Have I misunderstood nursery fees? Please help!

[Olivia789]

Dc turns 3 mid April, I emailed nursery as his invoice looks the exact same as it does every month when their price list says the cost drops by £2 a day age 3.
She's responded and told me this kicks in the term after his 3rd birthday which I get for the free hours will be September.
But I have read this that for April to Sept I will still be saving £2 a day / £10 a week /£40 per month! Have i misunderstood?
They're not responding to my emails since I sent this and not sure if im just being stupid.

I always thought it was the term after their birthday

Mine were 3 in the January and had free sessions from Easter.

It sounds like she has mixed up the free hours with a reduction in fees. I thought it coincided with which room they were in and how much supervision etc they needed.
Do you have a copy of the fees rather than how they charge them?

They probably mean the Funded hours don't kick into September.

It's the term after they turn 3, if he turns 3 mid April they will already be in the Easter term, so the free hours don't kick in until September

Hello! Not sure - I think there may be two money issues here. One being the free hours funding after turning 3 - which the nurse art has responded on. Two being from what you're saying they have a different daily rate for age 3+ (perhaps because the ratios are better from that age) and bills should be reduced to reflect the lower daily rate. Is that right? If so may just need to state that to the nursery who may just think you're talking about the free hours/ may not have understood? Do you have a schedule of the fees?

It’s the term after their third birthday:

www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds

I read that clause you’ve highlighted that they may invoice you differently but it doesn’t say anything about how much they will invoice you for.

The free hours as you say are the term after their 3rd birthday.
Dont forget you will need to apply via the .gov website yourself

I understand the funded hours is September, no query with that (been through it with my other dc at a different nursery).
This query is specifically relating to the reduction in daily fee at the age of 3 as per their prospectus. This is what I queried as I assumed he would get that as soon as he turned 3, 5 mo the before the funded hours will kick in. It's actually a difference of £2.50 per day (screenshot attached). Hes in the preschool room already so no change to staff levels I dont think?
Would you expect this cost reduction before Sept based on the 2 screenshots?

Screen shot isn't showing as working, hopefully is now!

I would read that as, because they average the funding over 51 weeks rather than termtime, if your dc turned 3 in say mid August they would apply the discounted fees then rather than only from September 1st. You could ask but unfortunately your dc misses the cut off.

Ah sorry disregard above. that is a different issue. Do they move group at 3 with different staff ratios? Yes I would expect the discount for sessions after 3rd bday.

Based on that I'd expect it to be £50 a day now he's three. With a further reduction when his funded hours kick in in September.

Okay thanks. So I am reading it right, £2.50 per day reduction and then funded hours in Sept.
She has told me the reduction won't come till the funded hours kicks in, but I definitely don't read it like that!
The fact shes gone quiet makes me wonder if I've opened a can of worms... my friend who's 3yo goes just confirmed her bill hasn't been reduced at all yet and he was 3 in Jan
Thanks for the advice

Our nursery was similar. DD turned 3 halfway through a term so didn’t get the funded hours til the next term. But the fees reduced from when she was actually 3 and in the older room (which = lower staff ratio = lower cost for the nursery). In my opinion you’ve definitely read it correctly

The fees say over 3 not once 3year funding is available. So you are right.
It sounds as if they have just been altering it when the funding kicks in which is not what the fees chart shows. They need to adjust the invoice or make it clear on the fees breakdown