13 replies to this topic

[butterfly]

Hi been readin here for a while, and found all very intersting,

Now i would like to ask a Q ? in my are we have been told that we must offer 5 sessions a week to funded children, 3+ so leaving very little space for 2+.
Is this just my local area or has anyone else come across this? have been looking at the discussion about funding with interest, becuase it seem to be open to individual lea interpretations
thanx for reading x

[Linda McDowell]

Hello there Butterfly-thanks for making your first post.
Here in Stockport we have not been told that we have to offer 5 sessions to funded children. We give parents the option of how many sessions they want when their child first starts and then they can increase these if we have the places. The majority of our children will be 2 years 9 months in September, accessing the funding after Christmas. If we are full by then we won't be able to offer more sessions. We make parents aware of this well in advance.
Where are you located?
Linda

[Beau]

Butterfly,

I see you've been a member for some time, but as this is your first post I've never had chance to welcome you. Hi! :)

Being in Scotland I can't comment on this though so I'll just step aside now...... :D

[bubblejack]

Hello Butterfly.Are you working in a nursery or a pre-school? I am in a pre-school in Essex and I have not been told this. I always make parents aware that although they are entitled 5 free sessions I will increase the number of sessions gradually.If they desperately need extra sessions they can mix and match with other providers. Out of 40 children 1 parent chooses to do this but most are willing to be content to wait. I have a clause regarding this in my "Partnership With Parents Policy" stating that I aim to accommodate all children even if they are not funded children. I don't think many of my parents would want their children to attend 5 sessions at the age of 3. I aim to offer 2/3 sessions at the age of 3 and gradually increase to 4/5 sessions. I find that unless a parent is working they want a day to take them out. Each term my E.Y. does an audit on places provided. They always ask providers why funded children do not attend 5 sessions. Is it because 1) don't have a place or 2)parental choice. I told them this time that a have a few children whose parents treat us a childcare option. They want extra days but I don't think the children have any boundaries at home and I want to ease them in gently to my way of thinking.

[hali]

Hi we do the same as you bubblejack.. be warned those of you that claim NEG for more than your children do. In Berkshire we are now having spot checks done (2hr interviews with EYCT finance person coming in to chk attendance lists, head counts, invoices ect.....................)

[bubblejack]

Surely the funding dept. must be able to work it out approximately anyway because they know how many sessions groups are open for and how many children allowed each day. If a group were to send in a head count that exceeded that amount it would look suspicious. I have lost count of the number of times I have to give this information to different people in the Early Years Dept.

[butterfly]

thanx for the answers and the welcome :D
I am in kent, so get the feeling that, the area's are all doin their own thing

[hali]

Guess what i had through the post this morning...Head count for september (a provisional one you have to fill in for projected figures) get another one in sept...so have to now fill out 2 headcount forms ..i think its incase one dosent give you much of a headache so two definatly will

[bubblejack]

I have always had to do 2. It is a pain.

[libby]

We do the same as Linda. Although parents are entitled to 5 mornings, we can only offer them if we have the places. We cannot turn children away in order to keep places for one or two terms for when children become funded. We would lose too much money.

Still, it won't be a problem when funding comes in for two year olds, will it?!?!?
:D

[Helen]

Welcome Butterfly :)
We don't have to offer 5 sessions per week to funded children; they can choose how mnay they want.
East Sussex have now decided we only need to fill in one headcount form, a couple of weeks into each term. We get paid 50% of the funding based on the same term of the previous year, eg if we were claiming 70 funded places per week last summer term, they would use that figure to get the first payment to us at the start of term, and then adjust it when the true headcount form is completed. So we only have one headache!

[leo]

sounds really complicated in the private sector. you must have a lot of forms to fill,not forgetting your planning, assessing, observations................
do you get paid for all this admn work?

[Rea]

Hi, I havent read through the new code of practice but the last one indicated that although the child is entitled to 5 free sessions the setting has only to...'offer eligible children at least one session per week for 11 weeks a term'. If parents want more than you can offer then they can use the rest of the entitlement elsewhere. Hope it helps :D

[lesley g]

Hi
Has anyone else come up against the problem of Nursery grant not being
backdated. To cut a long and frustrating story short we were assessed for Nursery funding in December and approved. CRB checks etc and all documentation was applied for and everything seemed to be fine. Then in Feb Ofsted told us they had lost the CRB checks in a fire in Manchester and staff would have to complete new forms which they did. After several phone calls and no funding we finally received the confirmation of funding on Monday 12th July, but they said we are not entitled to funding from January because that was in the last financial year so as a consequence of someones ineptitude we have lost approx £5000. HELP we have no money and dont know who to contact to help

Lesley