Is this normal from a nursery?

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DD 18m has been at nursery since September. We agreed (although there was no contract) that she would go in during holidays 2 days a week as they don't offer term time only - this was their compromise. DP is a teacher so we would much prefer term time only but it's our only option.

With the easter holidays coming up I requested that rather than DD being in 2 days per week, she could be off the whole first week and in the whole second (as I'm taking the first week off).

Nursery have said they can't accommodate and she has to come in 2 days per week. Is this normal?

It sounds like it’s too late for them to arrange staffing.

Yes absolutely , they need to organise staffing ratio, presumably they are full on the days she is normally not in they can’t just add another child .

Yes, they have other children on regular hours to accommodate and staffing to arrange.

Completely normal! How are they to maintain their ratios? If you want a full week instead of the two days you'd arranged, you needed to enquire probably six weeks ago. In normal times it would be less of an issue, because usually families go away at Easter, and there's be a gap where a child was away. Obviously this year, no-one can go anywhere.

Normal, yes. They need to arrange for the right amount of stuff to be in every day (there is a ratio by law, depending on the age of the children in the class) and they have to do so in advance.

Completely normal yes

Yeah completely normal. You can't rearrange to suit when you have set days. You wouldn't let them change to suit themselves

You can keep her off any day you want, but you'll need to pay for it. Why not just opt to have her home, but pay for those days to hold your place? If you are wanting to put her in 5 days but you've only booked 2 days the second week, then no they wouldn't be able to accomodate that at such late notice.

What is their holiday policy? As in for taking time off for holidays (I don't mean school holidays). Ours gives 10 days per year that you can take off with no charge, but you must notify them one month in advance. Any other days are 50% assuming you notify them one month in advance. Beyond that, you pay full fees if you take time off, including for sickness.

You can keep her off you would have to pay for the space though

The bit that isn't normal is that you don't have a contract.....

How can she be at Nursery without you having signed a contract ?

You can keep her off the whole of the first week, though you will still be charged
You can send her in for her booked sessions the second week but you can’t have extra sessions as the nursery has a maximum number of children they can have- per nursery, per room and per each staff member
If you wanted the flexibility of sending her in during the school holidays then you should have booked an all year round place

Totally normal! You can’t chop and change your days and expect them to accommodate.

DS goes Monday-Thursday and very occasionally we require a Friday. We need to ask weeks in advance and it’s not always possible due to staffing. We totally understand this and make alternative arrangements.

Absolutely normal as others said its to do with staffing ratios and rotas.
If you want term time only try looking for a nursery attached to a private school, I work in one of those. We are obviously term time and we are open to anyone (you don’t have to be planning to send them to our school).

Totally normal

It's really late to be trying to change days for Easter - it cannot be done last minute. They have planned their staffing - may be full on other days and staff have probably been granted holiday based on the schedule you agreed.

So is she full time normally and they've agreed two days per week on holidays? Crikey you're lucky! Where I am once you've got your place that's it. No changing.