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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

15 free hours

11 replies

BridgeOfWhys · 24/05/2014 07:50

Can anyone help me get my head around this please.

I would like DS to go to the school preschool for his 15 hours which is 5 mornings a week. The school takes them all in September meaning, that as he is an October birthday, he would be starting a month short of his 4th birthday.

If the 15 hours start from I presume the January (term after his 3rd birthday) then he won't have any preschool from January to September.

My question being, can I put him in a private nursery for his 15 hours in January and then move him to the school preschool in September?

He will be very ready to do something by his 3rd birthday and it seems silly to wait until the following September if the funding is available!

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FlipFlopWaddle · 24/05/2014 07:56

It depends where you live. I'm in Wales, dd1 was 3 in the February and at the time her school only had 1 intake in September. (Now they have changed it so they run a second session a day for children turning 3 early in the year). The other 2 local schools were the same. There aren't any private nurseries in my area that accept children for the 15 free hours. She ended up starting at 3.5 and we had to continue paying for her private nursery.

I believe things are different in England though. Has your council got a children's information service? They'll be able to advise you.

MisForMumNotMaid · 24/05/2014 07:57

DDwas three in Jan, she started at nursery after Easter. She does her 15 hrs over three days as it gives me more time to do things and days with her too. I've decided not to send her to school in September and carry on like this.

I can't see why you can't change to school in September after doing nursery until then.

Original poster

BridgeOfWhys · 24/05/2014 08:16

Ok. Well I have a very local private nursery who I know takes 15 hours children but I'm not sure of their rules around this.

So I definitely could technically send him private in the January if there is something on offer and then transfer him? It occurred to me that I would need to put his name down early if going private first.

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BikeRunSki · 24/05/2014 08:23

I'm in England. Our private nursery provide the 15 hrs from the term after a child's third birthday. Children often then go on to one of the local pre-schools the following September; some stay on until they go to school either because they are likely to go to the school which does not have a pre-school (where DS now goes) or fro parents' convinience (as they'll combine the 15 hrs with privately paid for day care).

SO you technically could do what you've said, but you need to check out waiiting lists and get him on one! Nursery places for the 15 hours can be hard sought once the 15 hrs kicks in.

HSMMaCM · 24/05/2014 08:27

Would the school pre school take him the September just before he's three and let you pay for that term?

Original poster

BridgeOfWhys · 24/05/2014 08:28

Excellent. I just found the website for my local family services. Silly me thinking it would be attached to my council website.

From what I see as long as I can get a place there is no reason why I shouldn't start him in the January and then jump ship to school in the September.

I also learned about stretching the hours at a private nursery to cover the school holiday lack of funding. For example him doing 2 hours for 3 days and the spare hours covering the holidays. I will book a visit next week!

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Original poster

BridgeOfWhys · 24/05/2014 08:30

I don't think they would HSM. It is attached to the school and just does September intake for 3 year olds. There is no option to pay for anything.

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BackforGood · 25/05/2014 23:51

Seems like you've found your answer, but I too was going to say Yes! Of course you can. You can't chop and change mid-term, as the first Nursery will have already claimed for that school term, but there's no problem moving providers for the start of a new term.

Only some will do the 'stretching the hours to cover holiday' thing. It is Education funding and therefore only there for term times. I visit a lot of PVI nurseries that only have the funded children in for term time.

Original poster

BridgeOfWhys · 26/05/2014 13:19

Well I am a teacher so wouldn't want him there in the holidays. Perhaps I have misunderstood the stretching. Will the private nursery charge me for the holidays?

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BackforGood · 26/05/2014 15:43

Each PVI is it's own business, and can set it's own T&Cs, so it will depend, but generally, yes, if they are open 52 weeks and you are holding a place, then they would. Some will build a number of days for your holiday into that, and others will be happy to take term time only children - but it really is down to the individual nursery.
However, if your ds starts in January, and then leaves at the end of term in July, there will only be the Feb 1/2 term, the 2 weeks at Easter, and the May 1/2 term, so wouldn't be huge amounts if you did have to pay. You could even take him in for a day or 2 to get all the boring "stuff" done, and then do fun things with him on the other days.
Many of the Nurseries I visit have term time only places for funded dc though.

Original poster

BridgeOfWhys · 26/05/2014 20:39

Thank you for your help. I think I will go and chat to them this week. It seems so silly planning for January 2016 now!

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