do i have to send him 5 days a week for 15hrs funding?

[harlowian]

my ds is 3 in December so eligible for nursery funding from Jan. There is a school nursery nearby and the website says dc attend 5 half days sessions a week and once dc have a place they are expected to attend everyday.
There is also a stand alone but state run nursery school nearby that I think might have the same rules.
However I only want to send my ds 3 days a week to start with. I mentioned this to a friend who works at the school nursery who said I had to send him everyday. Another friends thought I might get away with it if they weren't full. Problem is I need mornings (ds naps still) and I think both settings might be full for mornings.

I am not sure what to do - should I just tell them I will send him 3 days a week or just skive a lot or shall I just send him 5 days. The reason I didn't want to is I work and gps look after him a couple of days and I wanted some extra time in the week with him for outings etc. Also he is young for his age and not potty trained yet and I think 5 days a week too much to start with.

Check out the other nearby nurseries to find out what there rules actually are. They may vary. I don't think its a govt requirement, more a nursery requirement.

Two yrs ago back when I was looking into this, it was certainly up to each nursery. The one attached to the local school was willing to do various different timings (mornings only, afternoons only, 2.5 full days), but insisted you had to do the full 15 hours. Another nearby one was very flexible so long as it was a minimum of I think 5 hours a week.

You might also look into whether the funding can be used at a playgroup for this year, then move to the school nursery for the following Sept.

The nurseries can set their own rules. If it doesn't suit you, you might have to look elsewhere.
DD's school nursery was like this until fairly recently - it was 5 mornings or 5 afternoons a week, take it or leave it. They've relaxed this now and parents can to a large extent pick and choose. Funnily enough it's much more popular now!

Have you look at private nurseries? Lots of 3yo aren't potty trained. I know for a fact the preschool side in my DD's nursery still has a nappy changing room. These places sound far too formal to me.

The 15 hours can technically be used any way - 3 x 5 hour days, 2 x 7.5 etc - there's no set requirement. However, it does depend on what hours the nursery can offer.

Nurseries can set their own rules with regard to which hours can be used for funding sessions. However, they cannot insist that you use all your funded hours with them. Therefore, they cannot insist that you do 5 mornings - you can choose to do 3 mornings if you want.

What you cannot insist on doing is taking your 15 hours in 2 or 3 days if they only offer funded sessions in the mornings.

Also, if you say you are going to attend 5 days, but then regularly only attend 3, the nursery has a duty to report it to the funding authority and the hours you do not attend will not be paid to the nursery.

I'm in SE London and I sent my son to preschool two mornjngs a week because, like you, I wanted to spend time with him for outings etc. This was when he was eligible for the 15 hours - I used 6. Other preschools round here insist on the full 15 hrs being used; it's up to the individual nurseries. My daughter is now at preschool and I have the same arrangement - 2 mornings a weeks. When I was viewing local nurseries my requirement caused confusion for the staff at one setting because they didn't think it was allowed by the LA. The owner confirmed to me on the phone a few days later that it was allowable. She said that no one had ever requested before not to use the full 15hrs, hence the misinformation. I find that hard to believe tbh

Settings are NOT allowed to insist that you take the full 15 hours with them.

At the nursery where I work, we have parents using between 6 and 15 funded hours per week. It is entirely up to them (as long as I have the sessions available).

Just because he has the funding you don't have to send him at all. Inever started my older dc the term after they were 3, instead waiting for the September so they just had one full year of nursery. I intend to do the same with my DS 2 & baby that's on the way.

Childminders also offer the 15 hours and may be more flexible.
I have a boy who comes for 2 x 7.5 hours a week and another who just comes for one 8 hour day.