when do you enrol nursery/paygroup????

[Ruth02]

Hi there. Could somebody help me with a bit of info? My dd was born aug 04 and i need to know when I would put her name down for nursery and if she was too go to a government backed playgroup b4 this do they pay something towards It??? I am seriously confused?? Thanks(smile)

I looked when ds was 1 1/2 ish for starting a year or so later. You get LEA vouchers from the term after they have turned 3, which entitle you to up to 5 sessions a week (think a "session" is defined as 2 1/2 hours) - the childcare place must be Ofsted approved (and could be a nursery, preschool or childminder) and it may still not cover the entire cost, depending how long a session they actually run and how much they charge. Separately you may be entitled to some childcare costs via, I think it is, Tax Credits, if you work and earn under so much.

this could get confusung. My almost 3 yo goes to playgroup which i pay for, started looking when he was about 2 ish (they accept from 2.5). Then we can get the vouchers for the free child place form the term after his 3rd bday which will mean that from september he can go to nursery school, we started looking at those at around the same time as looking for playgroup.

The nursery school u have to ring ur local council/LEA for a form

I put my DSs' names down a year before they were due to go. DS2 is an August baby too (03) - I went along and signed him up at the beginning of the September term 05 and he starts this year.

but then I guess it depends when they start - his is a school nursery so only start the term after they are three! Sorry to confuse you. Money only starts term after they're 3 though.

I put dd's name down at the beginning of January. She was 2 in November, so will be due to start nursery class (of ds school) in January 07. So, a year before basically.
Ds's name I think I put down before he was 2, so about 18mths before he was due to start.

Playgroup, I'm not sure about your area, but round here there are not huge waiting lists. With playgroups, children are leaving all the time, especially at the end of the summer and at christmas as they go into school nursery classes. I put dd's name down for one the other day, to start in May this year.

You don't have to pay for school nursery class from the term after they turn 3 (5 sessions a week - so mornings or afternoons) but if you want her to go to playgroup, generally you have to pay until she is 3. The one where dd will go is £15 a week but they vary, another local one is £25 per week.