Why am I being charged for nursery funding gap in August? (Scotland)

[tudorqueenie]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone can shed a light on this for me please… note: I am in Scotland. Specifically: West Lothian council.

My child used to attend a private nursery 2.5 days a week, using all his funded hours. We did have to top up the half day to make it a “proper half day” as the funding didn’t cover the full 5.5 hours.

He is now doing a split placement with another nursery, again, using all the funded hours. So he will be doing one day only at his original nursery.

I received an invoice for almost £300 for August. I was told that his funding runs out on the 31st of July and restarts mid August.
But the funding is supposed to be for 50 weeks. I am not sure why we are losing these two weeks? If he was going to the public nursery (which is also 50 weeks) he would not be charged for the beginning of August.

does anyone have a helpful explanation for this? Many thanks!

Will he be going to nursery/keeping his place in the first two weeks of August? You are being charged for the 2 weeks that aren't covered by the 50 weeks funding and a full day must cost around £150 at the Private nursery. IIRC if you are on UC you can claim some of it back.

Can't help with why the council run nursery wouldn't apply the same policy, unless it is closed for the Christmas break.

I can't answer the nuances of your setting, but funding in England is delivered by hours and term time only. Though criteria is different, I assume that much is the same in Scotland.

Therefore settings can choose how many weeks they stretch is over, but you will still get the same total mumber of hours across the year regardless. They presumably close at Christmas at least? And bank holidays? If you have 52 weeks of funding you will have fewer hours per week so you haven't actually lost any funding.

50 weeks’ funding is to cover the whole year, except for the two weeks at Christmas. So why lose two weeks again in August? It is the same across all nurseries who accept council fundinf, whether they are council ran or private