Am I entitled to be just a tad miffed?

[car25]

Happy to be told no I'm not entitled to!

Had LOs name down for nursery on waiting list almost 2 years prior to start date, was not contacted automatically as stated on initial letter, had to contact them, they now cannot offer days I would have liked. I think they had forgotten about me, or is this how nurseries work, take name on waiting list, don't take notice of preferred days, only offer what's available (I can see this being the easiest way to deal with it). Does length of time on a waiting list actually give you first refusal of days in reality?

[cazzybabs]

our nursery it offers what it has on a first come 1st served but you may not get what you want.

[Moomin]

Trouble is with most nurseries/preschools they are in demand so much they can please themselves what they offer and it all revolves around what they've got rather than what you need. Is it a private nursery or one attached to a school?

[cazzybabs]

I guess if you wait then you will get the dates you want. But if they haven't got the space for the dates you want what else can they do? I think you may have to go elseehere if you are fixed with your days.

[car25]

Thanks for the replies, it is a private pre-school, not an all day childcare facility. I had hoped that they would have planned in advance, ie 10 children leaving to go to school, so these sessions available, choice of days as to position on waiting list, but in reality I can see how difficult and time consuming this would be for them.

What I can't understand is, what is the point in taking a registration fee and having a waiting list so far in advance, when in reality you just have to take what's given.

[Miriam2]

Our pre-school's policy is : they contact parents 1 or 2 terms before proposed start date. Order of pref is children with additional needs, siblings, staff children, siblings of children who've attended in last 4 years -then general admissions in order of when they've applied. Days available may not equate to days leavers have been doing as the older children then 'move up' as it were and increase the number of seesions they do.
It's terribly complicated with children doing anything from 1 to 5 sessions a week.
So if this is your first child, unfortunately even if you applied quite a while ago, you could be some way down the list

[redshoes]

Someone told me we can't do waiting list for our playgroup in order of people putting names down as it is discriminatory against refugees etc so against equal opportunities policy - true or not?

[Moomin]

I'd check with ofsted. More likely you need to keep 1 or 2 emergency places open/flexible (if at all) for people in those circumstances. Would imagine there would be much more of a hoohar generally if that were the standard arrangement as permanent residents might feel it was unfair

[MerlinsBeard]

there maybe people on the list who have 'signed up' before you who have taken up some of the 'slots' you want.

sorry for over use of ' in my post!

[geogteach]

You'd be suprised what influences the days you get, at ours if you start at under 3 years you would get offered 2 set sessions as we keep all under 3's together so we can cope with health and safety legislation about what access to toys they have marked suitable for over 3's.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[car25]

Thanks for all your input.

I would be very keen to be on committees/help out etc, but this nursery is privately owned, and doesn't feel very "community" minded.

I am only a bit miffed because none of this was explained when I paid the registration fee and put name on waiting list, nor has it been explained since, in fact it is proving difficult to get any information regarding availability out of the owner, messages not returned etc. So now I am having serious doubts and am looking elsewhere. In fact, if this had all been explained when I initially started looking, then I would have put my LOs name down for a few different nurseries. Maybe I was just naive.

To be honest at my last visit it didn't have the same feel as the first time (have since found out that at first visit new owners had only just taken over).

[pooka]

At dd's, say 10 children leave to go to school, the older children remaining are offered choice of dates from those sessions that have become available. Simply because they are the ones who will next be going off to school and therefore will probably want as many sessions as poss (i.e. full days or 5 mornings).
Any remaining sessions are then allocated in age order.
dd's name was down about 18 months before she started. When she was 2.5 she was offered 2 sessions (January). The following September I (only jsut) managed to increase to 3 sessions, but not really to my choice, just what was spare as she was only just 3. Now in January she will be doing 1 full day and 2 mornings, because she will only then have the September intake to increase sessions before she starts in Sept 08.