We've had a very upsetting experience with our nursery in Clapton. We've been there for 4 months, since moving to the area. It started way back before we started, but my husband persuaded me that they were still our best bet. To cut a long story short, the managers have always acted strangely and do not communicate well with parents, which is problematic. At the outset they refused to give us anything in writing - no terms and conditions, policies, information about the day for the kids / menus etc. My husband thought we should give them benefit of the doubt. 4 months in, we don't even know if our daughter has a key worker. But they seem to respond to queries and comments by trying to make you feel guilty for asking, then 'politely' (?) suggesting that you can always go somewhere else if you want. There is an atmosphere of having to walk on eggshells. As a consequence we have pretty much kept ourselves to ourselves thinking that as long as dd is happy surely thats the most important thing right? and our dd finally started settling in after 3 months.
THEN... I can't say I was enthralled by the place, but suddenly they sent an email with a spreadsheet attached, indicating a new fee scale. There was a hike of 23% - but only for 5day a week places, not so much for others. No explanation... There was 2 weeks notice for uplifted payments, as they told us halfway through the month and payment is due in advance for the next month...
So we emailed to ask 1. is it a mistake? and 2. if not, can you possibly explain what the fee rise represents? The nursery sent a formal response declining to answer any questions. Now, this seemed pretty weird. Our last amazing nursery (Minihome in stoke newington that was just too far away when we moved) had a minor fee rise, gave us 2 months notice and explained it all in detail, which was fine. And we could probably stomach the actual amount St Michaels wanted to charge as their fees had been relatively low, but it was the way they were going about it that seemed really odd, and the fact they don't behave like the nurseries that charge more (which are just a lot more professional and have better facilities).
So I wrote back explaining that I'd need to earn an extra £4k per year before tax to cover this fee rise, and asking, why so sudden, was it planned etc? should we expect some changes to the nursery? and suggesting that they could take a more consultative approach, possibly spread out the fee rise over a longer period. It was terse, but professional and registering clear, specific issues, with clear questions.
BOOM. We then received an email from the managers saying they didn't like the tone of the email and that they were terminating our daughter's place.
Just like that. Nothing specific. No warning. No reference to terms / conditions/ complaints policies (because they don't have or don't issue them).
My husband went in to talk to them to try to understand what their issue really was... luckily he is very diplomatic. But he came away none the wiser, other than that there was something deeply irrational going on.
Then I wrote an explanation to them, and apologised if we'd upset them. At the same time we pleaded with them that even though we don't understand why, we'd leave - but our number 1 concern is to cause minimal disruption to dd. So we asked if she could stay at least until we find a stable alternative (which is not easy for a full time situation London). She's just settled from a different nursery, and made her first friends so we really don't want to have to mess her around.
But still. No budging. It makes no sense. It almost feels as if we have tapped into some past trauma and they are projecting it all onto us -because there is no explanation.
Does anyone have any ideas? There appears to be no complaints policy and there were no t+cs / no contract.
Final insult to injury is that the one thing they did tell us at the outset was it was a 1 month notice period for any changes, and they have given us just less than 4 weeks from their first email. We are stuck and are going to have to call in favours/ take time off work/ cobble something together which is a complete nightmare, and dd will be completely confused.
Any advice or previous experiences gratefully received. It seems completely wrong but as a private nursery, they don't seem to feel accountable.
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St Michael's Nurseries, Clapton - child excluded with no warning or explanation - Advice please
10 replies
arcola · 10/06/2019 22:54
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