Scottish preschool childcare-HELP

[scotsliz]

HI

I am an exiled scot living in England but my OH has just had the oppportunity to relocate with work to Glasgow. I have just found out though that children start school up there much later(I did know but had forgotten after 7 years in England TBH) Anyway, my oldest will be 4 end of March and down here in England would be starting school in September full time. My youngest will be 3 in June and would receive either a school nursery place for 5 sessions per week(2 and a half hours per session) or if I choose, I can put him to private nursery and get ?108 per month off the bill.

I understand that my oldest will not start school in scotland until August 2008(birthday march 2003), so what happens to him between now and then especially if I go back to work part time when I go up there, do you still get this funding towards a nursery place?

What about the younger one? Will I be eligible for help with him next August?

Am a bit worried that we will be financially worse off by a good bit but i am sure i am worrying uneccessarily-Please help??

Liz

bump does anyone know ?

Hi scotliz, I am in Scotland with a dd who is 4 in December and currently attending funding pre school. For your eldest they would get funding for 12.5 hours per week, the actual hours depends on the school but for us it is 8.50 - 12 Mon - Thurs. For working mums, our school offer a wraparound service so you can drop them off earlier and pick them up later at a cost similar to a private nursery (about £13 for 4 hr session here). You are right in saying that ft school will start in 2008, the cut off is 28th Feb so anyone born 1 March 2002 to 28 Feb 2003 would go to school in 2007, after that you would go in 2008.
For younger one, you will get funding from the term after when he is 3, so this would be August. Funding is 12.5 hrs per week, not sure of amount this would subsidise private nursery though, as I think about is based on cost of school nursery, rather than hourly rate of private nursery if you see what I mean..For my dd's first set of preschool her hours were 12.50 - 3.00 Monday - Thurs and 9-11.30am on Friday. Again wraparound was there.
I work pt and use private nursery who pick up and drop off to and from local schools. My dd has been going there since she was 1 and knows it well so I decided to keep here there for the 'wraparound' time until she started school ft when she will go to school wraparound instead. Hope that helps..

Hi Liz
My ds has just started P1 and prior to that he was in a private nursery. Children are entitled to 5 sessions wherever they choose, and I paid a monthly standing order for the full amount to the nursery for the complete hours each week. About every 10 weeks or so, I would get a cheque back from the nursery for the amount of 'refund' for these sessions- approx £200 each time. Don't know how other nurseries work, but it was quite nice to get 'given' a cheque out the blue.

The normal was to go to the nursery attached to the primary school for one year at about4 years old then onto Primary1 when 5.

Now most places are providing nursery education from 3 years, so the have what is called an anti preschool year and then the pre school year before Primary 1.

At an education nursery the sessions will be mornings or afternoons only. Many private nurseries provide free nursery places funded by the local authorities and you can suppliment this and have longer hours.

This site has info on registering for nursery, and at what age to do it.

Thanks so much, anyone from the West Coast of Scotland , Glasgow or just outside?

Hi SL, I live on west coast, but commute to Glasgow 4 days per week. Both kids now at school, but used a Glasgow based nursery for both and was really pleased with the standard and the diversity. Can't really add anything more than other posters, but feel free to get in touch if there's anything specific about Glasgow or surroundings that you want to know. Good luck, it's a great place to live!