Price increase for outstanding?

[cupcakeandcoffee]

Hello,

I was thrilled to be graded outstanding at my recent Ofsted!!! yippee!, many hours of burning the midnight oil over paperwork, finally paid off.

Anyway my question is, would you raise your prices?

I have just reviewed my contract with one parent and taken on two new ones so I can't really change those. But new parents in the future.

I charge £5.00 per hour plus £5 per day for food.

If you would increase, by how much 50p, £1 per hour?

As far as I know I am the only one in the surrounding area with this grade.

Thanks!

No sorry I wouldn't raise my prices, neither did three friends who have recently obtained outstanding. Although what they did is rejig their marketing to show that they were outstanding providers.

But its totally up to you -its your business and you know your client base best.

I don't think you can go outside the going rates in your locale without doing yourself potentially out of work.

However, HUGE congratulations to you - I know how hard you must have worked.

Ditto with the congratulations
Ditto with the 'Be careful'

I have had O twice & no payrise - my parents would laugh they expect that standard

Congratulations.
I was graded outstanding in March, I've not incresed my prices as I would outprice myself for the area where I live.

oh congratulations

I haven't put my prices up - my parents couldn't afford it plus unless I was v v careful with my expenses I would end up paying the taxman instead

Bask in your glory

have you done a splash in your local paper to publiscise your o/s achievement?

I am thinking of doing this when I get my report through

as others have said its your business so you can do as you please, but if I were a parent, and say for example on your next imspection you were givene a lesser grade, maybe i would expect a reduction

Where in the country are you, cupcake? Do you allow kids to bring their own food? £5 per day for food is an extra £25/week... I couldn't do that. But that has nothing to do with this. I send my child with his own food anyway. I also couldn't handle a 50p and definitely not £1 per hour pay increase from my cm. That is a lot in the grand scheme of things.

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way... but, when I agreed a contract with my cm, I thought she was outstanding in every way (had not had an ofsted grading yet but was registered). I just thought that her rates were her rates and it was for an excellent ("outstanding") cm. I never thought she'd raise her rates if she got a rating to confirm what we both knew about her.
I do pay extra for excursions and groups that have a fee, but it's never a lot.

TBquiteH, I think it's great that you got outstanding, and I don't want to minimize that at all, but our school (I'm a teacher) gets outstanding all around every time as well, but I just place no emphasis whatsoever on an ofsted report. I don't even know what my cm has been rated by ofsted. It doesn't say much about a school/cm/nursery. Everyone that I know who uses a cm feels the same - didn't look at ofsted report and don't care. They want to see what goes on in a day for themselves, meet the cm, see the home, if it feels right...etc. Their report will tell you nothing more than what you will see if you observe a cm (and look through paperwork, of course... a lot of which, is useless and overly time consuming).

sorry. This probably has come out all wrong.

argh, it does sound rude. And even more so, now that I reread your op and see that you actually aren't proposing to increase fees for existing mindees Sorry, my mistake.

I just hate ofsted and took that out on you I think. Very sorry!! But it is always very lovely to get a good rating and I know how hard it is to get an outstanding from ofsted - so well done to you!!

I'd worry that a lot of people would struggle to pay a 10-20% increase in fees - seems like a big jump to me. And even if they did manage to find the extra, they'd resent it.

£5 a day for food is steep, thats £25 a week - can a small child cost that much to feed?

I wouldnt pay extra, you wont be doing anything different than before so no reason to justify such a huge increase.

Depends where you are but £5 an hour is a lot already given nurseries here only charge £25 for a full day including food etc.

Thanks for all the congratulations and advice.

All gratefully received.

The price increase question came from a number of different mums I know, and this was their first question/suggestion.

I am in the windsor and maidenhead area and other childminders in my area are £6 and one is even £7 per hour so I am at the lower end.

I am not out to take advantage of my parents. They all took me on and stayed with me when my previous grade was inadaquate (due to no dates on my risk assesments! and other paperwork offences) so I understand the whole Ofsted hate thing. But I dusted myself off and worked damned hard.
I am thinking of future business not existing.

Everyone has happily agreed to pay £5 per day for food as there is not a fishfinger in sight. I serve,salmon and spinach bulgar, home made chicken goujons, nann bread pizza,smoked mackerel and potato farls, all home-made. home-made jelly from fruit juice and fruit pieces. Baby food is the same blended.
Believe me my food bills are high and I work for it.

Nurseries here are around £80 per day so I think I am pretty competative but I take on board your comments.

Always good to to get advice from experienced childminders and mums alike. Thanks!

glad I wasn't poorly received there. Cupcake that is so ridiculous that you were rated "inadequate" because of no dates on risk assessments! How ridiculous is that? As if that has anything to do with your effectiveness as a cm!
Are the people who are on with you at £5/hr also in need of that low rate? Nurseries are £80/day . I guess I know of a few nurseries which are £80/day near me in Surrey, but most are £40-£50/day.

Your food sounds delicious - I'd pay much more than £5 for a meal like that . I'd still pack my ds his own food, though . Is the £5 food fee a requirement? Just curious really.

In that case, based on the prices in the area, I would seriously consider going up to £6 an hour for new clients.

If you're an outstanding childminder, then I doubt there's anything other minders who charge £6+ an hour are doing that you aren't iyswim.

I didn't increase my rates when I got outstanding, but then I am quite expensive for the area anyway and I did not think I was offering anything different, or better, just because of an Ofsted Grading. Like you though ... several people suggested it, so it may be possible.

I think it would have been more than simply no dates on risk assessments to have got an inadequate, Starexpat! I was graded outstanding with no dates on my risk assessments.

As for charging more, cupcakeandcoffee, yes I would put your fees up for new parents if you are at the lower end of the market in your area. You work hard and you've achieved a top grade - and parents do look at OFSTED reports. You should have some reward for this. Probably a new childminder in your area would research the fees being charged and set their own fees higher than yours. Would you feel happy about that? I know I wouldn't!

Your food sounds fab by the way.

Thanks again all,

StarExpat, Parents are given the option to provide their own food but nobody does.

Tanith, Your correct is was more than just the risk assesments as I said, but they WERE considered a breech of legal requirements.
Depends on the mood of your inspector that day!!!

I had two development officers come to see me at different times at my request and both said my grade had been unfair but as a legal requirement my hands were tied.

I had only been minding for a couple of months and was inexperienced in the ways of Ofsted!

The hoops we jump through ay!!!

Congratulations!

Like Katymac, I have Outstanding twice, I haven't pt my prices up for years, as my clients have been with me through both.

I charge an iall nclusive daily fee, which is high compared to a lot on here, but in my city is an average fee. I have capped it, as I think £300pw is a lot of money, but that is usual here, and nurseries are £ 66 and £70 a day.

Childminders are very popular here.

I have put my fees up for new mindees for the first time in 3 years... and I got my Outstanding in 2008.

I was delighted with the grading... but this is no way improved my care of the little ones.

Even with the price hike (£5 per day) I am still not the most expensive locally... so am still competitive.