PDA

View Full Version : What are rules/etc abour nursery spaces for 3 year olds?



Helcatt
29-04-2011, 07:40 PM
My little girl turns 3 in October (16th)

We had previously been led to believe she would get a place in the nursery from January (the term after her 3rd birthday)

The school is now changing its intake policy so that there will only be one intake in sept from now on.

Does this mean that she will have to wait until the following Sept? Or is there a chance she can get a place sooner as her birthday is so early in the year?

Do you know the official cut off dates? I have it in my head that they are entitled to 5 terms of free nursery care before starting in to reception. Is this right? Any ideas where I got this from?

I am just trying to work out if we have a good chance of getting her in on appeal for this september.

She is a bright little thing and I feel that she will need the extra stimulation that being with others of a similar age can provide. She does have one lad who is 6 months older with her now but he starts nursery in sept, no problems, and then the rest of the time, she will mostly be with babies as the older children we see a playgroups are also heading off to nursery settings

Thanks for any advice

HX

snufflepuff
29-04-2011, 07:49 PM
I was under the impression that children are entitled to the free nursery place (15 hours) from the term after they turn three. So your daughter would be January, my son is a February birthday so he gets his space from the following April. All the pre-schools/ nurseries etc in my area work like this, and childminders who offer the funded hours work in the same way too.
School admissions are different and many/ most now only do a September intake- the September after the child turns 4.
Unless maybe it varies between settings? So some nurseries/ pre-schools that are attatched to schools only do Septmeber intakes? I'm not sure. Are you in England?

muffins
29-04-2011, 07:50 PM
They get 15hrs free from the 1st term after 3rd birthday, so if she started before you'd have to pay.

Not sure on nurseries intake policy because all are different, you will have to ask them! Around here all the nurseries let you start when you like so long as they have space!

TammyN
29-04-2011, 08:02 PM
As stated already it is 15hrs for the term after their 3rd birthday so you are due to start her in Jan. nurseries as far as im aware don't do just 1 intake, they tend to do sept, jan and april to coincide with when they complete the grant form, too complictated to take a child inbetween terms apparently??? The cut off dates you asked for are as far as i know 31st Aug, 31 dec, 31 march.

Schools in my area take in Sept only for children turning 4 before August that year, my daughter born April 2007 is starting in September this year, her friend born nov 2006 will be starting with her, such a difference in age and ability it scares me, i wish they would do a Jan intake

Hope you get your place sorted

Tammy xx

Mouse
29-04-2011, 09:12 PM
School nurseries don't tend to have a process of appeal as you apply directly to the school, not to the local authority. And although your daughter will be entitled to 15 hours free funding from the term after her third birthday, the school nursery doesn't have to provide it for that long. You could send her to a playgroup or private nursery until the school nursery has the place for her.

Our school nursery now only does one intake in Sept. If there are spaces available in January, they will offer them to children who have birthdays between Sept & Jan, but they'll never take children before their third birthday.
If your nursery only has the Sept intake, your daughter would normally be offered a place for the Sept following her 3rd birthday, but they may be able to let her go earlier if they have the space. I'd phone them and check how often that happens.

pinkbutterfly
29-04-2011, 11:06 PM
I think it depends on the area and the nursery. My daughter turned 3 in March and she was able to start school nursery the week after her third birthday. This particular school nursery has intake all year round however I was offered the opportunity to delay the start of nursery until the new term. This place is free so I assume the school is able to claim funding and doesn't just do it for free. I would not be able to put her in another nursery free of charge this early .

flowerpots
30-04-2011, 06:45 AM
School nurseries don't tend to have a process of appeal as you apply directly to the school, not to the local authority. And although your daughter will be entitled to 15 hours free funding from the term after her third birthday, the school nursery doesn't have to provide it for that long. You could send her to a playgroup or private nursery until the school nursery has the place for her.

Our school nursery now only does one intake in Sept. If there are spaces available in January, they will offer them to children who have birthdays between Sept & Jan, but they'll never take children before their third birthday.
If your nursery only has the Sept intake, your daughter would normally be offered a place for the Sept following her 3rd birthday, but they may be able to let her go earlier if they have the space. I'd phone them and check how often that happens.

This is exactly what happens in my area too. :thumbsup:

FussyElmo
30-04-2011, 09:32 AM
To get into our school nursery you have to be 3 beofre and including the 3st August so your dd wouldnt get a place until the following septembet.

She would be able to go to a private nursery/preschool/childminder who offeres funding and that would start in the Januaury.

Helcatt
30-04-2011, 12:09 PM
yeah, its a nursery attached to the school.

So sounds like we have no chance then. We didn't really want to send her to one place to then move her, but that may be the way to go. :(

Hx

debratina
30-04-2011, 12:51 PM
I don't know whether you can do this or not maybe someone else could advise you but what if you got accredited? Could you claim the 15 hours ? If not what about sending her to a childminder in your area that is accredited ? The lo I mind is getting funded sessions with me from next Tuesday :)
Debra

Chatterbox Childcare
30-04-2011, 12:58 PM
The schools get paid on head count which means they can fill their spaces in September and not have any more room for children who are 3 after this. The more they have in Sept the more money they get

Look around at private nurseries as they should have spaces for January or you could become accredited and deliver the education yourself and be paid for it

Louise317
30-04-2011, 05:14 PM
Same for my daughter she 3 in January (week they start back at school!) but because they not doing a January or April intake she has to wait until September before starting Nursery... I could use the 15hrs in a pre-school however ALL full in my area until the same September she'd start nursery!!

Helcatt
30-04-2011, 06:37 PM
I don't know whether you can do this or not maybe someone else could advise you but what if you got accredited? Could you claim the 15 hours ? If not what about sending her to a childminder in your area that is accredited ? The lo I mind is getting funded sessions with me from next Tuesday :)
Debra

This may be the way to go then. I am hoping the CM network I am on will become accredited - they said they are in the process - and I have made it clear that I am interested in becoming accredited too When I was at a recent meeting, they did say that they would also help me with funding towards a level 4 qualification

I have just interviewed a lady who wants 2 days a week. We have agreed on a contract that will mean she only pays when she uses me and not when she doesn't - which suits me fine for now but I have said that if someone is interested in the space at a later date, then I will give her the choice of permanent contract or change childcare providers

Her child is 3 and she would put child with me on a permanent basis if she could use the funded hours with me - she doesn't want to use a nursery, would rather keep the child at home

Interesting that I can provide the care for my own child and claim for it!

I take it that that can happen, its not just hearsay?

Hx

Helcatt
30-04-2011, 06:40 PM
The reason I asked about cut-off dates, is that someone said to me that if a child was born before the 6th of Oct then they could be considered to start in that term if there are spaces.

I just wondered again if that was hearsay or if anyone knew for sure. We are in London so over subscribed schools all around - apart from one sink school that I could guarantee a place in

Hx

The Juggler
01-05-2011, 09:42 PM
you can access funding from term after their 3rd birthday but most school nurseries are now full up from Sept-Sept due to changes in reception intake. Why not try a local pre-school until she can get in the the nursery hon.

blue bear
02-05-2011, 09:21 AM
I became accredited so I could claim the funding for my son but by the tome the accreditation went through he had started school ( I moved house in the middle of getting accredited) so yes you can claim for your own child.