School fees

[Noway123]

I’m hoping for some advice as I am panicking and absolutely pissed off!!!
I currently live in a London borough and my children attend a children’s centre 3 days a week, 8am-6pm, term time only. I have just been informed that if my children want an 8-6 place then I will have to pay for all year round. Can they do this? I’m just about scraping by as it is and now they are adding hundreds of pounds a month to my children’s fees. I work full time, my partner works full time and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to be able to do this.
AIBU to be totally pissed off? Another smack in the face for a working parent.

What kind of place is it? Are they not open in the holidays? If they're not some sort of retainer makes more sense.

It depends if you have a contract. If you don't have one that says term time only then I guess they could say that they don't do term time any more. They would have to give you notice though.

Yes of course they can. I understand you’re annoyed but they need to make decisions to keep the business viable.

It’s a real pain for you but it really is up to the childcare business if they only want FT year round DC.

I’m not sure I understand, is this a Nursery school?

Most people who’s children attend childcare 8am- 6pm will pay fees, although they may be able to get some help towards the cost via tax credit or childcare vouchers . I’ve never heard of this being entirely free.

You might be able to access a preschool place and use free 15/30 hour entitlement.

They are open in the holidays.
I do have a contract but I was given notice today and told it would start in sep. I have a 3yo & a 1yo there. They are happy to honour my 1yo’s contract until she turns 3.
This children’s centre is government run so not a business.
We’re not talking about an increase here, we’re talking hundreds of pounds extra a month. Hundreds of pounds I do not have.

Ok sorry I misunderstood - so you want a term time only place but they no longer offer it? That sounds fair enough and if you want to keep the places you’ll need to pay the fees.

I know it sounds silly but this could literally force my life to crumble. I don’t have an extra £1 after my bills are paid etc.

I really feel for you. I have a term time only contract for my children’s Nursery. I’d be screwed if they changed it.

I would just ask that you clarify... your thread is called ‘school fees’ yet I’m confused by your comments is this ‘child care’ fees, are or we talking actual school.. if it’s a school then yes, they are progressing to FT and the fees increase accordingly, welcome to the next 16 years of school fees ha ha, we will be eternally poor for the ever increasing fees but we don’t begrudge a penny!!

Well, that is very different. If they are open and you are expecting them to hold a place for your child then yes,or course they charge. Maybe negotiate a retainer instead? Although they may have a list of people wanting spaces and not need your child per se. Are you a teacher? Presumably you get paid in the hols, same goes for this place...their staff expect to be paid too.

But if you work full time where will they go non term time? It is usual in nursey settings to charge all year round as they still have the same overheads.

By the way your title is misleading as it isn't school fees

Sorry I meant childcare. I have a 1yo & 3yo that attend a children’s centre where I pay fees. I currently pay £398 for my 3yo son a month. He attends weds-fri TTO. I pay £205 a month for my 1yo daughter who attends thurs-fri. Both do 8-6.

It is a business even if government run. They probably can't afford term time places if they open all year round. Perhaps a childminder and pay a retainer during the hols

I work in a school so have the hold off.
People are confused how we are paid. I don’t get paid for holidays. My wage throughout the year is averaged out. Same applies to my children. I pay every month even though they only attend 39 weeks a year. It is averaged out for them too.

I had to pay my child minder half rates as a retainer during the holidays. It wasn't her fault that I work term time only. I needed to keep my space. She needed to earn a living. I do understand though that this will cause you financial difficulty. Can you negotiate a retainer or move them elsewhere?

BTW Hellena teachers do not get paid for holidays!

You need to try and find somewhere that can do a tto contract.
If the centre holds your place over the holidays without charging you then they are missing out on revenue that they would get with an all year round child.
Most childcare charge for holidays even if the child doesn't attend.

The letter I received said ‘we need to change the contracts to ensure that the councils childcare subsidy funding is being used in the way intended, benefits the maximum number of families possible’

Just reread your post... your saying it’s a smack in the face for working parents, but it’s actually the reality of having children. I have just graduated as a nurse and loved it but the reality for me is we have no family close by, husband flys off every other week and cannot support shift working in any way, so my only option is employing a nanny to do school drop offs, pick ups, homework and all extra curricular stuff which will likely take virtually most of my salary, the cost includes wages, petrol and aparwntlt I need to cover the insurance. I’m in OZ and wages are higher but if I lived in UK my nurse salary would not cover the nanny costs at all.

This is being rolled across our borough and starts from sep. I have never seen a government run children’s centre who force parents to pay for all year round.
My other option is to accept a TTO only contract but 9.30am-3.30pm do I would essentially have to leave my job.

@imsosceptical I’m paying £600 a month already and that is 2 & 3 days a week TTO I can’t physically afford anymore. My only other option is to quit my job, my partner would have to do less hours. But that’s means a smaller income and our bills not being paid?

Have you looked into a child minder to do the wraparound bit?

I'm aware of that, I am one (in a former life). My point was that the centre clearly feel they need to receive payment (not just an averaging out of hourly cost) yearly as overheads don't go down come summer.

But can you not just move nurseries or get a childminder? I know childminders and nurseries around my area do term time only contract.

@hellena They still receive fees over the holidays.
We’re not talking about an extra £20, this is HUNDREDS extra a month for all working families. Not even £100 but HUNDRED