Pre school funding

[halfthesize]

I need some help please has anyone else experienced this.

I have a 4 year old DS who attends a pre-school for 4 sessions all funded by the government. They have said they are going to add on a Tuesday afternoon session, for the children starting school in September, however, we can not claim this session as the 5th session.

I have checked and all children are allowed 15hours free and mine currently does 12. I was happy to pay the extra £3 per week for the lunch club but not sure how they can say I can add on a Friday morning for free but not a Tuesday afternoon due to admin issues

Tried to contact local authority which now has to be done by email with a 3 day call back!!

[MajaBiene]

So they are allowing you to have 15 hours if you want then, but it has to be 5 mornings not 4 mornings and an afternoon?

That's quite normal. Lots of nurseries/pre-schools only allow all mornings or all afternoons, some allow 2.5 days etc. They can choose when they offer the hours so long as they offer 15 hours free.

[MerryMingeWhingesAgain]

The preschool can specify which sessions are available as NEG funded.

Some places are very flexible, so are less so. And they don't have to offer NEG funded places at all. So you can take the free Friday am, or pay for a Tuesday pm, it's your choice entirely.

[ilovepowerhoop]

the one dd went to did either 5 mornings or 5 afternoons, not a mix of the too.

[ilovepowerhoop]

two, not too!

[halfthesize]

thanks for your help, I have contacted the local authority just to check, as also in the paperwork it did not state we had to pay, it was just by luck one of the mums mentioned it, so I asked.

[insancerre]

You might not realise it but the " sessions all funded by the government." are probably being subsidised by the pre-school. The funding that the pre-school gets per hour is ridiculously small and doesn't cover the actual cost of the sessions.
Which is why lots of setttings are withdrawing from the scheme and more are limiting which sessions they offer as 'free'

[halfthesize]

THanks insancerre however our pre school do not subsidise anything, as I checked with them. In fact after speaking to the chair of the friends, it appears it is just they feel it would be too much work to offer the afternoon session as one that you can claim for. This was clarified by the lady who runs the pre school also.

As parents we pay an extra amount daily to cover the lunch club and would happily pay for the Tuesday if my son was already doing the 5 mornings. Oh well we have decided to leave the Tuesday afternoon and just continue with 4 mornings.
I love spending time with him and as my last want to do it as much as possible before he starts school in September.
Thanks again for the advice

[MIL8272]

Would anyone beable to help me a little:

I have a little boy who will be 3 on 9th March - he goes to a private nursery full time. I pay £660 per month.

When he is three the nursery have said that I will get the 2.5 hours per day back (in money)

Can anyone tell me what sort of amount this may be, based on £31 per day (hours are 8-6)

He will continue to go full time. It think they base it on term time of 38 weeks a year.

Thanks :-)

[insancerre]

where I work the hourly rate that the nursery recieves per child is about £3.50

[lougle]

You should get 15 hours per week free of charge. How much the provider charges is irrelevant. This can work to the provider's advantage or yours in terms of cash, but the money is irrelevant.

What it means is that if your child is at preschool 8-6 monday-friday, you should get 3 hours funded.

Why are they saying that you only get 2.5 hours per day back? I thought the entitlement was nationalised at 15 hours now?

[MIL8272]

Thanks very much - I will need to speak to them but I did think it was only 2.5 hours a day but it must be 3 hours per day :-)

[ilovepowerhoop]

are you in Scotland as we only get 2.5 hours funded per day