Training Days in our Nursery - should we pay?

[halfmarathonmum]

My ds's nursery has just sent home some new Terms and Conditions. My major bugbear with them is that they are saying they need two days for staff training, both on Friday, for which we have to pay - even though our kids won't be allowed in on that day.
This seems ridiculous to me. Any mother who works on a Friday will have to pay for this childcare, which they can't use, and also find and pay for additional childcare.
Am I being a big meany?

I wouldn't be happy with that
Our nursery shut at Christmas & a week in August but we don't get charged. It is their choice to do this they shouldn't charge for it

I'd be looking for another nursery.

The nursery dd went to and where ds will go to shortly closes for 2 weeks at Christmas and on bank holidays but like whoops we don;t pay for those sessions.

Will you complain that the staff are poorly trainned and have no new ideas. I am guessing it to 2 days a term - if you don't pay who else will pay? Why should the nurseru nurses play to better themselves when it your child to will reap the benefits...it is not like they are not going to be in work amd are having a jolly to go off to the theme park.

I think you should feel proud this is a forward thinking nursery who invests in its staff to ensure they provide the best care for your child!

This was normal at our old nursery. Luckily we were never affected as DD never went those days. But yes, there were 2 or 3 training days a year, usually linked to the Christmas Holiday or a bank holiday weekend (often Tuesday). And you did have to pay for it, same as for bank holidays. Only "free" week you got was Christmas week when nursery closed for a week.

tricky one.
as a nursery owner and manager i dont think it is very good business practice to close the nursery to customers on a normal working day.
if it was a state run pre school term time only then yes. but for working parents it is impossible to find childcare (thats why they are in nursery in the first place)
we close 1 week at christmas and bank holidays for which there is no charge.
as the service has been withdrawn.
could they not do the training on a saturday or on an evening.
my staff are regularly going on training courses (which i pay for as well as their time) on evenings and weekends.
however in october the government are changing holiday pay so businesses have to pay for bank holidays, and unfortunately this cost will be passed on to the customers through fees.

Nurseryvoice - thanks for that. You're very reassuring! I've just found out that our nursery is £35k in the red, and on the verge of bankruptcy, so I'm guessing that all the parents will be helping out financially one way or another to keep it on the level. It's a great place for the kids - they just don't have any idea how to run a commercial venture. Hey ho....