Any cms about (or cm users)? Please can I ask how charges work for school starters?

[funnypeculiar]

DS will be mornings only at school for the first term, before going up to full time. Can I ask how you'd charge for that first term (I know it'll vary, but just wanted to get an idea of the 'range of normal')
TIA

A lot of cm's would probably charge for the whole day as you are taking up a under 5 space for the first time. Some might charge for the time used and then a retainer for the morning when ds is at school, and some will only charge for the time used! It depends on how many others they have and if they could fill the space.

If I were me, I would charge a retainer for the morning and then normal fee for the afternoon.

hth!

That's fab, thanks Southernbelle.

I suspect she's going to charge me full price for the whole day, & I guess I'm wondering if it's really unreasonable to ask if she'd consider charging a lower rate (obviously, she can say no, but I'm wondering how cheeky it is to even ask )

I think if I was short of work I'd consider just being paid for the hours I'm needed as it's short term and you would be able to count them as an over 5 soon and then fill your other under 5 space but it would really depend on how busy I was.

I think it is wrong that children who are rising 5 but start on half days in reception are classed as under5s. The same child, same age in a school that started full days from September would be counted as an over 5.

DD will be starting half days with the CM and I have no idea what she will be charging me. But she doesn't actually have any under 5s - she doesn't like having littlies because of the lifting involved and her bad back. I suppose we will discuss it in August when DS's review time comes up.

I would charge for the full day until a child is at full time school then charge before and after school.

I charge half-rate for the hours they are at nursery.

Thanks all
She's not busy, Lovemygirls - only has my two 2 days a week plus one other child 1 day a week.
Although that does mean she's more reliant on our income....

And yes, Bozza, I thought that too - I wasn't sure of Ofstead classed children totally by age or whether once they started school (in any way) they counted as an over 5

Fwiw, I work at home, so if ds needed to be picked up from school when I was working, I suspect I'd do it.

I know my friend has to pay the full day every day, whether her DS is at nursery or not.
I was quite shocked actually as she would only need the childminder during holidays but has to still pay £120 a week during term-time but my childminder did term-time contracts or holiday time contracts if needed.
I suppose I was just lucky.

DS was classed as an over 5 when he started with the CM in September even though he wasn't 5 until the following February because he was going to full time school - Ofsted call them "rising 5s". But DD does not start school until January but we have decided to take her out of day nursery and put her in the school nursery 9-12, hence the need for the childminder.

Thanks all
Just had a chat, and I will be paying full price (she was unoffended, but unmoved by my attempts to bargain her down )