Are nursery ‘days’ a standard length re the 15 funded hours?

[Bluebys]

Let’s say a nursery is open ten hours a day, 8-6pm.

But I only need my child to attend for nine hours a day, 8:30-5:30pm.

The nursery are saying that ten of the 15 free hours = one day, not nine. Is that allowed?

Yes, most nurseries will only allow you to book and pay for the sessions they offer, not specific times you need. Obviously you are free to drop and collect within those times, but you pay for the whole one. I've never heard of any nursery offering bespoke timings.

Ok, that’s fair enough if that’s standard practice. I just wanted to check, as it all adds up! Thank you.

Yeah they can decide at what times the free sessions are. For instance one near us has a 3 hour morning session and a 3 hour afternoon session. They can then charge for wraparound care for the hours before, after, or in-between like the lunch hour. You should be able to opt out of this but then you'd have to pick your child up at the end of the session and take them back when the new one starts.

Yes, because they can’t fill that extra hour you aren’t attending with another child. You pay for the day and use whatever hours you need out of it.

Yes our nursery only has set sessions, e.g., 8-6, 9-1, so even if you dropped later or picked up earlier, you have to pay for the set session. I work longer hours on nursery days, to make the most of it, then have a day off.

Yes that's allowed. It's not like they can get another child in who needs care 8:00-8:30 and 5:30-6:00 so you are still "using up" that space.