Booking sessions

[Melba]

Can anyone tell me if their admissions policy includes something about how many sessions you give existing children as opposed to new ones? This is causing troubles as we are very full this year and our policy seems to be more about admitting new children.

The problem has arisen because we do not agree to keep sessions for 3 year olds to the disadvantage of 2 year olds but it doesn't say anything about that in our policy and I am not sure what it could say about that.

Once a child is with us, what responsibility do we have to give parents what they want, particularly if it is a case of them changing their minds and wanting something different

[hopeytg]

Not sure if this helps but I send all parents a letter around half term asking them what sessions they require for the next term. It clearly says that if they don't reply I will assume they require the same sessions and changes are not possible once term starts. It allows me to plan and set the staff rota plus I am able to calculate 'spaces'.

[diesel10]

We sent a letter to all existing parents who's parents were turning 3 this term quite early this term as I realised there was quite a lot of them. I would always give priority to existing and offer to new if there are still spaces. We confirmed the new session for after xmas in writing.

 

Having said that parents are still swopping and changing. One emailed today asking if she add lunches after Xmas even though her sessions were confirmed weeks ago.

 

Spring born children turning 3 will have very limited availability for sessions in the summer term. Probably just afternoon sessions. In my opinion its the way the government funds the sessions, do they really expect us to run half empty in Autumn so we can fill up in spring and summer when more turn 3. Yes they do.

[Mouseketeer]

you need my 10 point admission plan Melba, this is the top 3 criteria for being allocated places.

 

1- Funded 3 and 4 year olds already attending who are not claiming their full 15 hours funding (school year).

2- Funded 3 olds already attending who are not claiming their full 15 hours funding (next school year)

3- Un-funded 3 year olds already attending who wish to increase hours.

[Melba]

We try to keep mornings available for the younger children as if we prioritised 3 and 4 years olds to have whatever they wanted, then we would only be able to take on a very limited number of 2 year olds which would almost certainly have a very negative effect on our income the next year. There are lots of other places for them to go around us.

I know some settings give the mornings to the older children and the 2s need to come in the afternoon but this is not something that we want to do as we have no option for naps being in only one room. Funded children always have an option for their 15 hours but not necessarily exactly what they would prefer once we are close to full.

[Stargrower]

We have to save space for children moving up from our Toddler Room (2's) so we run at a lower capacity and have to turn people away even though the space is there at the time.

 

Our Pre-school Room is not full for the first time in years as our local Primary is offering 32.5 hours free for all 3 and 4 year olds. It is seriously affecting our sustainability but there is nothing I can do. I have spoken to the LA about it, but the school are funding it themselves so there is nothing the LA can do either. Makes me mad, as the school has a requires improvement rating.

[lynned55]

Poor you, it must be effecting you greatly. I seriously wonder how they can afford to do this, goodness, they must have a great budget then.

[Guest]

Have the same problem as stargrower, having to keep spaces for the children moving up. We have recently knocked through a wall and increased our 3-5 room size so that we can hopefully work round the problem. Had very few starting school this year, but next year is a whole different ballgame, so am booking up lots of funded 2 year olds to fill those spaces - and hoping the local school nursery doesn't poach them once they turn 3!

 

Perhaps the school might be doing it as a short term solution to get numbers up due to their Ofsted outcome (i.e. once they're in the door, they keep them!)

Edited November 27, 2015 by grumpymum