Free 15hrs at nursery: 2.5yrs or 3yrs?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Just a quickie (ooh er...)

Do the free 15hrs at nursery start when a child is 2.5 or 3? A friend told me today it was 2.5. Yay! Can anyone shed any light on this?

Ta!

[Lochie]

am sure its 3??

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Preschooldevelopmentandlearning/NurseriesPlaygroupsReceptionClasses/DG_10016103

[Lochie]

your friend might have been confused and meant 3.5 e.g. if your child is April 1 birth then they are not eligible til 1 Sept after they have turned 3 (basically 3.5 years old then grrr)

[snowboarder]

Yep the term AFTER they are three. We have exactly the situation Lochie describes with a 6 April birthday. Tsk.

[Inkmaiden]

Sorry Ruth, I was misinformed!

I thought it was going to be for all children but the government plans to increase the funding for the most disadvantaged children and for those on low incomes from 2014.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/29/autumn-statement-free-nursery-education

[Saffron]

I had also heard from a friend that there was something for children from 2.5 years. When I looked into it, I think she was confusing the 15 free hours with child/working tax credit, which you can take earlier if eligible. If there really IS something for the 2.5 yos, I'd LOVE to know about it!!!

[Renata Hamvas]

Not free, but St Mary's pre-school, St Mary's Rd, Nunhead takes 2.5 year olds. I can't remember the exact rate but it is very reasonable for a 3 hour drop off (9.15-12.15).

Renata

[GinaG3]

Ah-ha. Thanks for this thread Ruth. I must sort out nursery this week, but southwark council website so confusing!!

So my daughters birthday is Feb 1, by my reckoning she can start nursery April 1 2012 this is 2 months after her 3rd birthday?! Im right, arent it wise mummies?

And, how do I find out who will take her on early years entitlement? FYI Im near Harvester, and I am also willing to volunteer anywhere that will take her (I'm scared for her to be under someone elses care without me, until I can trust them. Makes sense to me) I dont get it, its all really confusing.

I could ask a million and one questions about this literally need a step by step guide of what to do! My first parental stumbling block.

[number 2]

yes, she can start nursery the term after she's free for 15 hours a week which you can top up in private nurseries (and possibly council run ones too). you might struggle to get a place straight away at a good nursery - it took me a year for my son's name to come to the top of the nurseries i put his name down for.

[GinaG3]

Thanks - I know it may take a while, should of put name down earlier.

Does everywhere take the entitlement, or how do I find out who does vs who doesnt? How does it work? Just want her to go for the 15 hours she is entitled to for free, cant afford any top up fees at the moment, and dont want her in full time anyway, 15 hours is enough in my eyes at such a young age.

[Pickle]

Your best bet, if you want her to just go to nursery for the 15 hours, is to put her name down at school nurseries. You may have a chance of getting into the Goodrich nursery from where you are (I know quite a few kids in there are from the Lordship Lane estate, which must be close to you).

The good thing about school nursery is that you get a real feel for the nursery and staff by being there a bit before drop off time, and certainly at Goodrich it's easy to chat to staff after the session. You can also volunteer to help with class trips, help with reading etc etc.

The only hurdle will be that due to term times and when the new intakes happen, she probably won't be offered a school nursery place until September 2012, so it depends whether you want to wait that long.

P x

[duchessofdulwich]

Does anyone find that the 15 hours week is too much for their child? The nursery I am looking at stipulates that you have to sign up for the full hours 15 hours

[GinaG3]

Thanks Pickle. Im so new to all of this, but I feel more comfortable with a smaller adult to child ratio. I assume (as with everything..) that a school nursery would have more children, and less staff to deal with them. If you know what I mean. I'll definitely go and have a look around different types of nursery and see what my daughter thinks (she will more than likely talk about it a hell of a lot, as she is already), she is desperate to start school and has been asking for the last 6 months or so. I'd love her to go to montessori, but am unsure whether either of the two I can think of take children on free places. Is there a site other than southwark council and directgov that offer advice on nursery etc that isnt quite so confusing?

[snowboarder]

Gina my little boy (3 in april) goes to Buds - a preschool in the cricket club opposite the harvester. WOrth a look as so close to you? We really like it and on some days (mon/fri esp I think) it is much quieter than others. I don't know how they work out the 15hrs thing though - but morning sessions are 9-1 and they take a packed lunch.

We currently do 2 mornigs a week - with the odd extra morning occasionally. He loves it and would like to go more - just can't really afford it until the grant kicks in.

[Fuschia]

Not free but lots of adults to children and you could do one or two sessions Pw - magic moments cr?che in

The lordship lane estate

10-12 every day but weds

?10 per day

They don't take the nursery grant

But take children from

18m

Is very loving and nurturing

[buggie]

GinaG3 = there are regulations stipulating (very strictly) the ratio's needed of staff to children, so it wouldn't matter if it was a school nursery or private nursery that Mini-Gina was attending - there would still be the same ratio of staff to children and think it would be unlikely for either to offer a higher than recommended ratio (think it's something like 1:4 children 2-3yrs and 1:8 for 3-7yr olds).

[Pickle]

True Buggie. The school nursery that my daughter attends has 25 children in it, and four staff members (mixture of teachers and TA's), and I think this is standard.

I'm also a fan of Magic Moments creche, like Fuschia says it's a lovely nurturing environment. The only downside is that the grant doesn't apply, although most children leave to go on to school nurseries at around 3.5ish. My son went there until he was nearly 4 (started at 2.5), and daughter from 20 months until 3 years. They still talk about it all the time.

[GinaG3]

Would probably be looking at BUDS or Dulwich Village preschool as both are within walking distance to us. Where exactly is BUDS, I have actually never seen it, do you have to walk through the car park bit where the Christmas trees go up for sale. I assume both have long waiting lists?! And how many waiting list can you sit on?

[Fuschia]

When a qualified teacher is in charge the ratio is actually 1:13 for 3/4yos rather than 1:8

So many school

Nurseries will

Operate with fewer staff than private and voluntary settings

In a school there is back up to Hand from others with regard to management support etc, mind you

[Fuschia]

Gina, as many waiting lists as you like .. You may need to

Pay a small deposit

Admittance is usually

Via age and in some cases distance

[GinaG3]

Going to email two nurseries today about there admission processes and expected waiting times, also about early years entitlement. Thanks for all your help ladies. Much appreciated!!!

[Otta]

duchessofdulwich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Does anyone find that the 15 hours week is too

> much for their child? The nursery I am looking at

> stipulates that you have to sign up for the full

> hours 15 hours

Well if it's paid for anyway, then surely you can just pick them up early, or keep them out. As long as the nursery are getting their money, I doubt they really care if the kids are physically there to be honest.

[Bellenden Belle]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> duchessofdulwich Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Does anyone find that the 15 hours week is too

> > much for their child? The nursery I am looking

> at

> > stipulates that you have to sign up for the

> full

> > hours 15 hours

>

>

> Well if it's paid for anyway, then surely you can

> just pick them up early, or keep them out. As long

> as the nursery are getting their money, I doubt

> they really care if the kids are physically there

> to be honest.

I have friends who have tried this and nurseries don't encourage it. After all, they have to keep registers which are then presented to local authorities in order for them to get their funding - so absences are likely to have an impact on the money they receive. And besides it is taking up a free place of another child who might benefit.

[Otta]

Fair points. Guess it depends on the nursery. The one we had out daughter at for a while said you had to do at least 3 sessions a week, but they were actually quite flexible when we spoke to them.

[Fuschia]

Private nurseries may allow the 15h x 38 weeks to be stretched out, fewer hours but all year round