Paying for nursery

[Elmo230885]

We are in a bit of a pickle as my sons preschool has shut with immediate notice. He turns 3 very soon and the local nursery will take children aged 3 plus.
My DH spoke to them and they said they had spaces and we read the information given by them which states that you can pay for nursery but this has to be done upfront for each term. We are fine with this. We asked for special consideration as it won't be a whole term but he will be going full time from September so they said it would be OK.

However... when we went back to them for information about starting we were told he now can't. The reason given is that the school isn't allowed to make money. We wanted to pay for 15 hours as that's what we had at preschool as that suits us currently and in September he will get 30 hrs free. U asked about the information I read and was told that is only for people that get 15 free hours to allow them to top up.

To me that seems like a contradiction. Me and DH work so don't qualify for free hours until DS turns 3. I feel like DS now is being penalised for having working parents as he can't now go to nursery!

We will have to figure something out childcare wise but this has really annoyed me!

If your child is not yet 3 and they only take from 3 years old surely they can’t accept him? Or have I misunderstood?

Sorry he turns 3 on Sunday so wanted him to go after that. I think I made my post too wordy!

It is unclear what the situation is but I guess it has something to do with funding. Has the preschool decided not to accept children on 15 hour nursery funding, or maybe they will accept that but not accept children on the additional 15 hours childcare funding. Or maybe they accept only a limited number of children on the funding and those places have been filled.

When they provide care under the funding, they cannot charge a top-up fee. They have to provide the hours. The local authority may be paying £4 an hour or so, where as it may cost them £6 per hour to provide the care. So they lose money... which is why some nurseries are closing.

Are the nursery saying that you can have a place if you pay in full?

It's the nursery attached to the school. They are saying that they 'aren't allowed to make money' so can't offer my DS a paid for place but then also told me that they do allow people to pay for extra hours on top of their 15 funded hours.
What I don't understand is how me paying for 15 hours is different to someone paying for 15 hours to top up the funded hours to 30.

He loved his preschool and was due to finish at the end of the school year as it was due to shut but something happened and it was shut with immediate effect. Nothing to do with the care of the children.

Sorry if I'm not making sense, got a lot going on at the moment and this is tipping me over the edge!

Is it more that it doesn't start from the minute they turn 3 but the term after they turn 3? I think that's the issue?

So you could do 15 hours funded and then pay for the rest?

The funding starts the term after 3rd birthday, so would not start until September. Is it the start date that is the issue?

Sounds like the school policy is that children must be funded and can start from the term after they turn three rather than their 3rd birthday.

Maybe you could find a childminder who could have him until September?

Nursery attached to my kids school only take kids for the year directly before they start school, may be something has just been badly explained.

I believe it’s down to the Education Act (or something like that), that schools cannot charge for their education which is why school nurseries only take funded children. It won’t be justthis school nursery,it’s all of them. Sorry OP.

@nannynick

Yes that's also the way I read it

The 3 year old funding kicks in the term after the child turns 3.

If your child isn't yet eligible for 3 year old funding, I think they would be classed as 2 year olds for headcount purposes. And 2 year olds need different staff to child ratios, plus the setting needs to adhere to other regulations to take on under 3s. It's a frustrating paperwork issue.

If they take funded 2 year olds they may be able to accept direct payments, but only if they have spaces available and aren't turning away 2 year olds who are entitled to that funding.

If it is a nursery attached to a school they cannot take children until the term after they turn 3.
Some people only get 15 hours funding at 3, due to one parent not working or being a none working, single parent.
For a child to get 30 hours, both parents must be working a certain amount of hours or the parent for a lone parent family.

Also some working families are able to qualify for 2 year funding, it is based on a number of factors, one being household income. Low income, working families will qualify.

School nurseries can and do take children under 3, and allow parents to pay for childcare.

Sounds like this particular school nursery doesn't, but it's not some national rule.