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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Nursery free hours...when do they apply from?

39 replies

rathlin · 31/07/2012 20:03

Our DS who turned 3 in March is at nursery full time and today I was given forms by the nursery to apply for the 15 free hours a week from September. However on looking at the paperwork it appears that he should have had the free hours from 1 April. I am not sure if I have got this right so would appreciate it if anyone can advise. I did think that he would only get the free hours from September but I'm now not sure and am kicking myself if we have just lost out on free hours for the past few months.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RobotHamster · 01/08/2012 07:14

(I mean you'll miss out on the 12 weeks before the summer break)

RevoltingChildren · 01/08/2012 09:10

You don't get funding anywAy through most most if July and all of August do its 12 weeks or 3 months you will miss out on

Original poster

rathlin · 01/08/2012 09:43

I brought this to the administrator's attention at the nursery this morning and she seemed to think I should have had this funding and was going to check situation with council. I'm not feeling terribly optimistic that I will get the free hours back. I feel pretty stupid about this. My monthly fees are about £1100 so the saving would have been good but probably not a lot we can do now. I am annoyed at the nursery also even though I accept that the onus is more on me to take care of this than them. The fact that they are only giving out this form now though makes me think that in a way they are driving the process but obviously are not keeping very close tabs on who is entitled to the free hours. My DS has been at the nursery since he was 13 months so it's not as if they didn't know his age etc.

OP posts:

GluedToTheVideoMonitor · 01/08/2012 09:56

Probably a bit late for you OP, but for anyone else reading I've been looking into this recently (although dd won't be three til next Christmas), and the local pre-school admissions lady told me that we might be eligible for free hours from 2yo (must meet certain criteria).

So my advice would be to speak to someone at your local Surestart scheme to see if this might work for you.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 01/08/2012 09:56

I feel my nursery kinda pulled a fast one regarding this. Another mother told me they had given her the forms in good time and she hadnt even thought of it. But as my fees were covered by student funding it seems to me that they just didnt tell me to see if they could get away with it.

I had to pull DD out in march due to funding cuts. She turned 3 in feb so should have had free hours since april but I missed the deadline. So she cant start until sept now. Im just lucky that a preschool near me still had places and let me apply late.

Wouldnt really mind myself but I know DD loved nursery so these past few months she would have really got a lot out of her placement.

Original poster

rathlin · 01/08/2012 12:38

Have spoken to both council and nursery regarding my initial post about missing out on funding for DS who was 3 before the end of March this year.

Council have said that he was not on their list but that the nursery should have included him in their headcount. The lady was not able to tell me if they would be able to claim the money that he has missed but she did confirm it was the nursery's responsibility to have claimed for my DS.

Spoke to nursery again and manager is on holiday for 2 wks. According to the admin, the manager should have included my DS so will need to wait for her return to see if it was an oversight on her part or on the council's part but I suspect it was the former.

If so, the nursery will then owe me the money I have missed out on as it was their fault (that last bit is my conclusion).

OP posts:

BackforGood · 01/08/2012 21:29

The 2 yr old / Capital funding is only for children meeting criteria which means there are extra pressures on the family, not for most 2 yr olds Glued

Original poster

rathlin · 02/08/2012 13:03

Just been informed that the nursery will be reimbursing me £847 after not applying for my son's free 15hrs nursery care which he was supposed to receive from 1 April this year. The admin at the nursery got their head office to sort it out in manager's absence. Am very pleased:)

OP posts:

RobotHamster · 02/08/2012 13:16

Hurrah!

Mandy21 · 02/08/2012 13:16

Garytankcommander You're not missing out of 6 months funding. You only get funding for 38 weeks of the year (the school year) and the summer term is always the shortest term. In my LEA, the summer term is a 10 week term this year (Monday 16th April - Friday 20 July with 2 weeks off at half term) so thats all you'd be missing out on. I can see where you're coming from, but just wanted to soften the blow - you're still missing out because of your DS' birthday, but you're missing out on 10 weeks, not 6 months. Its not quite as bad as it seems.

BackforGood · 02/08/2012 14:27

Great news Raithlin

RobotHamster · 02/08/2012 15:25

Mandy - I think that's been covered

GaryTankCommander · 02/08/2012 17:24

Oooohhhh I see! So they only pay for the 15 hours during term time! Ahhhhh. I hadn't appreciated that... Thank you!

pinkapples · 04/08/2012 23:23

Some nurseries like the one I manage offer all year round care this equates to 11hrs per week all year round so helping out those working parents but it is still the term after their 3rd birthday

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