funding and top ups at nursery?

[cheapandchic]

I finally found a nursery that I like. It is private. They said they accept funding but that the government only pays 4 quid an hour so I have to top up and pay the rest of the fees which are 8 quid an hour.

so if she goes before she turns 3 years it is one price...but after three years it becomes half price but not free! I don't understand why doesn't she get 15 hours free??? So the only free places are at nursery attached to the state schools?

I dont think they are allowed to charge top ups as the 15 hours are supposed to be totally free.

They should not be charging top-ups at all. If a setting agrees to take the funding, then part of that contract says that they have to give 15 hours completely free. No top-ups, no charges for snack/uniform/lunch, nothing. If this place isn't doing that then talk to your council.

However, the funding tends to be much lower than the hourly rate at many preschools and so places try to claw back as much as they can in whatever way they feel they can get away with. You should be able to find somewhere that will do 15 properly free hours, but it might not be a private day nursery. Look at committee run preschools, school nurseries - also some childminders accept the free hours.

Nurseries that accept the Free Entitlement funding are not allowed to charge top-ups, and if they are telling you that they do - then speak to your local authority about it.

However, they are allowed to charge whatever hourly rate they like for any hours you use over the 15 free hours. How many hours a week are you planning on accessing? if it is just the 15 hours then it should be free from the term after the child turns 3 - except for an optional charge if you wish to pay for lunch.

But, if you want to attend over the 15 hours free entitlement, then the nursery can charge whatever hourly rate it likes - and as a private nursery it will be a higher charge, so whilst there will be a discount on your invoice it wont necessarily equate to 15 hours at their usual hourly rate.

Also the free places at 15 hours a week is term time funding, so if your child attends the nursery all year round, they may stretch it to 10 hours a week for the whole year.

Ask the nursery to send you a breakdown of the funding and what they will be charging you once you get the Free Entitlement, a condition of the grant is they must provide clear invoices, and if it mentions top-ups or similar, query it with your LA.

No I only wanted to go half days. I am happy to pay for an extra hour, but I do not want to pay for the 15.

I thought it wasn't right, but all the other parents agree to it without complaining??

I have the papers it says " The government provides funding of approximately 4.47 per hour for up to 15 hours per week, for all three year olds. This amount will be deducted from the overall fees. Our fees are calculated at 8.66 per hour, which includes extra-curricular costs. "

Is this illegal??

I would refer it to your local council as you shouldnt be paying extra if they are using the 15 hours over more than 3 days

I believe so, but the "which includes extra-curricular costs" bit might be their get out. There are some things that they are allowed to charge extra for, but from what I understood, the parent had to be able to opt out if they wished. You should be able to get 15 hours completely for free. I think what most places have done is just raise their hourly rate for the extra hours. Does it say what the extra-curricular stuff is?