Nursery costs - how much do you pay?

claire16c

Its about £50 a day where I live in Berks according to friends.

Metranil_Vavin

We pay £49 per day currently for our council-run nursery in London, and the childminder we use on Wednesdays is £63 a day.

At both DS gets lunch and snacks/fruit included, I supply porridge that they give him for breakfast, nappies, wipes, suncream, nappy cream etc etc..

Mit3 - living near you as I do, the private ones near me are all silly prices too - £76 a day on average. It's just ridiculous.

pinkclouds

As nappies are involved, I assume it is a baby or young toddler requiring care. My kids' nursery (in the East Midlands) charge £23 for a 3 hour session for the 2-3 year olds. (My kids have only ever done mornings, 09:00 to 12:00, although the school is open 08:00 to 18:00 if wrap around care is required.) You supply your own nappies, etc. The babies incur higher fees and the older toddlers incur smaller fees (and are eligible for part-funding from the government).

Full time, you'd have to pay for morning and afternoon sessions, school dinners, before- and after-school wrap around care and, for the 3-5 year old classes, holiday club. The nursery school is open approx. 50 weeks of the year. Oh, and you occasionally have to provide packed lunches - usually during the holidays - if your child normally stays for lunch. And fruit - you're supposed to send in fruit every week, which the kids snack on during break times. The school supplies drinks - and sun lotion, unless you need to send in your own e.g. due to allergies. The uniform list is mercifully short: about all they really insist on is the logo'd sweater but you do need the usual shoes, slippers, wellies, sun hat, school bag, etc, all duly labelled. And a blanket for full-day kids for their rest period.

I think that's all compulsory costs mentioned. Obviously, there are the optional extras that add up e.g. school photos, charity fundraising, etc. Oh, I've forgotten the end of term "party" but really that's just subbing the usual weekly fruit contribution for some party nibbles.

I suppose it adds up to quite a bit. But it really is a very good nursery school and I think it's worth every penny. Mind you... I might have a heart attack if I put my kids in nursery school full time.

pinkclouds

pinkshoes wrote: »

There's 1 other nursery that I've found that is cheaper, but their ofsted is awful, and after promising to phone me back, they haven't, nor did they reply to my email last time I tried to contact them, which just rings alarm bells.

Trust your instincts, btw. This is your child you're talking about and his safety is priceless. A cheaper nursery school isn't necessarily worse than a more expensive school but I wouldn't make the final decision based solely on costs! Awful Ofsted report plus poor communication does not make for a promising start...

Logan112

I'm a childminder in Derbyshire & I charge £30/day. This includes food, wipes, snacks, most trips out but not nappies.

cottonhead

£42 a day in Berkshire. You dont mention the age of your child. Remember funded sessions when they turn 3 will ease the cost and the childcare element of tax credits if you are eligible can make it more affordable.
I agree with others comments that price shouldnt ( as far as is resonable!) be too much of a determining factor. A high price might just mean the nursery wanting to make more profit rather than providing better staff / facilities. Also I would take OFSTED reports with a pinch of salt unless very recent. So many things can change and it could be a lot better or worse than what the report says. Go on a visit and check the place out properly. Try and speak to people who use the place. If paying slightly more puts you at ease its worth it.

pinkshoes

DS is almost 20 months.

I've had a talk with OH, and we're thinking of leaving him in his current nursery (and thus me relying on my OH to pick him up and drop him off every day, as it's near where we both currently work), then getting a childminder for the additional two days.

Childminders seem to be about £4 an hour here.

I'd then pull him out of nursery for the summer holidays, then the following september he'll be old enough to go to pre-school, which is £2.60 per hour (from 2.5 years), then a childminder to take him in the morning, and collect him at 3pm.

choccielover

Are you sure you can just pull out in summer? Yiu still pay at mine to hold your place, though at half the day rate

Choccie

rachbc

West Yorks was paying £30 pd 2 years ago - max I know of in the city is £45, average £35-40

freebiequennie

we are in leicestershire and pay £43 a day for nursery 7.30am-6pm includes meals (we collect at 4.30pm as easier for me en-route home).

Childminder is £31 a day for 07.30-4.30 and includes meals again.

I use both for 2 days each a week.