Nursery hours

[verymuchconfused]

Hi
My son goes to a nursery but because of his special needs he’s going to a school for 1.5 days in a week, which is provided by the county council. I’ve asked the nursery if they’ll reduce the number of hours and if I’ll not need to pay for the hours my son is in the other school. The nursery say that I’ll have to pay for his full hours, but logically they’re not providing any services for 1.5 days in the week including food but invoicing me.

Do I need to pay for the full amount even though he’s not going for 1.5 days?

Any suggestions and advice please. TA

The nursery are unlikely to be able to fill his slot for that 1.5 days. Ours only offered a few fixed schedules, full-time, and two part-time that were the exact opposite of one another.

It doesn’t matter if he isn’t there, they can’t just not pay the staff or other fixed costs.

I don't think ours offers half days anymore, but yes, you could drop a day and not pay for it. I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to do this?

I would have thought they should be able to reduce your payments. Are they under subscribed in any way? Why is it different to reducing days normally with notice?

That is what they said but it’s a one of case for them as business but as us individuals paying money out of the pocket it might be something we’ve to reconsider sending him to a nursery who are lot more flexible

No they’re not under subscribed, the nursery is full. They might be over or very near to being over subscribed.

That is what gets me as a business they’re doing well but can’t give an exception to individual case and keep demanding the same amount of money

I don't think it works that way. My DC nursery is 8-6. If we drop them off at 9 and pick up at 5 we still have to pay for a full day as they can't give those hours to someone else.

I would drop the full day for now, that'll deffo help bring payments down then look into properly in regards to half day.

Have you read your contract,

It's not an individual case as a lot of parents don't use the full hours each day.

do you have to pay for the council one too?

My nursery only offers full days 8-6 ! I pay for the whole day even though she only does 9-4 most days

so half days are not possible

Is it the same days each week? Surely you could drop a day?

Half days really depend. My nursery does offer them, 8 - 1, so it’d be possible if it’s always the same day here, but nurseries aren’t required to offer half days.

I'd be that full day is already filled in that case and they're likely taking double payments.
I'd send them an email saying you're dropping that full day and here's the notice period.
If you'd already told them and you're out of the notice period for changing days I'd say you expect it to be taken off your bills.
It's daylight robbery!

They won't be able to fill the gap you leave. So if you leave the nursery entirely, they can take on another child full time, who's parents pay the full fees. Letting you drop a day and a half has a financial penalty for them, with no upside if they're full/have someone who would take the full time slot.

Presumably you're going to have to suck it up, or find a new nursery.

You need to check your contract though. Our nursery wouldn't allow you to drop a day, notice period or not.

That is what gets me as a business they’re doing well but can’t give an exception to individual case and keep demanding the same amount of money

But it’s not one case, why would they give you a discount and not other people?
Some nurseries are part time, others require the full week. Most require not only taking a full time place but using a full time place if you’re place involves LA funding because of the child is absent for a certain amount of time the LA doesn’t pay the funding.

Its like going to a shop and moaning you can’t open a packaged sandwich and pay for half because you only want to eat half when they obviously can’t sell the other stale half a sandwich.

But the nursery is at the side of oversubscribed. The reasons for the day drop are for SEN. Why should the OP pay for a service they're not using and that they can sell on (and likely already have if there's a waiting list!)
They haven't even dropped the "consumables" charge for when they're not there.
So few people seem to see that nurseries are taking the absolute piss and it's down right extortion of both individuals, and tax payers, money.

Not really. Most nurseries wouldn't have someone on the waiting list for that specific day and a half. It sucks but I doubt they'd be saying 'no' if they had someone ready to fill that small slot!

I'd disagree with you there. I know lots of parents who have children in say 3 days a week and wfh with them for 2 waiting on those days to become free.
Much more common now nurseries are over subscribed and WFH is more common.
You'd also expect them to try and give it to someone else wouldn't you? I know if I message to say my LO is sick, the nursery pings a message off and it's snapped up - often get messages thanking me later for my son being unwell so I don't think it's rare.