Questions regarding nursery place at local school

[busymum]

We were recently offered a nursery place at a local state school for our 3 year old. Could anyone tell me if children have to go 5 days a week or could I ask for just 2 sessions (6 hours) ?

Also does anyone know if you have to use your free 15 hours at a school nursery place or could I choose to split it between a school nursery (6 hours) and put the rest towards a day at a full time nursery maybe? I realise that at most privately run nurseries the 15 free hours free isn't actually free at all, just a slight reduction in fees each month and only during term time. Does anyone know why? High hourly rate maybe?

cheers

[Fuschia]

In theory you can split it, but few schools will be that flexible. You could take the 5 days and just use 2. They wouldn't like it but they'd get paid for the 5 days place.

[kristymac1]

Hiya,

If you were able to split the hours between school and private nursery - you wouldn't be able to split the free 15 hours allowance between the 2 - that's because you'd be taking up a full 15 hours allocation at the school nursery (whether you use it or not).

I really don't want to sound too critical but I think it would be pretty unfair on others who haven't been able to secure a 5 session place at a school nursery if it was possible for others to take up those places but not make full use of them. There's a distinct shortage of nursery places in this area, and to take up more places than you can possibly use seems a bit selfish - that's a general comment, not directed at you busymum as I don't think that's what you're suggesting.

Good luck, however it works out x

[Claire29]

When I was offered a place for my son at the school nursery I asked if I could just send him a couple of sessions and was told no straight away! I took him out of the private nursery he had been going mid term to start the school nursery and it was the best decision I made. If it's the nursery that is attached to the school that he/she will be going I would def take the place as it really helps them settle, by time he started reception he knew the building/uniform etc and it wasn't a big deal starting school.

[Pickle]

We've just (reluctantly) had to turn down an afternoon nursery place as my son still sleeps after lunch and is showing no sign of giving it up. I spoke to the deputy head at the school involved (Goodrich) about the possibility of him coming a few days a week at first and easing into it that way but she was adament that they must attend 5 days - which I fully accept and have no problem passing my place to someone who can use it properly.

Now we have our fingers crossed that a morning place comes free for us!

[damzel]

I hope you don't mind if I dip in quickly with a related question - do you have to put your name down at your prefered school for these government paid places? My daughter will be 3 next Feb and my CM has suggested that I should be ringing around.

[Fuschia]

damzel Wrote:

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> I hope you don't mind if I dip in quickly with a

> related question - do you have to put your name

> down at your prefered school for these government

> paid places? My daughter will be 3 next Feb and

> my CM has suggested that I should be ringing

> around.

yes, do it now

[damzel]

Oh! I looked at the Southwark site and it was devoid of any useful info regarding applying for nursery places. Will get on the phone tomorrow!

[Moi23]

Just put my boy on the waiting list for Goodrich which is already full up in september. Nightmare!

[nunheadmum]

Busymum - I'd check with the school re doing less than 5 days. When I asked at my local school, THEY suggested taking the 5 day nursery place and only using 2 half-days. In the end I've decided not to as it seems like a waste and I'm sure others could use the place (& other reasons too). But if the nursery is undersubscibed and you don't mind losing the grant money from your private nursery fees (which would probably go up as the school nursery takes the full grant even though you don't use all 5 days), then it may be worth asking if you're outside the ED school hot-spot area.

[Fuschia]

Moi23 Wrote:

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> Just put my boy on the waiting list for Goodrich

> which is already full up in september. Nightmare!

You need to apply a long time in advance...

[ludoscotts]

hi with regards to "I realise that at most privately run nurseries the 15 free hours free isn't actually free at all, just a slight reduction in fees each month and only during term time. Does anyone know why? High hourly rate maybe? "

with private nurseries they basically get something like ?395 per term from the govenment (the equivalent of what the schools get for the 15hours) because private nurseries are longer days all year round etc they cant offer you 15 hours free as the hourly cost is much much more so they just work out the equal amount and knock that off your yearly bill.

does that make sense?

[Fuschia]

ludoscotts Wrote:

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> hi with regards to "I realise that at most

> privately run nurseries the 15 free hours free

> isn't actually free at all, just a slight

> reduction in fees each month and only during term

> time. Does anyone know why? High hourly rate

> maybe? "

>

> with private nurseries they basically get

> something like ?395 per term from the govenment

> (the equivalent of what the schools get for the

> 15hours) because private nurseries are longer days

> all year round etc they cant offer you 15 hours

> free as the hourly cost is much much more so they

> just work out the equal amount and knock that off

> your yearly bill.

>

> does that make sense?

I don't think that's legal, currently.

I thought that the 15 hours entitlement must be offered free at the point of delivery. Parents must not be charged for this but can be charged for early education and childcare over and above their 15 hours entitlement.

[Fuschia]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/26/nursery-provision-conservatives-tactical-voting

[EmmaCC]

This may be a silly question but do all state schools have nursery places for 3 year olds? If not then is anyone able to give me an idea of which ones do? We're about to move to a different part of east dulwich/forest hill or honor oak and have schools in mind but now think we should also take this into account too?

[Fuschia]

EmmaCC Wrote:

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> This may be a silly question but do all state

> schools have nursery places for 3 year olds? If

> not then is anyone able to give me an idea of

> which ones do? We're about to move to a different

> part of east dulwich/forest hill or honor oak and

> have schools in mind but now think we should also

> take this into account too?

Most do

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200172/school_admissions/1209/nursery_and_primary_school_admissions

[The Nappy Lady]

My understanding on nursery places is;

- You apply at the school, not to Southwark

- You should go and apply when the child is 2

- Places are allocated according to date of birth, distance from school, siblings etc and when you put your name down is not relevant.

- They try to allocate so there is an equal number (more or less) of boys to girls

Maybe it is different for some schools though?

Molly

[ludoscotts]

fushia wrote I don't think that's legal, currently.

I thought that the 15 hours entitlement must be offered free at the point of delivery. Parents must not be charged for this but can be charged for early education and childcare over and above their 15 hours entitlement.

hi the way it was explained to us is that because private nurseries charge fees the government cant pay 15 hours of private fees so they work out what the school based equivalent would cost and then this amount is paid to the nursery and the parents make up the rest.

might be wrong but thats how it was explained to us when we went to look around a montessori nursery.

[Fuschia]

ls, that isn't currently legal. they must provide 15h free, though some insist you take and pay for extra hours. the tories are going to allow them to charge top up fees

[Fuschia]

ode of practice:

Local authorities should ensure that providers which they fund to deliver the free entitlement do not impose on parents conditions of access to which they must agree in order to take-up their free hours, i.e., parents must not be obligated to purchase additional hours or pay lunch time charges in order to secure free provision.

o No fees charged for free hours. Local authorities must also ensure that providers are not charging ?top up? fees (the difference between what a provider would normally charge and the funding they receive from the local authority to deliver the free entitlement) in relation to any free hours and should take immediate action where this practice is identified. Local authorities should also ensure no other fees are being charged in relation to the free entitlement, for example for registration or uniform. If the practice continues local authorities should consider removing the provider from the Directory of Providers delivering the free entitlement and withdraw free entitlement funding

Your nursery is very naughty, LS

[busymum]

It doesn't sound as though the school nursery place is going to work for us so hopefully it will benefit someone else, it is in SE22 (not Goodridge though)

Seems many schools are quite inflexible about sharing (a bit like my employer, and my kids!) it would have been nice to use it and to get my eldest used to a school environment even if they didn't end up at that school (and save some money) but it would mean that our eldest child would need to go to a childminder in order to be dropped off and picked up from nursery, remain with that childminder all afternoon without younger sibbling, whilst my youngest went to a privately run nursery on her own. We would not want our youngest child to miss out on her nursery experience as they love it and is thriving there, now that she's used to socialising in a nursery i woulodn't want her with childminder or nanny the who time, part of the week would be perfect.

It would also be quite a challenge dropping 2 children off in different locations before 8am, i'm sure lots of parents do do it? but I think we would struggle and I'm not sure I can see any point separating sibblings whilst they are still so young. It is a shame there is not more flexibility in the system whereby you could share a school place.

The privately run nursery I'm referring to currently charges me ?383 pm for 2 days per week (this is there over 3's rate, more for under 3's) I was told that it goes down by c. ?120 pm in September, the term after 3rd birthday. That's still ?263 for 20 hours at nursery each week. If I'm supposed to be getting 15 of those hours for free then I am paying over ?60 pw for 5 hours nursery pw. They do get meals, maybe that's why.

Whilst I've been mulling this one over I remembered there is 1 school nursery that has full day facilities. Rye Oak has a children's centre and is run like a normal day nursery 8-6pm I believe. Does anyone have kids at Rye Oak? How would that work with the over 3's places? would we be able to use our free hours towards 2 full days or are these free hours only for half day sessions? Perhaps there are other school nurseries in SE22 or SE15 that have full day nurseries attached to the school? Bessemer Grange?

It is all very complicated

[katgod]

All the private nurseries I have used have just given a discount on the fees for grant. No 'free' time at all. The amount the government pays is so much less than market rates that it doesn't work any other way. At one nursery we could either have the grant deducted from our bill on the month the nursery received it from Southwark or have it as a cash refund. Current nursery just deducts it from monthly bill. I pay for 15 hours of nursery time per week and pay over 100 per month even with the 'free' element.

[Fuschia]

katgod Wrote:

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> All the private nurseries I have used have just

> given a discount on the fees for grant. No 'free'

> time at all. The amount the government pays is so

> much less than market rates that it doesn't work

> any other way. At one nursery we could either have

> the grant deducted from our bill on the month the

> nursery received it from Southwark or have it as a

> cash refund. Current nursery just deducts it from

> monthly bill. I pay for 15 hours of nursery time

> per week and pay over 100 per month even with the

> 'free' element.

They've all bee blatantly flouting the law then!

[damzel]

I've put my daughters name down for a nursery place at Heber and Goodwich today as they are my nearest schools. Both recommended applying at many schools however as places were so limited. I'm a bit stuck now as my CM (who would be doing the drop off and pick up), lives at the Goose Green end of ED so applying for any of the other schools near me would be no good for her. Goodwich is pushing it.

Being that distance is important to the schools decision (after siblings and special needs) is there any point me applying at St Johns and Goose Green considering their distance from me?

[chantelle]

does St. John's even do nursery? I think not.

The five days a week thing puts me off too, since we would like to keep our nanny full-time. Is it a big deal if they go straight into reception?