Is it normal to charge to 30hrs free?

[XxLondonxX]

Hi, my little one is due to start their 30hrs free in January and the nursery has told us that they charge £55hrs per week for "consumables." Is this normal? Is this even legal? His meals usually cost £16 per week and he's out of nappies so where is this charge coming from?

It doesn't sound alot but to us it really adds up. We were relying on these free hours financially.

Yes it's completely normal. They are not free hours, they are funded hours. The funding does not cover the hourly rate and as we are not allowed to use a 'top up' we need to charge for consumables. This includes food, snacks, resources, extra activities etc... the charge ranges from £5 to £15 a day in our area.