Nursery full of grant only kids

[MAS7]

Can someone please give me their personal experience on using a council owned nursery/part of school for full time care of a baby.

Our DD has been in the baby room of such a nursery for 6 months now, we just haven't warmed to it. Our DS went to a private nursery and we felt much better about that but he now attends the school this nursery is attached to hence the reason we chose it. The staff in the baby room don't seem as physically affectionate (cuddles) as we're used to and I'm wondering if this is because it's council owned? We pay £50 a day btw so it's not council price!

Since she started there I've noticed that the 2 yrs+ rooms seem to be nearly all kids just doing funded hours with parents literally queuing down the street to drop off at funded start time which is later than the full paying start time. This is worrying me as I want DD to make friends with kids who are there for the whole day like her, not seeing her friends start later and then finishing at 2 leaving her all alone.

They also refuse to give her weak squash and insist on water. She takes squash with her at the start of the day but then they will only replenish with water which she won't drink, not great in this weather. Again not a problem in my sons private nursery.

Sorry it's a ramble but if anyone has any experience I'd love to hear a different view.

I dont know if its just in my area, but the 'grant' can be used at pretty much any nursery, my DS had the funded area at our closest nursery, one attached to the school which had a mixture of children, some fully paying younger children, some on funded hours.

A friend sent her two DC to a posh private nursery using their funded hours. The way your post is written makes me feel very sad though that there are still so many parents who discriminate against classes and dont want their children to play with 'council' ones .

No one working with nursery age children would or should be giving them squash.

I am so sorry for any offence, it wasn't meant to read that way.

Of course I have no problem with people using their funded entitlement. We will use it too when DD is 3. My concern is that this nursery seems to be mostly kids doing funded hours only which worries me as once DD is 2 and goes to the next room she will be one of very few who is there all day and won't understand why her friends come in later and leave earlier. I feel guilty enough about FT childcare without her having it rubbed in her face. Baby room is max 6 babies and toddler room is 24 so even if all 6 babies stay on she will be in the minority.

To the poster who asked I know this because nursery opens at 7:30 but I don't drop DD off until 8:50 after dropping DS at school. There is literally a queue down the street of everyone waiting to go in as they will not allow 'grant only' to enter before 9.

Am shocked by all the squash comments. Both DD and DS only have high juice very weakly diluted in water. I know water is best but have never been able to get them to drink it alone and I would rather this than they get dehydrated. They both see the dentist every 6 monthsf and she is more than happy with their teeth!

The issue with juice is due to the number of intakes across the course if the day. So whilst teeth might generally by OK at one time, they can degenerate.

I'm very surprised though that a dentist has not pointed out that. They're normally very clear on the contribution to decay that juice can make.

I can understand your worry, it may be unsettling for your dd if she is likely to see the majority of the children she is playing with going home when she stays longer. Your worries are valid so do speak to the staff there. Your worries are valid so do speak to the staff there.

If the nursery is open for more than 30 hours a day (as it sounds) there is a good chance that next year with the 30h funding parents will be able to use the funding flexibly over fewer days so children will be there for the full days, you won't know unless you ask the nursery though.

Sorry, '30 hours a day' should say '30 hours a week'

Don't ALL nurseries take funded children? Even the expensive super fancy ones near me do.

"Don't ALL nurseries take funded children?" - No, it is patchy but generally the proportion of nurseries accepting funding is decreasing as the funding doesn't cover costs in some parts of the country and there are strict rules about top up charges.

Yes MsMay, calm down. As I've said we will use funding as a top up too when DD is 3. I just wish it was more evenly balanced between parents using funded as a top up and parents using funded only for DD's sake.

I understand the fear about being the last child there -- this is my DD (though in preschool room), and I felt awful about it when I realised she would be the last. Actually she loves it. After the mass exodus of children doing sessions from the 15hours (our state nursery school is very big so there are 4 options for this), the very few who are left get calm focused time with a story and a cuddle and lots of attention, plus sometimes 'help' tidy up while chatting to the staff. It really is fine, for her at least and it seems to be for her friends. Never once has she complained that others have gone home earlier. In fact she gets cross if we surprise her with an earlier pick up. Obviously if the staff are not affectionate or attentive then that's an issue. But small numbers left is not necessarily a problem, in the absence of any other issues.

Wasn't aware I wasn't being calm. No need to be rude. I'm sure you'll find a lovely place to keep your child away from the grant only children and where they happily rot her teeth at great expense to you. Xxx Hun

Your children wont drink water because they know you will give them squash! Babies can't get their own squash it's tour choice to give it to them! It's by age 4 that the decay starts to show. Enjoy!

You know you could have titled the thread something along the lines of my dd is the only full time child or nursery full of part timers instead of using the funded places turn of phrase.

I think you are right to be concerned that she is the only full time child, as she gets older she will be sad that everyone gets to go home before her. On that basis I would look for something else.

They are quite right about the water, though. I think that some parents introduce squash as a concern that their DC aren't drinking enough, but don't forget that they get plenty of water through their food. Often with water it's a question of perseverance and finding the right cup for them (for us it turned out to be a bog-standard Boots sippy cup. No idea why she liked that one more!).

You know you could have titled the thread something along the lines of my dd is the only full time child or nursery full of part timers instead of using the funded places turn of phrase.

But there's just no fun in that. Like the massive queues of grandchildren..

My son goes to a sure start and it is fantastic. He's in baby room so no funded kids but about 90% of the bigger kids are funded and guess what he will be as well when he's 3 however he will continue to go full time and I'll pay the extra.

He isn't bothered by the other kids coming and going but then he is 1 so if there is toys and stuff to do he's happy. It helps that he absolutely adores the staff.

I'm sure they would not give him juice if I asked either because it's just unnecessary. They only give water or milk.

If you want a private nursery with only full time paid for kids then go find one. A lot of private nurseries do take the funding too.

I'm sure it won't be an issue, I work at a nursery where all the children attend for the free early education/ 2 year offer places only. Most do just mornings or afternoons but we have one who attends full days. It's made no difference to him, he will just play with whoever is there at the time. My son goes to a childminder every day, there are no other children who attend that often but he plays with everyone, it's not a problem. Also, we don't give squash to children, they have water and milk.