Finding the best childcare in Edinburgh

The Early Years

It’s time to let someone else help with the care of your child. Your precious wee child is almost ready to make that first step away from you but for parents it’s a big decision. There are as many childcare solutions as personal factors to consider. Weighing up the benefits of a nanny or childminder, against a day nursery or crèche is complex and the eventual decision will probably depend on your own personal circumstances, with factors like budget, relatives, work patterns and number of children needing childcare, adding to the equation.

For parents returning to work, a nanny, childminder or a day nursery might best suit your needs. An au pair may be the solution for parents requiring general help or for parents with older children. Some people may just be looking for occasional periods of care and a crèche may be the answer.

At the ages of three and four, children are eligible for a free part-time pre-school place. The entitlement starts from the beginning of the school term immediately following the child’s third birthday and continues until the end of the school term before they are eligible to start primary school.

Children are entitled to 475 hours of funded pre-school education over the school year. This usually means that a child is offered five sessions of education a week, of about two and a half hours each, throughout the school year. However individual education providers may offer slightly different patterns of sessions.

Councils provide pre-school education in the form of nursery classes in primary schools and nursery schools. However councils have also made arrangements with private and voluntary centres to make sure that there are enough places available to meet the demand. Nursery schools are not managed by catchment area, so you are free to choose city-wide, subject to availability, but the council nursery a child attends has no bearing on the state primary school it is eligible for.

Pre-school education is about learning, playing, exploring and having fun. In Scotland, children from the age of three will experience learning through the Curriculum for Excellence. Personal learning planning is the method used to support your child’s progression and development. Staff will encourage your contributions and engagement in this process. This will support a smooth and seamless transition into primary school for your child.

Many types of childcare are regulated by the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS), which took over the work of the Care Commission on 1 April, 2011. It inspects all day care providers, including day nurseries, crèches, afterschool clubs, playgroups, childminders, nanny agencies and sitter services. Its website publishes its inspection reports and registration details of providers.

What childcare is available for parents?

Day nursery

Children from birth to the age of five can be cared for at a private, community, council or workplace day nursery. Most offer full or part-time places open from 8am to 6pm every week day. Some have extensive waiting lists, so if you have set your heart on nursery care it is wise to put your child’s name down at several establishments in advance. If you want to apply for a place in a council nursery, you should complete a nursery application form and follow the local procedure.

Costs: A typical full-time private nursery place for a child under two is about £190. Most nursery fees are reduced for three to five-year-olds. Nursery provision at an Independent school might cost £1,600-£2,000 per term. If your chosen nursery is delivering pre-school education in partnership with the local authority then you could access some free education for your child. Ask the nursery for further details to find out more.

Inspection reports: On the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland website in the “using & choosing services” section, under “find a care service/look for a care service inspection report”, you will find the inspection reports.

Registered childminder

Registered childminders are professional childcarers who offer a childcare service in their own home for children under the age of 16, for more than two hours a day, for a reward of any kind. They must by law be registered by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS). Registered childminders are self-employed and take care of their own tax and National Insurance.

Costs: Charges vary in different areas. There is no national rate but the average charges are around £4-5 per hour depending on the services included. Many childminders will offer a discount for a second child from the same family.

Registration: On the SCSWIS website in the “using & choosing services” section, under “find a care service/look for a care service inspection report”, you will find details and reports on childminders.

Nanny

A nanny is someone, usually a woman, who looks after your child in your own home and might be expected to do other domestic work as well. It is not a legal requirement for a nanny to be trained, registered or inspected. Agencies supplying nannies must be registered and their details are listed on SCSWIS website under “child care agencies”.

Costs: In Scotland, a full-time live-out nanny based on average working hours of 8am- 6pm, five days a week earns between £300 and £500 net (after tax) per week. Live-in nannies usually work slightly longer hours and earns between £240 and £500. Part-time nannies usually earn more per hour than full-time nannies, for example a three-day-a-week nanny earns between £9 and £12 net per hour

Au pair

An au pair is a single person aged between 17 and 27 who has come to the United Kingdom to study English. An au pair can live in the UK for up to two years as a member of an English-speaking family. An au pair will expect to help in the home for up to five hours a day and get at least two full days off a week. An au pair is ideal help around the home, he or she is not a trained childminder or nanny therefore not recommended as a sole carer of a preschool child. For safety, use an established agency to find your au pair. BAPAA is the only recognised trade association for the au pair industry in Britain. This organisation was formed on a non-commercial basis with the purpose of setting standards for the au pair industry and protecting the au pair experience as a rewarding cultural exchange programme.

Costs: As it is a cultural exchange it cannot be seen in purely monetary terms. Families have to invest a bit of time rather than money when they elect to have an au pair. A minimum of £70 - £90 per week is recommended, but it should reflect the age/maturity and responsibility of the au pair.

Crèche

Crèches offer part-time sessions of care. Crèches often run alongside adult activities such as education, leisure and shopping centres.

Costs: Prices vary, for example a crèche while you swim at a private pool may only be £4 per hour (or free to members), while ones at shopping centres charge from about £3 per hour, while we have found others that charge as little as £1 per hour.

Wraparound and out-of-school care

This facility may be offered to three to 15-year-olds before and after nursery or school, but mainly for school-age children via breakfast clubs, after school clubs, holiday play schemes, run by schools, nurseries or leisure organisations.

Costs: The typical cost of an after-school club is £30 to £80 per week and holiday clubs can cost anything between £50 to £400 a week, depending on the sport or activity and hours involved.

Playgroups

Playgroups provide sessions of play and education for children. Some playgroups also work in partnership with their local authority to provide free, part time pre-school education places for three and four year olds. Gaelic playgroups are also available in some areas. Some parents prefer to combine childminding with playgroups to meet their needs.

Costs: The full cost of a session (usually 2½ hours) will be from about £4 to £9.

Further information

Scottish Childcare www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk

Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland www.scswis.com

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education www.hmie.gov.uk

National Day Nurseries Association www.ndna.org.uk

Scottish Childminding Association www.childminding.org

British Au Pair Agencies Association www.bapaa.org.uk

City of Edinburgh Council www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/851/nurseries_and_playgroups