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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

Free 15hours for 3 yr old in Private Nursery

37 replies

MummytoLily · 17/01/2011 09:26

Hello,

I am sure this question has been asked many times before but I work full time and I am a single parent so my daughter is in a private nursery 3 days a week which I pay for.

My question is how does the free 15 hours Preschool childcare work? How do I claim it? How will affect my childcare fees I pay currently?

My daughter is happy in her nursery (she has been there since she was 6 months old)and can stay there until she is 5 so I dont see why I should upset her by changing her to a different preschool and then have to work out the logistics with childminders etc.

Lots of people must have to be faced with this all the time?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 09:32

I've just started DS1 (was 3 in October) in a private nursery for 2 days a week.

You and the nursery fill in a form (I'd ask them about it, they should have copies). My nursery then sent off the form and they get sent the 15 hours payment direct from government. So basically, the nursery charge me for DS1 time - 12.5 hours (as he is only in 2 days a week). Your DD is in 3 days, so you will get 15 hours deducted from your bill.

I'd speak to your nursery, I'm sure they will have all the paperwork.

HTH

GwendolineMaryLacey · 17/01/2011 09:34

I'm interested in this too. DD currently does 2 x 2.5 hours in a pre-school nursery and one day 8-6 in a day care nursery. I'm told that both qualify but have no idea how it would be split. I'm hoping they can tell me!

mjovertherainbow · 17/01/2011 09:41

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sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 10:38

gwendolinemarylacey - i think you can split it however you like, as long as both are part of the scheme.

mjovertherainbow - it is worth seeing other nurseries and childminders if you want to claim more. i'm very surprised you only got £6 and also that the other nursery isn't part of the scheme.

i am just taking ds out of childminders, to start nursery (in the transition at the moment) and i was also told i could take use the free hours (at the childminders rate of £4.50 per hour) with her though. she then claims direct back (i.e. just takes the hours off my bill and deals direct to claim the other hours. i would suggest you speak to other nurseries to find out where others stand. my understanding is that it is unusual to find a nursery who doesn't take part in the free hours.

sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 10:40

let me find the form ...

sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 10:43

you can claim up to 10 hours if child in 1 day. 12 and a half hours if child in 2 days. 15 hours if child in 3 days or more.

during term time only.

that is the hampshire one anyway. forms had to be in by 20th january, so it is worth sorting this out pronto. i needed to fill in one form per 'setting' (i.e. one nursery, one childminder).

i don't know if my understanding is just specific to hampshire county council, i would think not.

CuppaTeaJanice · 17/01/2011 10:45

I think you get a choice of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks (termtime) or 12 hours a week all year, so you have to work out which is best for you.

Some nurseries only offer 'free' sessions at certain times of the day, so you'll have to ask your nursery how they operate the scheme.

mjovertherainbow · 17/01/2011 10:45

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BornToFolk · 17/01/2011 10:48

DS has been in private day nursery for 3 days a week since he was 1 year old and has just started having his free 15 hours (it starts the term after they turn 3).

The nursery gave us a form to fill in and sign, and they just take the 15 hours off what we pay. It gets a bit complicated as we use childcare vouchers too and the amount we pay varies each month (the 15 hours are for termtime only) but it does make a significant difference to our childcare costs.

Talk to your nursery and find out what they do - it'll vary for different nurseries, and different Local Authorities.

sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 10:51

what a shame mj. can you try calling other nurseries, just to ask them what they offer? maybe the two you have seen might be in the minority (hoping!) how weird they don't get involved, as they can claim it back from the government. i guess if they are full anyway, they don't need to, as it is extra paperwork. hope you find somewhere.

our nursery do half day (4 hours) or full day (10 hours) sessions, so wouldn't be able to get 3 x 5 hour sessions anyway. but still, what a shame they don't do something more than nothing.

mjovertherainbow · 17/01/2011 10:55

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mjovertherainbow · 17/01/2011 10:57

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sheeplikessleep · 17/01/2011 11:03

good luck, hope you find somewhere. do you know other mums in the area? they might be able to say if they get the funding.

fingers crossed for you

Original poster

MummytoLily · 17/01/2011 11:15

Thanks for all the messages! I will chat to my nursery today and see what they suggest.
Fingers crossed they are in the scheme! :o)

OP posts:

kattyo · 20/01/2011 20:20

my kids do 18 hours a week - three short days - at a private nursery. The nursery grant, which the nursery applies for on our behalf, is deducted from the total owed. the nursery grant is worth something like 4.50 an hour. but our nursery calculates that their hourly overheads are 7.50. So the fifteen free hours is a subsidised rate where i pay 3.50 for fifteen hours instead of 7.50 for fifteen hours - which reduces the cost but certainly isn't the same as free.

kattyo · 20/01/2011 20:21

three for fifteen hours.
can't do maths since having children.
sorry!

HSMM · 20/01/2011 20:57

Kattyo - I think you'll find that the free 15 hours has to be a free 15 hours. They cannot top up the fee for these hours to their normal rate. They can only charge you for the other hours (which you do not have to take). This is a change to the rules for the funding that your nursery may not have implemented. They should only be billing you for your extra hours and your free 15 hours should not show on your bill at all any mroe.

HSMM · 20/01/2011 20:57

kattyo · 20/01/2011 23:02

i'm not sure i understand. can nursery schools refuse to take part? is the grant fixed at a particular per hour rate any more? when did the new rules come into place? thanks!

toomanyprojects · 20/01/2011 23:18

the 15 hours has to be free or else the nursery will not be allowed to claim from their County Council for the hours. They are not allowed to charge a "top up" fee. They can only charge you for extras outside of the 15 hours and this must be clear on the invoice.

If your child was registered with our Pre-School you would only be charged for the 3 hours.

Meglet · 20/01/2011 23:21

My DC's nursery gives DS his 15 free hours (which is a day and a half a week) but we get charged for meals on top of it as his free hours don't include meals.

It does cut down the cost a bit.

kattyo · 20/01/2011 23:34

oh i shall ask. they said something about only qualifying for 80 per cent of the grant (even though the children are going 18 hours a week each).

the kids must be being charged an additional 80 pounds a week each for the extra three hours - which seems odd as the day rate is 55 pounds. they do get a hot lunch.... but still...

it's all a bit beyond me.

they are not crooks though and i love the nursery so i'm reluctant to dig too deep. also the failure in undertanding is more likely to lie with me as they are a very competent team, and i do instinctively trust the lead teacher.

btw the bill does not reflect the free hours - it is a montly invoice (even though i am term time only) a standing order that does not do a break down in hours only in the two days.

kattyo · 20/01/2011 23:48

OK. I've checked the nursery docs. It just says if your child qualifies for the nursery education grant and attends at least 15 hours a week - the weekly fees will be reduced by fifty pounds (but the cost will still be 80 pounds a week for a three day, 18 hour week even with the deduction).

Could someone please direct me to the relevant document/website that shows that the nursery cannot charge for the initial fifteen hours...? It would help when I ask them to explain it all!

Thanks

HSMM · 21/01/2011 22:12

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Preschooldevelopmentandlearning/NurseriesPlaygroupsReceptionClasses/DG_10016103

HSMM · 21/01/2011 22:22

Can parents be charged any fee for the child?s Free Entitlement? No ? parents must not be charged any kind of ?top up? fee for any part of the free entitlement up to 15 hours per week ? it must be free at the point of delivery and providers should not levy any fee in respect of the Free Entitlement.

from this site www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/children/early_years_ext_FAQs.cfm

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