Pre school lunch money /designated 3 hours

mrbrightside842

Hi!

Does everyone pay for lunch at their child's preschool? Ours is attached to the primary school, and my kids go 5 afternoons a week, for the designated 3 hours. However, they have lunch in with this 3 hours and so aren't getting the full 3 hours. Are they supposed to get 3 hours of education, or is 3 hours minus 45 minutes for lunch allowed? Also, I've heard that we're not supposed to be charged for lunches during preschool, but I don't understand why not?

Thanks!

andrealm

What time do they go?
Are you sure it's lunch and not just a snack they have?

kezlou

It depends where you are really, in the school my children attend, any nursery school children attend breakfast club and then taken to nursery. But that's entirely voluntary, most parents just take they children for 9am.

Jo_R_2

At my DD2's nursery, which is a nursery school (ie a stand-alone nursery for 3-5s), they have the 15 hours per week, DD2 does 9am-11.30am every morning and one session is extended so it's 8am-1pm within which they can choose to have breakfast (50p charge) and they do have lunch (£2.)

Tbh I never thought of it taking time out of their 15 hours, which it does. However, I'm happy for this because I see it as a chance for her to learn social eating skills (couldn't think of a more eloquent word to put it!) with her peers - I know from DD1 being at nursery she was more likely to, say, try things others were eating that she wouldn't normally eat, and I feel they do have that tendency to copy good behaviour at the table when they see it from their little friends.

Tbh I don't know anything about whether we're supposed to be charged, I've just budgeted for it anyway *shrugs*

mrbrightside842

andrealm wrote: »

What time do they go?
Are you sure it's lunch and not just a snack they have?

They're there from 12.05 to 3.10. It's definitely lunch (although they also get a snack) and lunch goes on til about 12.45.

got-it-spend-it

I would personally think that eating together was a very important part of early education at that age. I personally view the social skills they learn at nursery as being just as important as anything more 'academic' that they might learn.

mrbrightside842

Jo_R wrote: »

At my DD2's nursery, which is a nursery school (ie a stand-alone nursery for 3-5s), they have the 15 hours per week, DD2 does 9am-11.30am every morning and one session is extended so it's 8am-1pm within which they can choose to have breakfast (50p charge) and they do have lunch (£2.)

Tbh I never thought of it taking time out of their 15 hours, which it does. However, I'm happy for this because I see it as a chance for her to learn social eating skills (couldn't think of a more eloquent word to put it!) with her peers - I know from DD1 being at nursery she was more likely to, say, try things others were eating that she wouldn't normally eat, and I feel they do have that tendency to copy good behaviour at the table when they see it from their little friends.

Tbh I don't know anything about whether we're supposed to be charged, I've just budgeted for it anyway *shrugs*

I agree that it's an important social skill for them, and that it prepares them for lunchtimes when they start school in September. But I'm wondering if the school is claiming extra funds to be offering '15 hour' placements, when the teachers aren't there over lunch and when lunch shouldn't be included. I've always bugeted for it and happily paid it, however if I'm not supposed to be paying for it, I'm a bit miffed to be paying twice (for my twins) when I'm not supposed to be.

JodyBPM

The nursery which my DS goes to, which is attached to a primary school, runs am sessions from 9-11.30 and pm sessions from 12.30 -3.00, so 2.5 hour sessions.

You can choose to add on (at a cost) breakfast club, lunch club (11.30-12.30) or afterschool club. I choose to add on lunch club for a couple of days a week, as pp have said, I think its good learning, and good preparation for reception where they have to stay for lunch. These clubs are not compulsory, though.

NBirdy

The pre-school my DD goes to sounds a lot like JodyBPM's - attached to a primary school, runs for 3 hours am (9-12) and 2.5 hours pm (1-3.30), with the option to pay for lunch (12-1) if you want it. My DD goes for morning session which incur a 'top up fee' as they run over the 2.5 time slot, and sometimes stays the hour for lunch - this costs me £2.50 each time. She sits round the table with the other children plus one of the assistants, so she is being supervised to an extent. I have to provide a packed lunch for her.