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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

Pre-school are saying I need to do 5 mornings because of nursery finding...can anyone help?

25 replies

Jujubean77 · 08/11/2009 08:57

DD started Kindergarden of an Independent School. She does 3 mornings and is settling with this really well. She turns 3 in Dec and I got a call from the bursar saying she will need to do 5 mornings now as she qualifies for funding. But we feel 5 mornings will be too much and want to wait a term before she does this.

Am I within my rights to stick to 3, and forgo the funding? It seems silly, I don't really care about funding I just want her happy and things to stay as they are for while ????

Thanks, any advice is appreciated

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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purepurple · 08/11/2009 09:04

Can you not accept the 5 mornings but not take her every day?
As far as I know, you don't have to use all the funding.
But, the admimistrators probably find it easier to do it that way.

Earthstar · 08/11/2009 09:04

You can try to negotiate but I suspect that you have no rights because you are dealing with the private sector and not the state sector

ABetaDad · 08/11/2009 09:11

Jujubean - she will be able to handle 5 mornings and is good practice for her.

When she is 5 yrs old she will be at school 5 full days per week. Our DSs went to nursery full time 5 days per week from age 1 and seemed much happier and more confident than DCs who were there part time. Their transition to school was smooth and easy.

The bursar obvioulsy wants the income and you only taking 3 days blocks the other two days as few parents just want a 2 day nursery cover. He/she prsumably has parents who would be willing to take the ful 5 days - hence his request you take up the other 5 days now you are eligible for the funding.

I would go for it. Your DD will suffer no harm and you will get the funding.

As purpurple says take the full 5 days and build her up to it.

Original poster

Jujubean77 · 08/11/2009 09:14

Thanks all - Ok well I will talk to them about it on Monday see what the options are. Yes maybe taking the 5 and not using them might be the resolution...

OP posts:

CarGirl · 08/11/2009 09:16

For them to claim the funding then your dd will need to attend on those 5 days most of the time. However you can get around this by taking her out on random different mornings (rather than every Tuesday or Thursday)

Private or not you are entitled to use as few or many sessions with them as you like so no they are breeching the early years policies/funding criteria by insisting that she attends 5. Personally I think 6 terms of of one pre-school is a long time and they can get bored of it especially when it is 5 mornings per week!

ChasingSquirrels · 08/11/2009 09:17

You can't necessarily just take the 5 days funding and not send her as the funding may be withdrawn if the child doesn't attend.

Personally I think 5 mornings is a lot for alot of just 3yo's.

I also think comparing full time day-care nursery to sessional pre-school is unhelpful. It is not the same thing at all.

Can you talk to the bursar further about why you don't want this, and the options.

hocuspontas · 08/11/2009 09:17

Stick to your guns. Before you know it she'll be at full time school and you'll regret that lost time. Tell the bursar the school can claim the 5-session funding but you will only be attending for 3. They can't argue with that surely?

hocuspontas · 08/11/2009 09:18

Oh - I see they can

ABetaDad · 08/11/2009 09:30

ChasingSquirrels/jujubean - the nursery I was talking about transitioned to a kindergarten 'lesson' style environment at age 3 so it was not just play.

Our DSs went to a very selective, intense Pre-Prep after nursery and it made the transition to that pace of learning much easier.

If the DD in this case is at that kind of independent school she wil find the transtion to ful school much easier. The DCs who did not go to full time nursery/kindergarten found going to Pre-Prep school very tiring while our DSs sailed through. Their school days were shorter and easier than their nursery.

DCs are much tougher and can learn a lot earlier than we think.

Original poster

Jujubean77 · 08/11/2009 09:35

I am really converned about this now - DD has really just settled and is such a nervous soul. She is the youngest in the whole kindergarden by a year, so just a baby really - I hope they will show a bit of understanding...

If they don't I will be really pissed off but that means a move for DD which she could not cope with...

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 08/11/2009 09:36

I also think that 5 mornings at this age is too much.
See what you can negotiate, I think they are being a bit pushy, but then I have no experience of independent pre-schools.

purepurple · 08/11/2009 09:49

I don't think that 5 mornings is too much actually.
DD did 5 afternoons at age 3 in a school nursery.
She also did 3 mornings at pre-school too ( I was running it, so she had no choice)
She did this for 2 years before she started school.

littleducks · 08/11/2009 09:58

How odd, its the state nurseries that insist on you taking 5 sessions a week around here, i have dd in a committee run preschool, she did 2 sessions a week, then three, now 4 and maybe 5 in jan (she currently does a full day) i waited each time till i felt she was ready to up the hours

Are her seeions free or a you paying a top up or anything?

Original poster

Jujubean77 · 08/11/2009 12:42

no I pay for her 3 sessions in full as she is not yet 3 - they are putting pressure on because she turns 3 in January.

It's so annoying - I don't give a toss about funding or whatever - I just want DD to be happy. It is only a matter of a term or so, which is why I hope they see my POV.

OP posts:

QandA · 08/11/2009 12:58

If she turns 3 in january, I don't think you are entitled to the funding until the term after they turn 3, so that would be after Easter?

Stick to what choice you would have made as a parent, regardless of being pushed in to it.

I think 5 mornings is a lot if you feel uncomfortable with it. I wouldn't do it, especially not be being pushed in to it.

QandA · 08/11/2009 12:59

This is a good website that clarifies when funding becomes available

here

MayorNaze · 08/11/2009 13:01

you don't have to use all the funding. dds nursery wanted to increase her 2 mornings to full days as the funding was there for it. i said no. end of. they can be v pushy though

IdrisTheDragon · 08/11/2009 13:04

If she is 3 in January then she isn't eligible for funding until after Easter.

Pre-schools do like people to take full advantage of the number of sessions they are entitled to but I don't think they should push you into it.

bamboostalks · 08/11/2009 13:17

You must judge when your dd is ready, do not allow a bursar to have control over your dd's education. He is financially motivated and knows little about education. The majority of children are not in nursery full time from the age of 1 and are happy, confident children who make smooth transitions into school. It may have been easier for ABetadad's dds as they have been institutionalised (do not mean this rudely)from a very young age and so accept rules and regulations with ease. That is not necessarily the best route for all children. They benefit from cosy home time and gradual introductions to full time education. What is this hideous rush to get our children into full time education? They will certainly be in school long enough.

Original poster

Jujubean77 · 08/11/2009 14:35

No she is 3 next month. Thank you all for your support. Will go in and ask for a meeting tomorrow. She has only recently started pre-school and I see no rush to "get her used to" a certain amount of hours in school. She is just managing on 3 mornings, is the youngest in the Kindergarden by almost a year!

I DO feel pressured here and it leaves a v bad taste in my mouth tbh....

OP posts:

cktwo · 08/11/2009 20:55

You can use as many or as little funding sessions as you like (or at least you can in my area).
If you want three, apply for three.

Helennn · 09/11/2009 12:13

I'm fairly sure that if you book your child in for say 5 sessions a week and keep taking your child out, (unless they are sick), then the setting is entitled to ask you to pay for the sessions missed.

This is because they can be asked for the funding back from the government, (fair enough, surely?)

Plonker · 09/11/2009 23:52

Speak to your LA.

As a private sector setting, obviously they can run their school as they see fit, as long as they are working within the guidelines set out by the LA.
People generally vote with their feet if they're not happy. Is this an option for you or will your child be going to this school when she starts full-time?

You cannot claim for 5 days and attend 3 - the LA will claim the money back from the setting. Stands to reason really, children can't be funded for time that they're not there.

FWIW I totally agree with you. You know your child best and if you don't feel that she's ready, then she's probably not ready. Not all children are the same

JesusChristOtterStar · 09/11/2009 23:55

that's bollocsks

bollocks even! nursery funding can be split

MumNWLondon · 10/11/2009 23:18

How long is each session for? If she's 3 and its only for 3 hours each mornong then 5 mornings will not be too much - you can take her in late a couple of days a week.

however its up to you and if you don't mind foregoing the funding then its your choice.

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