Nursery funding for 3 year olds in private nurseries?

**Tazdevil** · 05-03-2008, 10:39am

I understand that now she's 3 Kaede qualifies for 2.5 hours 'per day' of free nursery. Shame it can't be rolled up and stretched over her two days a week that she does but apparently not.

I've also been told that the nursery do this, the forms and everything.....

so what should my private nursery be doing as such? Does it happen automatically, do I need to nudge them (which obviously i will be doing) does it happen immediately or are they likely to turn around and say "we have to fill out forms and wait to get a response before you get a discount...."type thing?

I'm toying with the idea of pulling her out of her private nursery and getting her into a pre-school nursery etc....as I don't think the discount is really going to be of much benefit to me when she only goes 2 days a week?

Thanks

**Calamity** · 05-03-2008, 10:50am

At Lorna's nursery it was only going to work out to about £8 less a day so I'd still be paying £33 per day for her.

Luckily she doesn't go to private nursery any more and is in pre-school. We were awarded five afternoons free per week but due to work etc I had to reduce this to just 2 afternoons. I'm keeping her in nursery over the summer holidays and I only need to pay £6 per session so £12 per week which is fine by me and it keeps L in a routine.

**Samba** · 05-03-2008, 10:55am

You should definitely double check with the nursery that they sort it out for you

The funding starts the term after they are 3, so you'll get the funding after Easter.

If she is there 2 full days, then you can get 4 sessions out of that - 2 in the mornings, 2 in the afternoons.

**Tazdevil** · 05-03-2008, 11:16am

Thank you both

So she wouldn't be eligible then for any discount for her March fees as such but she would for her April fees as Easter falls into March this year doesn't it?

Also Samba....could she really qualify for 4 sessions going only two days a week? I thought the way it worked out was that she got 2.5 hours a day (which is practically nothing off my bill in all honesty) but would be much much better for me if it was two sessions in each day....is that possible then??? That could make at least some difference for me?

Calamity, I'm going along to two pre-school nurseries tomorrow to try and get her into one of them. Is this a relatively easy process as such, what information should I need to have with me? I assume as long as they have the places available it's straightforward???

Thank you guys sooooooooo much. I am so broke right now and exploring EVERY avenue.

**Calamity** · 05-03-2008, 12:28pm

All I had to take was her birth certificate Taz. The nursery I was trying to get Lorna into was very popular and there were more applications than places. So, her name along with the other applicants were put into a ballot and thankfully her name was picked out. If it hadn't been picked out then she would have been put in a ballot at the next nursery of my choice.

**applejack** · 05-03-2008, 12:30pm

Hi, I thought it was done per session, not per day, so you could use two of said sessions in one day (morning and afternoon).

AJ

**Samba** · 05-03-2008, 12:35pm

Yes that's how it works for me, I get the 5 session sout of a 3 day week.
The form I filled in (I had to do it myself) has options to tick am or pm sessions, so I put Tues & Wed am and pm, and Thurs am.

If you are workign out any calculations, just bear in mind that funding is term time only - so approx 33 weeks of the year, not 52 weeks, if you see what I mean.

Its really disappointing how much difference the funding makes

and yes, it would take effect from 1st April (assuming Mon 31st March is a holiday, being Easter Monday)

**Tazdevil** · 05-03-2008, 02:43pm

thanks for the information guys, really really helpful.

fingers crossed for me then please, I really really could do with her current nursery saying they will apply two sessions to each of her two days. Then the pressure would at least be off me for the moment to take her out altogether as that would save me enough to help me make it through at the moment. I can just scrape together March's fees if i pay no other debts to anyone this month and hold everyone else at bay.

**Samba** · 05-03-2008, 03:08pm

good luck Taz, let us know how it works out. They really should, you are entitled to it

**scatterbrain** · 05-03-2008, 03:16pm

You can take 4 paid session over 2 days (2 morings + 2 afternoons). The 2 1/2 hr paid session probably won't cover the full morning or full afternoon, though so you're likely to have to top it up a bit.

Your nursery should give you the form to apply for the funding. It's valid from the term after their 3rd birthday.

Scatterbrain