Not clear nursery

[Modestandatinybitsexy]

AIBU to think that if dc is going to nursery for 30 hours a week and that nursery offers 30 hours funded places then there should be no "wrap around" costs?

I've tried to search the answer and I know it's optional that nurseries offer 30 free hours and may need to charge top up costs but apparently these should be for voluntary things like provided lunch.

We've chosen non stretched because I don't work holidays, I know we'll have to pay for the school breaks but I don't think this comes under the wrap around care. 10 hours a day should cover the full nursery day but they are saying we also need to pay wraparound as funding only covers core hours of 9-4.

I just can't figure out if this is 10 free hours, 6 free hours stretched + 4 paid, or 6 free core hours + 4 paid + holidays. It's a minefield and the nursery and being obscure and taking ages to reply and dc starts next week!

My son went for three days a week. 8-6. All meals provided.

I didn't pay a penny.

Nurseries can decide when the funded hours can be taken. Many nurseries will let you use 5 or 6 per day and any more hours need to be paid for.
The funded hours do not cover the real cost of the place which is why nurseries can limit how many funded hours they offer each day and ask for payments for meals, nappies, resources etc.

the hours paid to the nursery tend to be next to nothing, so to survive they tend to have to charge for extras - from food to wraparound in your case.

They just don't get enough funding!

OP where I am is fairly standard to pay wrap around fees. Most private nurseries here will only apply 6 of the free hours each day and if your require a longer day, which most working parents do, you will need to pay additional fees. Yes, it’s annoying, but the issue is that the money the government pay the nurseries isn’t actually adequate.

We used 30 hours a week and still paid £300 on top of the free hours each term.
We got charged for things like lunch club (a lunch time assistant watching the kids while the teachers had lunch), compulsory French class, compulsory music class and dance class.
Plus a termly charge, not even sure what that was for? About £75 a term and then an admin charge.
The nursery was only open 9-3 on week days, term time only.

Local authorities only pay nurseries around £3/hr for a funded place.

I think they can choose which hours they offer as funded. So your nursery are saying only 9am-4pm are the funded sessions the offer. If you use hours outwith 9-4 they need to be paid at the wrap around rate?

Are the hours stretched over the year? Makes a big difference.

So you're using 3 days from 8-6? I believe they are allowed to dictate core hours and anything outside of that you pay extra for.

The amount that the nursery make from the funded hours is deplorable. If they are a private nursery then they need the wrap around and incidentals fees to survive.

My nursery said you can use them 9-3 hours only

When my DD was at nursery, the 'free' sessions were 9-12 & 12-3. You could use either or both in a day (this was when it was only 15hrs). Pre 9am and after 3pm were paid for.

Mine allowed a max of 6 hours funded per day. There are some that don’t charge extra but near me they are very few and far between. It seemed to generally cut my bill in half as there were food costs etc on too. It definitely was not anywhere close to being free.

It was a few years ago now but my DDs nursery said the hours where 9-12 and 1-3pm if staying for lunch even if providing your own you had to pay £5 per hour, if you wanted wraparound it was £5.50 for 7.30-8.59 and then £15 for 3.01-6pm

Our nursery offers sessions 8-1, 1-6 or all day. But funded hours are 9-3 I believe.

So for morning session you’d pay for 8-9. Afternoon session you’d pay 3-6.
All day you’d pay 8-9 and 3-6.

No packed lunches allowed so if they’re in over a meal time you pay for the meal too.

My children's nursery will only let you use the 30 free hours for short days 9.15 - 3.30 for 5 days per week, if you have 15 hours then it's either 9-12 or 12.30-3.30 for 5 days per week if you want 3 days of 7.30-5.30 then you wouldn't be allowed to use any of the free funding hours and would be charged at the long day rate, mine both only went the short 9.15-3.30 hours 5 days per week and then we paid £12.50 for lunch £1 snack money and £1 dance class per week, the funding is only for 38 weeks of the year so if they ever went in school holidays then we would pay for the same time for however many days we needed.

Wow. In Ireland, every child no matter what their parents wage or job, get free Playschool for 2 years, it’s form 9-12 everyday and anything after that you have to pay for. I have a 3 year old who went to Creche last year, I got full funding as I wasn’t working then. He went from 9-3, five days per week and it cost around €25 per week. They provide lunch and we provide nappie and baby wipes!

My children's nursery will only let you use the 30 free hours for short days 9.15 - 3.30 for 5 days per week, if you have 15 hours then it's either 9-12 or 12.30-3.30 for 5 days per week if you want 3 days of 7.30-5.30 then you wouldn't be allowed to use any of the free funding hours and would be charged at the long day rate, mine both only went the short 9.15-3.30 hours 5 days per week and then we paid £12.50 for lunch £1 snack money and £1 dance class per week, the funding is only for 38 weeks of the year so if they ever went in school holidays then we would pay for the same time for however many days we needed.

They are free to do that. As long as it's made clear to you then it's up to you whether to use that nursery or somewhere else.

I think its very clear - funded hours are only offered 9-4, so any hours outside that time need to paid for.

Our nursery charges top ups. Things like £10 a day for meals (maximum charge) whether the children are there for one or three.

Have you considered a preschool nursery attached to a school. We pulled our son from private nursery and are sending him to one attach to a school and won't pay for anything extra apart from hot lunches if we want them.

Woah. I really lucked-out with my nursery

I understand nurseries need to make top ups but the wrap around care is only £10 cheaper than the full day charge!

We also have to send him for a full day, there's no opt out of the wrap around. Most likely I'll be within the 9-3 hours.

What I'm most frustrated about is that they really haven't been clear about fees at all. It's a dream place that once I start sending him (on Wednesday!) he would really miss the benefits if we sent him to the school nursery.

What I'm most frustrated about is that he's less than a week away from starting and we still don't know how much it's going to cost us. We knew it was an expensive option but they kept bleating on about how they now offer 30 free hours but didn't tell us any of the stipulations. Ahh!