Can I send my DS to school in September if he is born in October?

[Colourworld]

He is going to be 4 in 2012, at the very beginning of October. I am thinking of sending him to a pre-school nursery but will he be able to start school the following year. I know kids do start when they are 4 years of age but he is born in October.

If he is 4 in Oct 2012, he will start school in Sept 2013.

If you are in England, the system is very inflexible.

No, he won't start in Reception until the following September, he will only be 3 on the 1st September so will have to wait! He can remain in the Nursery until then

Thank you for clarifying this to me. All right then, he goes in 2013. It is just the nurseries are so expensive. Thanks again!

Colourworld - you shouldn't be paying for him to go to nursery, he's entitled to five mornings or afternoons a week, or two full days and a half day, iyswim?

It's an advantage to him to be one of the oldest in the class

deemented, thanks. We are not entitled to benefits really although we pay and contribute but these are the rules and we have to stick to them.
Is being an older child really and advantage? My first DS is one of the oldest in the classroom and those kids who are one year younger are doing very well, look confident and do not cry. I would not mind staying at home but the life has become expensive with one working parent.

It doesn't matter if on benifits or not. All children are entitled to this from the term after their third birthday, reguardless of benifit status.

Colourworld, every 3 and 4 year old gets free places for 15 hours a week, it is not means tested.

My DS is 3 in August and his free 15 hours start in September, your DS will not get his until January 2012 (as he isn't 3 until October) but is definitely entitled to it. Nothing to do with benefits.

You need to be looking at and asking local nurseries and pre-schools.

Its not a benefits thing at all. All children are entitled to it and it should be claimed by the nursery and taken off your bill.

fivegomadindorset, as far as I know we are definitely entitled to pre-schools but not to free nursery classes. Well, I have not checked it for a few years but I am sure that we have to pay. Nurseries can charge up to £50.00 per full day that is a lot of money. For this I will need to find a cool job (I wish I could but I have not worked because of raising the family and employers these days kind of fussy towards mums with young kids). I will re-check the rules again. Thank you.

Most private nurseries around here take it off the bill but I think some say you have to use it during pre-school sessions (i.e. 5 mornings). My DS goes to a pre-school which is only 3 hours 5 x a week. He currently goes for 2 sessions which I pay for but from September it will be free.

So, once the child is three it is entitled to free 15 hours? So why there are nurseries who still charge up to £40-50/day? Does it depends on a nursery or the nursery and the age of the child?

"All children are entitled to this from the term after their third birthday, reguardless of benifit status"

is this true in the whole of the uk?

I worked in a kindergarten till recently, and regardless of whether it's a pre-school or nursery you are entitled to 15 free hours from next Jan.

Pre-schools will do set 9-12 or 12-3 hours and you will have to find a CM for the other hours. Nurseries will claim for the 1st 3h per day but you will have to pay the difference.

DF Yes, every child.

Ok, I get it. So If I find a job we will probably have to pay because DS is not three yet. Who knows when I am going to find it. DH does not understand how hard it is for the mothers to find a job after years of not working.
So, thanks again.

Every child receives funding for 15 hours, starting from the term after their 3rd birthday. So in your case it will be from the January after your DS turns 3.

Although, I do wonder if this will become means tested soon as part if government cutbacks.

No experience of nurseries as mine all go to preschool.

a few of the more expensive nurseries will be opting out of the system as the amout of money they get given is not enough for them to make it worthwhile.

but the majority of preschools and day nurseries offer the scheme.

the scheme applies to every child, but not to every nursery.

the scheme applies to every child, but not to every nursery.

Well, I will have to make a research on the other nurseries in our town.
Many thanks again dear parents!

Although it was quite a while ago for us (DDs 13 and 8), we used prvate nurseries. One was term time linked to a private prep school, one was the 8 to 6 childcare type.

In both cases the entitlement was deducted from the fees. At one time, DD2 was attending sessions at both of the above, and we had to elect which one to take the deduction on.

Four years ago, it was around a £400 per term deduction.

If you are claiming tax credits for childcare, you still declare the balance that you pay.

Another option for you is to look for an "accredited" childminder who offers the 15 free hours.

No, but if you think he's ready then he is eligible for free nursery care from this October. Depending on setting that might either be a discount (which often ends up a bit of a rip off-nurseries use the entitlement not the time there-for DS a day is 11.5 hours long) or an option for 5 timetabled sessions. There will be setting sin your area that offer this.

It is worth thinking about this now, because you need to put him on a waiting list soon. You can also then get on with thinking about how to use the time to give you the chance you need to work outside the home. Certainly you can begin to apply for jobs knowing your care arrangements, which is a big step forward form where you are now.