My 2-year-old started a private nursery in September. We were surprised to find an additional £20 per day in charges for extra services, including meals and snacks. The nursery’s website says full-day sessions include all meals and snacks, and its terms and conditions state that fees include them.
We queried whether we could opt out of these additional charges on Mondays and Tuesdays, when our son attends using funded hours. Throughout the email correspondence, we repeatedly stressed that we didn’t want him to go without food and offered to provide food from home if necessary. At one point, the manager suggested he could play while the other children ate if we opted out of tea.
The manager eventually agreed to waive certain charges and wrote: “We will continue to provide him with appropriate food and snacks.” We understood that the charges were being removed, not that he would stop receiving those meals and snacks.
However, we’ve now discovered that, for approximately three weeks, he has been receiving lunch and dessert but no morning snack, afternoon snack or tea on Mondays and Tuesdays, all whilst the other children eat. Instead, he has been given several large cups of milk. We had previously asked for clarification when a staff member mentioned there were no snacks in his bag, but received no response. We regularly asked whether he had eaten well and were reassured that he had.
On Wednesdays, when we pay the private fees, he receives all his usual meals and snacks. We were also told that while the other children ate, our son would sometimes go with a member of staff to do a job.
We accept there was some confusion about who would provide the food, and we have always been happy to bring it from home. However, we feel the arrangement was never made clear, particularly given the manager’s written reassurance.
Am I unreasonable to be concerned about this, particularly the difference between funded and privately paid days? Would you raise it with the council or Ofsted?