillingtonschool.org/uploads/7/7/0/8/7708672/charging_policy_including_wraparound_nursery_care_dec.11.pdf

You will probably still be liable to pay while she's at nursery, however they should state it upfront as it may influence parents' decision on which nursery to send their child to.

What I'm trying to say is school and nursery (even a nursery class in the school) can be very different things. If parents expected everything that is in main school to be in nursery they would be very disappointed. e.g. trips, weekly swimming lessons, after school sports and music clubs - all available and free in reception upwards, but not on offer to nursery.

It's in the news letters reminding parents that they need to pay weekly. That's the only other place I have seen it.

It's not stated anywhere else and certainly isn't transparent

But is it a school newsletter, or is it a nursery newsletter?

The point(s) I'm trying to get at is whether a) it might be a misunderstanding such as the one I made earlier, and main school do not charge to bring packed lunches in, only for dinners
Or b) if you have something in writing that says that main school children have to pay to bring in a packed lunch, I'm pretty sure this isn't allowed and LEA/OFSTED or whatever should be informed.

Why not just ask them politely what the charge is for, and how it is calculated?

You could point out that this way not made clear, if you felt strongly about it, especially if it is unaffordable for you.

I've just double checked how it works at my local school nursery and their sessions run 8.30-11.30 and 12.30-3.30 children can stay over lunch at a lunchtime club but fee for that is £3.00 and no option of including it within free provision. The school does not charge it's pupils only the nursery. The local private nursery will do 2 days of 7.5 hours with no extra charge if packed lunch sent in.

Sorry for not being clear. It's in the school news letter that all children get including nursery children.

Is the reminder aimed only at nursery children? Or could it be worded badly and is in fact referring to school dinners and nursery packed lunches/dinners? But makes it sound like school and nursery packed lunches?

I'm just finding it hard to believe that a school (not nursery) could get away with charging, when I was googling earlier one of the first hits was a DM piece on the possibility of a school charging- surely if this school is indeed charging the DM would have a field day?!

The reminder isn't just for the nursery it's defiantly for everyone. The exact prices are Nursery £2.75 for school lunch, £1.75 to bring your own. Primary School- £1.75 for school lunch and £1 to bring your own.

So what if your child didn't eat as a result? Would you pay for supervision?sounds most strange.

I thought you said the school charged the same?

I pay £1.50 for DD3 to stay and have a packed lunch one day a week.
Yes it's an extra cost but it isn't extortionate and worth it for the supervision.

She loves staying all day and feels very grown up with her packed lunch

They shouldn't charge for bringing in a packed lunch for primary aged children though as they have to be there all day anyway

Have I read correctly that the primary school children who bring sandwiches are also charged the same fee for bringing in a packed lunch? I wouldn't be happy, but budgets have been slashed and I guess the money for lunch time supervisors has to be found from somewhere.

Sorry, I didn't notice that the thread had four pages, I only read the first one. I have now read the remaining pages and have answered my own questions.

I wonder what happens in September. "From September 2014, all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England will be eligible for free school meals." (Source)
Will the school then charge everyone a pound, as the meal will be funded but the staff time may not be!

As the nursery is linked/part of the school, I feel you need to go to the board of governors of the school, with regard to the fee charged for infant/primary school aged children who bring a packed lunch.

Once that discussion has started then fees for other things can be looked at. The board of governors needs to look at the fees anyway as from September (if you are in England) the universal infant free schools meals system kicks in... so they will need to look at who does and who does not pay for school lunch.

They shouldn't charge for bringing in a packed lunch for primary aged children though as they have to be there all day anyway

Or parents could take them home for lunch and supervise them themselves.

Yes JInty they could but I think the majority of schools realise that most parents aren't in a position to pick children up every dinnertime

Yabu it's for the childcare/ supervision perfectly normal and good value.