Can somebody enlighten me - LEA Funding for 3yr olds........

[HRHQueenOfQuotes]

OK I looked round a FABULOUS nursery that I'd love DS2 to start in January. He's 3 in November so qualifies for his funding from the time he starts.

Now - here comes my question......how does it work?? I'm mean the nursery opening hours are 8.15-12.3o (for the morning session) - but 8.15 is when childrne can start arriving - it would appear the 'day' really starts at 9. The LEA funding is only for 5 x 2 1/2hr sessions a day - so this doesn't cover the full session times. It says in all the blurb from the nursery that parents may have to pay 'top up' fees during the school year (the 38 weeks children are entitled too) and full fees if they go in the holidays which DS2 probably wouldn't do. HOWEVER, it also says in the blurb that you have to pay even when your child isn't at nursery - would this include the holidays when we wouldn't be sending him??

Also - does it change when he reaches 4yrs old??

From the term after their 3rd birthday up until they go to school, you receive funding for 5 x 2.5 hr sessions - so yes, you pay for any extra hours. Mine go to a nursery that's 9.15 to 1pm and so I always have a termly bill too even though I get some funding.

If you are paying for an 8.15-12.30 session this is what your bill will be based on. So 2.5 of that is covered and the rest is not (even if you only arrive at 9am).

Is the nursery a term time one? I mean, is the holiday thing an extra that they provide for those that want it? It sounds to me like if you want to use the nursery in holidays you can do, but this is not LEA funded so if you did you would be paying full fees for this period of time.

Because the LEA Funding is for 5x2.5 hour sessions for x number of weeks of the year (can't remember how many but it's basically term time).

So it sounds like the holidays are just an entirely separate thing.

If the nursery operates all year round you'd need to read the small print as regards holidays since you may have to pay for 52 weeks anyway to keep the place open. They may simply not give the option of a termtime only place. It sounds as if they apply the discount only to the cost of the 38 "term" weeks then you pay the full amount for the rest of the time. Some nurseries would even out 38 weeks worth of grant across the whole year so the monthly payment remains constant, others rebate at the end of each "term" (based on the LEA's calendar) so policy could vary. It doesn't change at 4 atm.

It's a private nursery so open all year.

I'm just concerned that I may have to end up paying full fees for the holiday time when I won't actually be sending him then [frown].

Guess I'd better call tomorrow and ask......

oh cr*p Lizs - thanks for that info - I'd definitely better look into it - because we couldn't afford top up fees all through the year - especially when he won't even be there

If it's a private nursery you'll definatley have to pay all year to keep his place, that's what we did for our ds. Then it's more than just top up fees as the grant is paid per term and a private nursery is open all year so more weeks than there is terms.

You would be better finding a playgroup type thing IMO.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I think I'm going to cry - it's the only other decent nursery in town - and I was hoping if he started there in January he'd stay there until he started school.

The other decent nursey (where's he'd almost certainly get a place) is free BUT they've just changed their opening hours because of they now take children all through the year (paying ones) so that it's Mon-Thu ALL through the year that they attend - and it just wouldn't work for us .

thought you couldn't get funding for a private nursery unless there were no state nursery school places within 2 miles?

Or is that just Wales?

Fluffy - you can round here - mind you there's LOTS more private places than there are state ones..

Where I live in there are very few state nurseries attached to schools in fac t I cannot even think of one . I live in Surrey and I think it may be quite common in South East so most people get the grant.

Perhaps in Wales they have more state nurseries hence the ruling you mention.

well am jealous

HRH my dd went to a nursery that had the holiday time opton, which you'd pay full rate for, but it wasn't compulsory. However there was a two week 'retainer' fee while the nursery closed in August. They evened out the grant, so you didn't have a huge chunk to pay. Don't give up hope, call them tomorrow.

Thanks - I'll ring tomorrow to check - but I'm not holding out much hope - the funding is only £480 (ish) a 11-14 term.......and that means (exclusing full fees for holidays) we'd be paying out about £120 a month as top-up...and we just can't afford that.

Back to the drawing board I guess

Fluffy - dont be too jealous, still alot of money to find each term especially if child is going five mornings a week.

The thing is, QOQ, nurseries have to charge you for holidays and if your child can't attend nursery due to illnness. The staff have to be paid and nurseries can't tell staff that they will be paid less during a particular month because your child is on holiday. Neither can they enforce staff holidays to coincide with holidays that different children are taking.

I suppose it could work if you can find another family/child who want to use the days/weeks that you are away (though this is highly unlikely). As a nursery owner, I would be prepared to accept such an arrangement, as long as the place is paid for full-time.

It's rather like any other medium to long term booking. For example, if you rent a flat you can't tell your landlord that you're not going to pay rent for a particular week because you are on holiday, IYSWIM.

I hope you can get something sorted out soon.

bubble - I didn't mean "holiday" as in going away - I meant holiday as in school holidays - when DS1 will be at home.

As if I'm paying for him to be at nursery during the school holidays I may as well send him, and if I'm going to send him I may as well send him to the (equally good) free one. It just don't want to have one child at nursery all year......and the other at home during the school holidays.

ARGHHHH - why are there only two decent nurseries in this town - there are few playgroups - but they're the other side of town and completely impractical for me to get to/pick up from.

oh well - called the nursery when I got up this afternoon. We could probably just squeeze the top-up fees into our budget - but we'd have to pay full price for school holidays - which is out of the question.

Really gutted as the nursery that DS2 will probably go to (now) has stupid opening times and he's either going to miss being at home with DS1 during the school holidays, or miss what his friends at nursery are doing while he's home with DS1. (the nursery in question now spreads the LEA funding through the entire year and doesn't open on fridays - so 'term' is during the school holidays too)

but he doesn't have to go all day every day, even if he goes during holidays too, so you could still strike a compromise between him attending and being funded and having time with ds1. If you want term time only then you are looking for a preschool, playgroup or nursery school rather than a daycare nursery setting. Are there really no other options close by ? Any others listed here perhaps ?

Thing is how to you explain to a 4yr old that he "this morning you're going to nursery to play with your friends" (which he'll probably adore knowing DS2) "but it means that DS1 and I will be at home doing x,y,z)"

Those days that I do send him to nursery will be 'lost' in terms of being able to go out for the day and do stuff together.

The nursery he's going to go to USED to run term time for LEA and all year for working parents (it's been turned into one of those new 'community nurseries'). And it used to be mon-fri during term time (for free as it's a State nursery too) - and that was what DS1 did at that nursery (he's just started Y1 so it's not long since he was there).

Now the nursery have decided it's 'better' for working parents to have the free state places spread throughout the entire year (completely ignoring the fact that a-parents would now have to pay for care on Fridays and b-it's fine if you've only got pre-school children).

So the basic jist is that it IS a Nursery School he'd go too - but it doesn't go on 'terms' (and means that he'll be at home every Friday!).

LIZS - I've looked on there - there is one other fairly good nursery and a decent playgroup - but they're the other side of town and COMPLETELY inpracticle.

My DS#2 has just started at a nursery (private) and I was able to specify that he wouldn't be going during the school hols. Apparently they want to end this option but I got in before they did.

The grant is spread over the times I use the service.

Do you have the option to ask for term-time only?

Oh..sorry just read your last post. What a bugger...