NI pre-school experiences?

[kitchenSink5]

My DD started pre-school in September - lucky to get a place, I know. I just hoped to find out what others are experiencing.

DD is in 3 hours a day so 15 per week and know the staff are paid for 25.5 a week - I know other pre-schools have longer hours but I don't really understand how funding works from the education authority so maybe others get more funding?

On a funding topic - mine ask for "donations"'ALL the time. Is this normal? Registration £50, £40 a month for something else plus £40 last week for art supplies, more this week for new bikes. I don't want to not give but it is relentless and is seriously stressing me out. They say these are all voluntary but they don't feel voluntary. And with the way things are...it is becoming unaffordable.

Is it going to get worse once we start primary school? Do I need to just get used to this?

No that seems excessive. We paid £12 a month in pre-school, that went towards their snacks and art supplies etc.

The £40 a month is supposed to be on snacks.

Is this a preschool attached to a school?

DD is in 3 hours a day so 15 per week and know the staff are paid for 25.5 a week - I know other pre-schools have longer hours but I don't really understand how funding works from the education authority so maybe others get more funding?

I don't understand what you mean? Nurseries either off full or part time places. The part time ones usually offer a morning or afternoon session. I don't think that any staff get paid for 25.5 but only work 15. Full time places are not that common and it usually usually 9-1.30pm.

No not attached to a school.

So if a pre-school offers full-time places, would they get more funding from the EA or do parents top up to cover the difference?

Struggling to find any info on this on the EA website.

I’ve heard similar from other parents, plus the morning-or-afternoon sessions are a pain in the arse. By the time you pay for wrap around care (we both work full time) plus any donations, it’s a bloody fortune.

We ended up sending our pair to a pre-prep. The days runs 8am-4pm which suited my working hours and cost £340 per month after the tax free childcare discount. No requests for donations or top up funding, so worked really well for us.

My daughter was lucky to have a full time place because we lived in the catchment. We paid £12:50 a week and that covered snacks, a hot meal every day (there was no option to send in a packed lunch) and there were 3 voluntary payments a year for supplies, I think it was £50 a term.

We had moved house before DS started preschool and he ended up in a preschool that only offered part time places. We paid £12 a month for him and that went towards their snacks, supplies etc. They didn't get lunch as it was part time

My boys are now 12 and 17 so nursery/preschool was a long time ago. They went to one attached to a primary school and had a full time place so 8.45 -1.15. School fund was between £10 & £15 per term I think. Other than that I can't remember any requests for money. There was a summer fair and various other fundraising events which were obviously voluntary, but the amounts you are being asked for sound excessive. I know that education budgets are considerably more stretched now but this seems a lot. Is it a private nursery or run by a church or community group?

If this is Northern Ireland, my own DCs preschool asked for around £70-80 school funds a term. Supposedly voluntary but I've always paid, can't speak for others but wouldn't be shocked if they didn't.

Now in P1 and only asked for school fund with no mention of it being per term and I know others with children in primary only asked once per year. Again said voluntary but I paid, it was a 'suggested' amount of £30. I did give £50, but it was certainly a nice decrease from last year 🙈

Run by a community group. And the usual fundraising fairs and raffles all coming up too.

I just can't work out why all this money is needed and the hours paid vs time children actually get. I know the cost of things have gone up massively but I feel like I'm being fleeced.

Hoping primary next year brings some reductions!

For us pre-pre was £8.50 per day so £42.40 per week for 15 hours with additional £25 paid at the start of the new terms so September, January and Easter.

For pre-school it was fully funded except for the above £25.

Worth every single penny. Independent pre-school with all staff qualified to teach and holding PGCEs.

Primary school 🤷🏽‍♀️ we send in £30 in September and then pay for after-school clubs separately

Between school, uniforms and clubs - kids are expensive