15h free nursery

[coffewithmilk]

Hello, new to England and trying to figure out how the free 15h daycare works.
Can i sign my son up for only going 15/week? Is it free at all nurseries?
I will be home so don't need full time care, just a few mornings for socialising for him and getting used to not always being with me befor he starts school next year.

The 15 funded hours is offered by most but not all nurseries. Day nurseries are often full with parents wanting longer sessions but if you have one you particularly like you could ask them. Otherwise it is likely that a sessional pre-school will be your best bet. You could find out where they are either by looking at your local council website or searching the Ofsted website for childcare on non-domestic premises in your area.

Also check if the schools have a nursery, they do the 15 hours and it gets children into the school routine

Not all nurseries apply it in the same way. For example, ours only offers 3 free hours in every 5 hour session, and we pay the difference.

Thank you,
Is it the ofsted site where I would look to find a list of nursery/ preschools in my area?

I would start with your local council website - ours is updated termly with which settings have spaces available, yours may do the same. If you can't find it on the council website or if you want to cross reference then the Ofsted website would be the second place.

I'm in Scotland, I may be thick but I thought all pre school children were entitled to free nursery before school? Both my son and daughter went to nursery from aged 3-5 weekdays Monday till thur 12 till 4.

Yes, from the term after a child's 3rd birthday until starting school then there is government funding for 15 hours a week 38 weeks a year (which can be 'stretched to be fewer hours over more weeks at some providers).

Some areas have more choice than others though as it depends if the local providers can and will offer the hours and what restrictions they place on that. The funding for those hours doesn't cover the cost of the provision in many places so there is an understandable reluctance to offer the hours or to only offer them at particular times.

It's a lot more complicated than I thought. I live in a small town in central Scotland, were everyone I know gets there free hours. I'm 44 and i went to council nursery from 3-5. Same nursery as my kids