Can anyway explain this to me?

[Okaynowimconfused]

I applied for my 3 year old to attend pre-school in September. They won't know until the summer how many places will be available. There is a big waiting list and it is a sought after pre-school. Because of this I added my youngest to the waiting list for next year when she too will be 3.

I've just had an email asking if I want my youngest to start pre-school in September this year instead (when she will be 2):

"In light of offering a place for DC2, we would also honour the same 2 sessions for DC1 in the 3yr old room, (ahead of the usual offer period for 3yr olds), so please confirm if this is the case and I can arrange for you to visit and meet..."

Are they saying if my 2yo starts pre-school this will guarantee a place for my 3yo? But if I don't want my 2yo to start this year then my we will just have to wait and see if my 3yo will get a place? Why?

Would you be paying for the 2 year old or would you qualify for a free place for them too? Sounds like they would be offering a space right now for the 3 year old if you went for the 2 year old space

No I would have to pay. Why would they only offer a place for my 3yo if I enrol my 2yo this year? That doesn't seem fair but I don't understand all this tbh.

They will make money out of it if you are paying for your 2 year old. Maybe that's why they are offering the space

Yes I thought that too. My mum thinks that perhaps they got confused and thought my youngest was on the waiting list for this year and are actually helping me out by offering my 3yo a place too plus the same sessions... but the money making seems more likely.

It sounds like they might be under subscribed for the 2 yr group and are trying to leverage the popularity of the 3 yr group to get you to pay for the 2 yr old too.

Clever from them.

Early years settings are chronically underfunded by the government to the extent that the amount of money given per pupil claiming their 15/30 hours or 24U funding doesn't go anywhere the costs of running the place.

They need the private funded 2 year places in order to keep the preschool open. So yes it is an incentive to get you to put your youngest child in but for a lot of places it's a case of make money anyway they can or close.