Are there any term-time only nurseries?

[yellowflowers]

I am prematurely thinking about nurseries (baby not due until Dec and will then take a year off). I am a university lecturer so have long holidays and would resent paying for a nursery in my holidays when I would prefer to do childcare myself - do all nurseries demand payment for 50 weeks of the year (the ones I have seen online all do this) or are some term time only? The university I teach at does not have a creche.

DS's old nursery would do a term time only contract for children of teachers, but they were the only one in the area. It can't hurt to contact the nurseries in your area and ask ...

Childminders are often more flexible - I know many who are happy to do a term-time only contract, especially if they have older children who are off school in the hols.

I don't know - but I am very of a lectureship that would enable you to have long holidays. I had a lectureship and resigned because 100+ hour weeks, 51 weeks per year, were not family friendly.

The nursery we're using (in York if you're interested) does. I guess its just a case of looking. Maybe put a note on your local site see if anyone can recommend a place? Or ask at the uni, you can't be the only one there with small child.

Thanks all. The uni is about an hour from my house and ideally we'll have childcare near my home so both me and dh can do drop off and pick up.

That sounds awful AlfredaMantolini - poor you. I have to teach two days a week (all day) and have some meetings on other days but I can do the research and admin from home most of the time and if I get it all done in tern time then in the holidays I just have to do marking.

Childminder with older kids a good idea - I guess I will start investigating properly once the baby gets here. Was just thinking about it because friends were discussing nurseries this weekend.

x

I hope it works out for you, yellowflowers. It was the research and admin that sank me - plus the culture of presenteeism (i.e. having to be "visible" at work from 9-5 even if not actually teaching at all that day...)

The nursery I work in does term time contracts as we have a lot of teacher parents. We are able to offer flexibility as we are a small independent nursery. A term time contract child is better than having an empty place.

My little girls current nursery lets me do term time only. We're moving house so are in the process of looking for nurseries. One of them has said that they ask teachers to bring their little ones in for at least two half days a week during the holidays. One day a week during the holidays is quite good - our little girl found it difficult to settle in after 6 weeks off last summer. A couple have said a flat out no to a school holiday deal.

Ask them if they'll do it before you visit them. Good luck.

Pootles, I'm looking for a term time only nursery in York. Would you mind telling me which one you use? Thanks!

There is a nursery very near me which is part of an independent school so only operates in term time.

The nursery we use for DS agreed to do just one day a week during school holidays. The nursery didn't mention it in any of their info, but DH just negotiated it with them when DS started.

It depends how full they are with how many empty spaces. The current recession is with you! A term time child is better than an empty space but if they feel they can fill all their spaces with full time children then they will turn you down. Term time might mena school holidays though which will be shorter than yours.