Nursery Closure

[Greenfinch]

Hi - just decided to close early today due to snow ( 3 instead of 6)

It's impossible to staff as all schools have closed etc and the snow has continued to get deeper and heavier throughout the morning making the roads treacherous.

Never needed to do this before - struggled through last year...

Has anyone else had to close early? (Nurseries/Full daycare)

I've had a parent ask a member of staff if they'll get their money back etc... What do others do? Would be grateful to hear your views.

[Guest]

we have closed before, and yes refunded, but we have paid staff. we have now closed for 2 days and possibly tom as we have no heating

[Guest]

We refunded fee paying parents last year, it's only fair really.

 

We did continue to get funding though which meant we could afford to pay staff and not lose too much money.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Guest

[Fredbear]

Yes we have done this once before when we had no heating, we refunded non- funded children's parents and yes we did pay our staff, as it wasn't there fault.We are only a sessional pre-schoo.l

Just another thing to sort out.

[Greenfinch]

Thank you bridger, suziec8 and Suer - I will do the same xx

[Guest]

You are of course within your rights to suggest some work related stuff that staff could do at home, e.g. research, reading, planning.

 

Hope you get back open soon!

[kristina]

We refund our non funded children and I still pay staff but we must be on the right side of Essex at the moment because we are still managing to open although I did cancel lunch club today as we only had 2 children who came in that were staying for lunch club!

Kris

[Guest]

I dont begrudge paying my staff as they do so much at other times without, as do we all

[kristina]

We refund our non funded children and I still pay staff but we must be on the right side of Essex at the moment because we are still managing to open although I did cancel lunch club today as we only had 2 children who came in that were staying for lunch club!

Kris

Spoke to soon as closed today!!

[Fredbear]

Ha ha share the joy now with the rest of us.

[kristina]

We rent a classroom from our local primary school and it is the school that have closed so obviously we can't open either! The school are still charging me rent for today, and I am still paying staff and have 5 two year olds to re fund! Firstly should I still pay rent if the school has closed? and secondly all the parents I called today said they weren't coming in anyway so would you still refund 2 year olds?!

 

Kris

[Panders]

Hi Kristina, I'm in a slightly different position to you, I rent from a church, but I consider that I rent weekly, not daily so, I wouldn't expect rent refunds. On the two year old front, I will be refunding - next term by not charging for 2 sessions, rather than giving cash back now, I think it's good will to return fees when it is my decision not to open. However, in your case, sounds like you could have opened but the school decided to close - tough call - suppose you could wait and see if any of your two year olds' parents ask for a refund!

[kristina]

Hi Panders

You're right we could have opened as 4 out of 5 staff can walk to work! So I will wait and see if any parents ask about refunds still not sure what to do about rent as I pay half termly in advance so spring rent is due next week! Although I think I will leave that aswell as I have to say school have been really acomodating and my rent is resonable and they didn't raise it this year so maybe I'll keep quiet and not rock the boat!!

 

Kris

[Fredbear]

Sounds a good idea not to rock the boat on this occasion. However it may well be worth considering a contract with yourselves and the school so you all know and agree to issues like this.

Must say if we are not able to run and it has been because of a hall issue, then we have never paid. [only happened the once when we had no heating].

[Guest]

We have a daily rate for our rent (village hall) and if we have to close we deduct the daily rate from the payment if it's a building issue. In January we were allowed to keep all put funding when we shut for a week and we did pay the rent for that time. However tomorrow we will be shut as the heating isn't adequately warming the building and we don't feel it is fair to the children, never mind the staff. So tomorrow's rent will be deducted. With regard to wages, in January we paid a half amount to staff who did some paperwork at home but that was only due to us having a good income at the time. Our policy says it will be dependent on the finances and payments will be on a goodwill basis rather than an entitlement. Tomorrow I think everyone is just glad of a rest as we are all exhausted! Finally for fee payers we offer to deduct from the following term's bill or give a cash refund if they are about to become funded. Often we are lucky in that our parents tell us to putte refund in our donation box but we always offer it.

[Guest jenpercy]

We have a daily rate for our rent (village hall) and if we have to close we deduct the daily rate from the payment if it's a building issue. In January we were allowed to keep all put funding when we shut for a week and we did pay the rent for that time. However tomorrow we will be shut as the heating isn't adequately warming the building and we don't feel it is fair to the children, never mind the staff. So tomorrow's rent will be deducted. With regard to wages, in January we paid a half amount to staff who did some paperwork at home but that was only due to us having a good income at the time. Our policy says it will be dependent on the finances and payments will be on a goodwill basis rather than an entitlement. Tomorrow I think everyone is just glad of a rest as we are all exhausted! Finally for fee payers we offer to deduct from the following term's bill or give a cash refund if they are about to become funded. Often we are lucky in that our parents tell us to putte refund in our donation box but we always offer it.

 

I give the staff the option of taking snow days as holidays. I'm ALL HEART!!!