School nursery not using paid for hours

Mumtoar · 2025-10-16T13:56:59+00:00

Hello all.. my son is in nursery that’s attached to a school, I get 30hrs funded and he’s there full time so I pay for the additional 5 hours a week. I’ve paid for this back in the summer and so far he hasn’t stayed any later than 1pm. He’s on a slow settling period, and by the plan he will start his full days towards the end of the first term. Has anyone had this? Did the hours you paid for carry over? I’m paying over £500 for the term and i feel as though it’s a lot of money to have not been used. Any idea? Thanks in advance

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Jellybunny56 · 16/10/2025 15:02

Why is he building up so slowly with the settling sessions?

You usually pay for the days or half days rather than by the actual hour, so if a day is 9am-3pm and a half day is 9am-12 or 12-3pm it doesn’t matter that he’s leaving at 1, you’d still have to pay for the full day as another child isn’t going to turn up to do 1pm-3.

AwkwardPaws27 · 16/10/2025 15:10

You'd need to ask the school, but if you've essentially booked for those hours then presumably staff ratios etc have been planned to include him.
You could ask if you could only book for the free hours for the remainder of the term, give the reduced timetable, but it depends when they are allocated (at my sons school the paid hour is at lunchtime for example so wouldn't be possible in your scenario where he is staying till 1pm).

21ZIGGY · 16/10/2025 19:18

Why don't you ask the nursery?

ToKittyornottoKitty · 16/10/2025 19:23

Why is he on a slow settling period? What have they said about it all?

Welshmonster · 16/10/2025 19:29

You need to ask the school to explain as never heard of school charging for additional hours but if you haven’t got them then ask for a refund or money to carry over. Unless they have taken account of the settling in period and made it equal payments over the year rather than changing amounts.

this is a long settling in time as well

RafaistheKingofClay · 16/10/2025 19:35

Whose idea was a settling period that slow? The problem might be that the funded hours fall between two specific time slots I.e. a morning and afternoon session and the 5 hrs is wrap around care between the two sessions. Which you are using if you finishing part way into the afternoon session.
But also, if you’ve chosen not to use the hours rather than the nursery that choice is yours if you asked for 35hrs. Those 35hrs are available to you, you’ve chosen not to use them. Asking for the money back may mean that the place isn’t held open for when you do want it towards the end of term.

Bearbookagainandagain · 16/10/2025 20:01

That's ridiculous! Is he doing his full 30h at least?
Our private nursery had a 3 days settling period (1h, 2h, full morning) - those 3 sessions were free.
Now we moved to a council nursery, and they did a week of progressive settling.

A full term is a scam!

Original poster

Mumtoar · 16/10/2025 21:37

Bearbookagainandagain · 16/10/2025 20:01

That's ridiculous! Is he doing his full 30h at least?
Our private nursery had a 3 days settling period (1h, 2h, full morning) - those 3 sessions were free.
Now we moved to a council nursery, and they did a week of progressive settling.

A full term is a scam!

Edited

no, he’s currently 8:30-1pm and next week they want to try 8:30-1:30 etc increasing 30 minute intervals. This has been since the beginning of sept

OP posts:

Original poster

Mumtoar · 16/10/2025 21:39

RafaistheKingofClay · 16/10/2025 19:35

Whose idea was a settling period that slow? The problem might be that the funded hours fall between two specific time slots I.e. a morning and afternoon session and the 5 hrs is wrap around care between the two sessions. Which you are using if you finishing part way into the afternoon session.
But also, if you’ve chosen not to use the hours rather than the nursery that choice is yours if you asked for 35hrs. Those 35hrs are available to you, you’ve chosen not to use them. Asking for the money back may mean that the place isn’t held open for when you do want it towards the end of term.

Theirs. He has a hard time getting the hang of their expectations so they’re increasing a half hour per week.
as its school nursery they do am sessions 8:30-11:30 pm sessions are 12:30-3:30 and a handful are all dayers 8:30-3:30 which is what I opted for. However they’ve decided he needs even longer to settle

OP posts:

MCF86 · 16/10/2025 21:42

lunch time is the paid time. They've obviously made sure to have him there for that! So it's funded hours he's not using.

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 16/10/2025 21:54

Can you pick him up at 11.30 or do you need to work ? As you’re not really working anyway. This feels really unfair that they’re charging you. Also I don’t think that they are allowed to charge you for lunchtime childcare on the full
timw hours

Original poster

Mumtoar · 16/10/2025 21:59

Welshmonster · 16/10/2025 19:29

You need to ask the school to explain as never heard of school charging for additional hours but if you haven’t got them then ask for a refund or money to carry over. Unless they have taken account of the settling in period and made it equal payments over the year rather than changing amounts.

this is a long settling in time as well

they just charge £8 per day. The initial settling in period was done over the first week but his has been 6 or 7 weeks now. I’ll talk to them, I just wanted to see if anyone else had experienced similar

OP posts:

Luxio · 16/10/2025 22:00

My only question would be do you think he needs the super extended settling in sessions?

Forget the money and the missing hours for a minute and ask yourself if this is actually benefitting him? If not I would say that after half term he is going full time and do just that.

Prolonged settling in sessions don't in my experience help the child as they don't get used to the routine of the day and the constantly changing expectations make the whole process more likely to lead to anxious unsettled children.

Original poster

Mumtoar · 16/10/2025 22:16

Luxio · 16/10/2025 22:00

My only question would be do you think he needs the super extended settling in sessions?

Forget the money and the missing hours for a minute and ask yourself if this is actually benefitting him? If not I would say that after half term he is going full time and do just that.

Prolonged settling in sessions don't in my experience help the child as they don't get used to the routine of the day and the constantly changing expectations make the whole process more likely to lead to anxious unsettled children.

Honestly, I’m really not sure. I get where they’re coming from easing in slowly but also think this is way too slow. My worry is that he gets comfortable and then there’s continuous change like you say. He’s happy to go, they say he’s doing really well he just gives a bit of “push back” with new routine until he gets it. It’s his first setting and he is stubborn to say the least but I just didn’t think it would be like this

OP posts:

WantAnOrange · 17/10/2025 08:49

You are paying for the time slot because it's his. They can't reserve it for you for free.

There's always a bit of a complicated conflict in childcare, in that it is both a business transaction, and costumer's expect certain things for their money (quite rightly) as well as being a care role, with an ethical responsibility to the child and their well-being. So what do we prioritise? Our business obligation to provide a very specific service or our ethical obligation to meet the individual needs of the child, even if they appear in conflict?

And then you add on all of the other complications such as different approaches to supporting the child, how this effects the other children in the group, knowing that parents have to go to work and actually need the childcare....it's a lot to manage and there's going to be some hurdles. Childcare providers don't have all the answers but in 20 years of working I've never worked with anyone who didn't want to figure it out so that the child and parents felt happy.

You can't keep paying for childcare that you can't properly access, so I'd advise that you suggest he goes in for all of his hours for the next two weeks and then have a frank conversation about whether this is the right setting for him and consider moving him if it's not working out.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 17/10/2025 08:53

I think I would just inform them that you think he's had long enough to settle in and from next week you will be picking him up at 3:30 as per your contract.

welshmercury · 17/10/2025 11:23

Are other kids in all day???

I think the school need to be careful what they are charging for.

purser25 · 17/10/2025 13:06

As far as I know all school nurseries charge for the lunch hour as sessions are always 3 hours long. Are there any special needs?

Bitzee · 17/10/2025 13:27

He has to pay for the whole day because they’re holding the slot for him and they can’t give the hours to another kid. Same as if you were on holiday or off sick. Their settling plan is ridiculously drawn out though and I wouldn’t be happy either at paying for all those unused hours. Do you work? If not I’d probably just say he does mornings only from now on and that’s that. If you do and you really need him there FT then I’d just inform them that from next week he’ll be doing the hours you’re paying for and if it doesn’t work out then accept this probably isn’t the best setting for him.

BuffaloCauliflower · 17/10/2025 14:23

So you’re paying for the whole day because you’re asking them to keep the whole day for your son and not fill the slot with another child.

But this is a ridiculous settling in period when there doesn’t seem to be an actual issue, and probably more confusing than just getting in and working with the standard expectations. I’d say from next week he’s in full days and just go for it.

TheNightingalesStarling · 17/10/2025 14:30

Dies it include lunch? Hell still be there for that.
(Technically they can't charge for a session in the middle if the day, but they can for food in that period.)

CausalInference · 17/10/2025 19:16

My children went from never being left with anyone other than grandparents to full-time school nursery with very little settling in. They did 1 x 2 hour with a parent there the term before they started, then the same without a parent there the week after. First day in September was a half day, 2nd day full-time normal. It is a bit of a shock for them but many parents us included both work, a staggered start would have been a nightmare over weeks or months, how does that even work? You'll be charged for the hours you have booked whether you use them or not, another child can't be booked in their place so you have to fund them. I'd have asked for full-time to start second week, I wouldn't be having the faff and paying money when we can't use the hours. Sounds like they are making life easier for themselves limiting numbers but still getting funding/payment like they have all children in.

CausalInference · 17/10/2025 19:21

TheNightingalesStarling · 17/10/2025 14:30

Dies it include lunch? Hell still be there for that.
(Technically they can't charge for a session in the middle if the day, but they can for food in that period.)

Our school charges for the 30min lunch session, you aren't allowed to use free hours for it, it was £2.50 a day, this wasn't payment for food. It was to cover the 30min unfunded between the morning and afternoon session (when the staff have lunch).