Can’t start nursery at Easter?

[CosmicComet]

Started looking at nurseries for my DS because I want to put him on the waiting list for when he turns 3 and gets free hours. But I’ve been told I can’t, because he was born in January.

The kids who turned 3 over the summer are eligible to start nursery in September. Then the kids who turn 3 before Xmas are eligible to start in January. And finally those who turn 3 in the Spring are eligible to start after Easter.

Basically the local nursery has spaces in September because that’s when kids leave to go to school. So the September starters take some places, and if there are places left the January starters take them. And there are no places left for Easter starters. So the nursery said there’s no point putting my DS on the waiting list because there’ll be no places left by the time he’s eligible to start.

AIBU to think this is unreasonable? Their only advice was to “choose a crapper nursery because they’re more likely to still have places left at Easter. Try X nursery in the next town because Ofsted has rated it as Poor”. Why should my DS have to go to a nursery rated Poor just because of when his birthday falls?!

It seems to me that if you can already afford to pay for nursery before your child turns 3 then you don’t really need the free hours

So people like you then? As you've admitted that you could afford to pay, it just seems that you don't want to.

It seems to me that if you can already afford to pay for nursery before your child turns 3 then you don’t really need the free hours. Whereas there are others who do really need them and are waiting to be eligible because it’s the only way they can afford to return to work.

Not true. From January next year, my DC nursery fees will be MORE than my monthly salary. But I'm continuing because it's what best for them, and because I'll still have a job when DS goes to school. I can't afford to send them both, but I also can't afford to quit my job for a year and risk being lower paid or not finding a job afterwards. Oh and those fees that are in excess of £1200 INCLUDE funded hours

You want to pick and choose your nursery? Fine, then wait til September when they have space.

You want to go to work in April? Fine, then either pay for childcare for a few weeks then send PFB to super nursery. Or send him to someone who has the space.

It's really not that difficult

If it's important to you, pay for the space privately. I did the same for my son because he wouldn't have got in even for the January start so I paid for September start till Christmas break

Since you say your child is only 1 he might not even be ready for preschool at 3.
Also, childminders are cheaper and sometimes better than the happy clappy popular nursery. The same to the 'shit' preschool. They may get extra funding. They may have a smaller ratio. They might actually be 'shit' because the manager thinks the EYFS is bollocks and chooses what they are going to follow. It could be as simple as allowing children to have a chocolate biscuit in their pack up.

Why don't you send him to it for 15 hours so he can at least socialise with normal people, then do the preschool bit yourself. Teaching a child to read and about basic school readiness is easy. Plus, I think you are a control freak so you'll enjoy it. Even if you don't quite understand 'up to 30 free hours'.

For the record, I chose a ofsted rated good private preschool rather than an outstanding nursery or a preschool attached to a school. I prefered it there my DD does her academic prep with me and goes to play and socialise.

You sound incredibly entitled and don't seem to be listening to the advice others have given so I'm not sure what you are expecting people to say.

It seems to me that if you can already afford to pay for nursery before your child turns 3 then you don’t really need the free hours. Whereas there are others who do really need them and are waiting to be eligible because it’s the only way they can afford to return to work.

So everyone who’s been paying for years of childcare already and sacrificing staying at home with their babies so they can maintain a career should give up their spaces and funding for the likes of you? Why exactly is it that you think your child should get priority over mine? I think you really need to reasses your expectations.

Alternatively, you can obviously afford to sit at home on your arse while other parents have to work - so why should you be entitled to anything in a few years time?

Just shrieking 'free free free' isn't going to change how the system works. Stop feeling so bloody sorry for yourself. Your partner clearly earns a decent wage, work out how to use it to the best advantage of you and your baby.

@Creakyblinder very valid point. You can afford to stay at home!

Jesus Christ OP I've got too much time on my hands today (pinned down by a poorly 2 year old who's missed her -paid- -for- nursery place due to illness) and my husband is sleeping off last night's night shift before I go and grab an hours kip before my night shift tonight. You are a complete fucking entitled nightmare!

So many posters I agree with here today.

Usually I’d be at work. But am off sick. Hence why I’m sittting on my arse watching Netflix and mumsnet. Ds is with dparents.

I think perhaps you don’t know he history of the free hours- unlike school, which historically is run and paid for by the govt via the LEA, nurseries/ preschools were private or charities. Govt wanted votes, promised “free” hours, offers the nurseries £4 (roughly) per hour. In some areas, this is enough, great, most nurseries will offer. In other areas it isn’t, hence all the top ups etc. But as the govt don’t run nurseries, they can’t tell them to accept all 3 year olds that want a spot in sept/ jan/ April. It’s a real patchwork hodgepodge system, with misleading advertising. I actually think more people should complain to their MP! But in the meantime, there is no “them” organising, running, or paying for it!

@CosmicComet the nursery funding crisis has been all over the media for a long time. It really shouldn't be a surprise that everything is not as it seems. The ad you've shown is technically correct as it says, 'UP TO 30 free hours,' which once you've taken off extra nursery fees and any other costs, you will have UP TO those hours, as 'up to' could mean just 1 hour. I agree that any marketing should use the words funded or subsidised to be clearer, but you should never take advertising at face value, there is always small print somewhere. Your HV also clearly doesn't understand the system.

Why are you only talking to one nursery? I've got lots of friends who don't use their local nursery because places weren't available. They enquired, nursery said no, so they looked elsewhere. It's really normal. If you really want this particular nursery, then wait the extra few months and start in the September. Not ideal, but life isn't.

This thread is insane. I’ve never read anything quite like it.

OP - By way of an explanation as to how the outstanding rated oversubscribed nursery we currently send our daughter to: we send her two days a week. The 30 (or 15) free hours equates to 200£ off our bill or one extra full day a week. We will of course be taking this up.

I’m baffled quite frankly at your lack of understanding of the concept. The 30 ‘free’ hours doesn’t equate to ‘free’ in a literal sense obviously as most nurseries can’t offer the hours in full. Plus if they’re brilliant then most people are willing to pay for the places - ergo less availability for the underfunded places from the government - a no brained.

WRT those who can afford to pay shouldn’t take up the offer - please get over yourself.

Oh and good luck finding a term time only, part time job. Not something I’d ever consider but as far as I know these are rare and v low paid.

I don’t thunk it’s snobby not to send your child to a school or nursery rated Poor.

Nurseries do NOT get rated POOR!! FFS stop being so entitled and go and look around other places that will have spaces.

The OP has been told to look round speak to other nurseries repeatedly but seems to ignore any suggestions to solve the supposed issue.

OP - given that the funded 30 hours are only for 38 weeks a year - what are you intending to do for the other 14 weeks?

Oh also, our nursery and a few I know, don't do Term Time only contracts. so you may get 30 hours term time, but you have to pay for the other weeks of the year to keep the place open. (This is a private nursery not a school one)

so even if you plan on a Term Time only job, don't bank on all nurseries only offering Term time only places.

Many people use a childminder or an undersubscribed nursery in the mean time. It's your choice if you want to find somewhere else to use your hours or not.

@cosmic

Everybody is legally entitled to NHS care

• doesn’t mean you won’t have a 4 hour wait in A&E or a 6 month wait on a referral list!

Just because your son is eligible for his free hours doesn’t mean he’s entitled to the full 5 terms- any more than a patient is to be seen within 15 minutes of arrival!

That’s just how the government/ country is right now!

You can stand around complaining or you can just get on with it!

🤔 or you can take your child into your local council office and refund it- on the basis that it was mis sold to you because ‘the government promised you, you’d be able to go back to work (THE MOMENT) they turned 3’ and that hasn’t happened!

🤔

It seems to me that if you can already afford to pay for nursery before your child turns 3 then you don’t really need the free hours

😂 what absoloute twaddle!

Why the hell shouldn’t those earning a decent wage be entitled to things that their inflated taxes go to fund for everyone else???

We already loose out on every kind of benefit - whilst losing a higher rate of tax! Our take home income is comparable to someone earning 20k less but being ‘topped up’ by benefits!

But we shouldn’t get 30 hours free?

How about this - It seems to me that you shouldn’t have children you can’t afford and then expect ‘free free free’ to sponsor your lack of ability to provide!
Just because it’s ‘free’ doesn’t mean it’s magical - it’s actually being funded by a big government pot - contributed to heavily by the taxes of high earners!

Sorry grammar it was hard to tell in writing!

No worries!

Our nursery is one of the only ones here that is open all weeks of the year not just term time. So with the “free” hours we will pay for the school holidays.

Send him to a lower rates nursery they get more funding and more support before they get an outstanding honestly ratings mean the opposite unless it's a year in year out rating as outstanding places can let things slip they have achieved there goal who needs to try?

I find it all very confusing too. We get 15 free hours from age 3, we paid for DS to go before then, he does 12 hours a week and when the 15 free hours kicked in our bill halved, whereas I expected to not have to pay anything 😄 I can see why you’re upset OP, i’m Still confused how it works to be honest!