Is it normal for private pre-school to choose not be OFSTED registered so we can't get any nursery funding

[Tapster]

Looked at pre-school today which has a pre-prep for girls up to age 7. I was really impressed by the pre-prep/reception classes but less impressed by the pre-school.

Is it odd that I can't receive any funding for the pre-school/nursery from age 3. They said that they didn't want to comply with OFSTED, but we are looking also at a Montessori school that also says that but go along with OFSTED to an extent so that the parents can get some funding. It is £300 less a term which is quite a lot off the fees.

May send DH off to see the school to ask more detailed questions as I was running around trying to make sure DD didn't get cause havoc.

Should I be wary or is this normal for private schools with a pre-school?

Yes it's odd. What is their problem with complying with Ofsted? All private pre-preps that I know of get early years funding for children in nursery and into Reception as well. They are costing their parents a fortune and there is not much in Ofsted requirements which is not just good sense / good practice anyway (IMHO).

My DCs are at a private school which is OFSTED'ed and we do get the nursery funding.

I do know the school think even the paperwork for the funding is a huge palaver (eg we had to go and re-submit Dd's passport for this term, because showing it last term and confirming her being exactly the same person this term is not enough: multiply that plus any other little gripes by the number of 3 and 4 year olds - they say it is very time consuming).

I could see therefore why some schools wouldn't do it if they didn't have to - particularly if it involves additional staff to monitor it.

There is a lot of discussion at the moment amongst heads because some new rules have just/are just coming in which are total bolleaux and several private pre-preps and nurseries are opting out of funding as a result.

I'm not sure of all the ins and outs but it is being discussed on the TES Early Years forums.

Being involved on the pre-school committee the NEG funding red tape is a complete nightmare and is going to become statuatory at some point. I can completely understand why they've opted out.

Also isn't there some new rule about top up fees which means if there charges are more per session or longer sessions that the rate stipulated, they could be out of pocket.

I'm not a great believer in rules and regs and not convinced OFSTED inspections are worth alot to be honest - would like the funding money though. But I suppose they fill up the nursery places so its not a problem for the school.

my dd is at a private nursery and gets funding

If they fill all the places without being OFSTED-registered then I can see why they wouldn't want the hassle. They (or the pre-prep bit, at least) are presumably already being inspected by the private schools inspectorate, meeting those standards and structuring paperwork in a way to keep them happy.

And some of the OFSTED requirements are a bit silly -- as one random example, and not even getting into the new Early Years framework malarkey, DS's nursery has had to put a big no smoking sign outside the front door. Has anyone ever smoked inside? No. Has anyone ever attempted to smoke inside? No. Is there any indication whatsoever that anyone has ever even considered smoking inside? No. And there are a number of other farly pointless signs that they've had to put up to please OFSTED.

Port, slightly off-topic, but when the ban on smoking in public places came in, my council spent MY money on sending a team of idiots into the local petrol station to tell them not to allow anyone to smoke. And insisted they put posters up!

Given that level of stupidity, schools really don't surprise me...

is it that they are not Ofsted registered or that they don't meet LEA criteria for funding , such as the minimum number of weeks in session ?

Very confused as I've checked they don't get funding but are inspected by OFSTED (therefore registered?), but they are not inspected by the Independent School Inspectorate. However, they are one of the feeder schools to a top girls school. All very odd. Got a good reputation though but I feel uncomfortable.

Ds1 and dd are at a private pre-prep which is OFSTED registered and inspected, but we do not get Early Years funding. The council claim it is because the school is selective and therefore we do not qualify. We did initially (ds1 was funded at first) but then they took it away. I think it stinks - the Early Years funding is supposed to be for EVERY 3 and 4 year old at registered nurseries and schools, that's what it says on the gov't website, but they have managed to weasle out of it. If I had the time or energy, I would pursue them about it.

and at that one, Wilbur. How can they possibly do that - there is no "you can't be selective" clause in EY funding, is there?!

I certainly can't find anything like that on the gov't info pages about the grant but I just don't have the time to try and find out anything further. It has been quite a financial blow and ds2 won't be going to the nursery at his sibling's school because of it , he will stay at the Montessori he is currently at which does have funding.

Our private nursery recently thought about opting out of OFSTED reg. because they were trying to get them to extend both their hours (to 4 hours, so that they would finish at 1 - this is for 2.5/3 yr olds, who by then would be asleep on their little desks or crying with hunger) and to extend the length of their terms (only just shorter than standard terms as it is).

I think they managed to negotiate themselves out of it, but only after a lot of hassle.

Receiving NEG funding is a seperate thing to being registered with Ofsted. Childminders are Ofsted registered and they can chose to offer NEG funded places if they wish.

as a childminder (who also works in the local pre-school!) I can not offer the funded places without first becoming an acreddicted childminder in a network and then I have to go through so much to get the funding , my dd is in pre-school and love the funding! she would be at home with me and the other children if it wasn't funded tbh

I thought all pre-schools had to be ofsted registered?

There are certain criteria that settings need to meet in order to qualify for funding.
Some settings choose to opt out of funding because they are not willing (or possibly unable??) to fulfil the criteria - a private school local to me has made this decision, not because they are unable, but simple because they were not willing.

It is not unusual.

what are those criteria? i thought even if they didn't receive funding they were still registered with ofsted.

My DCs school got funding for the preschool stuff too - so I guess that means they were compliant with the rules

ds's old school went from 3 years, they didn't accept the nursery vouchers because the head didn't want families using the school as a nursery and upseting the children by moving them when they were no longer entitled to the discount. The school was still registered and had been ofsteded. All schools have to be registered with a government body, ofsted or the department of education.

It varies from authority to authority NA, but basic rules are along the lines of: following the curriculum set out (EYFS atm), offering the minimum req of sessions, attending a certain no of days training, and such like ...

what are the minimum number of sessions

Again, this varies from authority to authority but are generally in-line with the school holidays (ie 5 x 2.5 hour sessions over 38 weeks)