22 replies to this topic

[Jackie H]

Has anybody heard about any changes to the government funding in 2006 ? I was told by my headmaster today that the amount of weeks for funding is going up, and that as an independent school nursery we will not be able to recieve any funding .As we are only open for 35 weeks we will not qualify because you have to offer the full amount of weeks. This would mean keeping the nursery open for two weeks after the rest of the school has closed! Can anybody help ???????????

[Inge]

Funding is increasing to 38 weeks per year from next April.
In our area we have to send in our term dates and they will fund us for up to 38 weeks. if we decide to have only 35 weeks that is what they would pay.

it will probably differ from area to area as funding rules and requirements seem to differ between local authorities.

this year as we get the additional funding for children who do not want 5 sessions per week so they also recieve up to 55 sessions per term we have opted for 38 weeks and funding has been paid to cover the extra 2 weeks in this term. (we will recieve any additional payments for 3 weeks next term.)

Inge

[Inge]

previus discussion may be of interest - the bit about 38 wk funding is later in the postings

funding

Linda McDowell, on Feb 16 2005, 21:18, said:

The 38 week funding is not just a proposal but will come into force next year. Which is good news. The proposals are also that, I think it's by 2010, there will be funding for 15 hours a week education and childcare.
Linda

Inge

[Inge]

Also this about 10year strategy
look here

Inge

[bubblejack]

Just doing a bit of forward planning for next year.Is anyone aware of how the 15 hours can be used . Do the sessions have to be extended to 3 hours or can 6 sessions of 2.5.hours be offered.I am on a tight time limit at the moment to offer sessional/daycare combined with lunch club over a period of 5.5 hours. This is working so well at the moment for children , parents and staff as many have to collect children from school.

[Linda McDowell]

I have just received information about funding from April 2006. I have had a letter from our early years education officer which states that "There will be a duty on the local authority to ensure there is sufficient provision offering 38 weeks to meet the demand of parents, but there will be no legal requirement for individual providers to move to a 38 week free offer." So it would seem Jackie that you should be ok.
My concern is that some local authorities will see this as an opportunity to extend or open more state nursery provision if the private and voluntary sector are unable extend their opening weeks.
Linda

[Deb]

Have just been to a Funding Roadshow by Dorset Surestart who stated that

* providers have to offer 38 weeks by April, 2006 to receive the NEG but that in Dorset this deadline will be extended to April 2007

*the increase in funding from 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours is set to happen in 2010 but will probably happen in 2008.

* the increase in flexibility to use free entitlement across a minimum of three days is not compulsory, it will be dependant upon local need.

In Dorset from April 2006 it is anticipated that we will receive funding as follows, although this is not set in stone. The first term this will be applicable to will be Summer term 2006.

Autumn term 14 weeks
Spring term 11 weeks
Summer term 13 weeks

We will no longer be able to charge a top up for the extra weeks not previously covered, but we will be able to charge a top up for anything over and above the 2 1/2 hours, lunch club, etc.

Hope this helps!

Deb

[Weightman]

In Lincolnshire we've heard nothing. At present we don't have to send our term dates etc. I feel we could do with a little more guidance. I think the schools' year is 39 weeks, thus allowing for the training days, part weeks etc.

I think the earlier discussion on here clarified that we could not take any training days from the 38 weeks, that they were to be purely for contact with the children. All of our local schools take them at different times, & we're not told when they are, so I think it will make things very difficult for staff members with school-aged children. As it is, sometimes we find we're open when the local primary schools have a training day, then half the children don't come because their siblings are at home!

I'm not putting this across very clearly - sorry! - but I hope you catch my drift!

[Inge]

I had a discussion with our early years team recently and we have been told that we do not have to offer the 38 weeks, just send in term dates and we will recieve the relevant funding for that term......that said we open 38 weeks!!!
Also they have said (so far) that the move to offer 3 hour sessions to cover the proposed 15 hours a week care will also be optional and not obligatory.
Therefore we really would not have to change unless there was a need, in fact at present we are moving to offer lunch club (approved already by ofsted) and the early years advisor is coming so we can evaluate if there will be a need or if it is viable in our setting, before we offer full day care.

we too have the same problems as weightman with the inset days and as they are different in different schools this adds to the complication. we often open when they are closed but are lucky enough to be able to have staff with older children who work those days.

Inge

[laura]

Weightman, on Nov 24 2005, 10:13, said:

In Lincolnshire we've heard nothing. At present we don't have to send our term dates etc. I feel we could do with a little more guidance. I think the schools' year is 39 weeks, thus allowing for the training days, part weeks etc.

I think the earlier discussion on here clarified that we could not take any training days from the 38 weeks, that they were to be purely for contact with the children. All of our local schools take them at different times, & we're not told when they are, so I think it will make things very difficult for staff members with school-aged children. As it is, sometimes we find we're open when the local primary schools have a training day, then half the children don't come because their siblings are at home!

I'm not putting this across very clearly - sorry! - but I hope you catch my drift!

Hi weightman
My mums pre-school is in lincolnshire and i'm sure that she had a letter a couple of months ago to say that from January 2006 we will receive the full funding for 38 weeks - i remember us getting very excited about it! From January 2007 it said that it would be increased to 6 sessions a week. It might be worth ringing county to check but i'm almost positive!
Laura

[Weightman]

Hi Laura & thanks for your message!

The letter I had said 38 weeks' funding from April 2006. It wasn't really that I was saying we hadn't heard about, more how they were expecting it to be done, and bemoaning the lack of any real guidelines. All I had - I think- was a sheet of school term dates with 'It has come to our attention that some of you might find this useful' comments attached.

[Weightman]

Just as an update, we've now had a letter asking if we will be able to offer 38 weeks, from a) Apr 2006 b)Sept 06 c) Jan 07. I wonder what they think we have been doing so far?

Our Autumn period - terms 1&2 - will be funded for 14 weeks; Spring - 3&4 - will be 12 weeks, as will Summer - 5&6. What happens when Easter is really early I have no idea but I guess we haven't got that far yet!

[Mimi]

Can anyone help me - I heard today of a child only attending one 2.5hr session a week getting funding! Is the pre school getting funding for 5 sessions a week ?

Is this ok?

[bubblejack]

Mimi I claim for the actual number of sessions that a child attends. We have to do a headcount and list correct number of sessions. We can be audited at any time. I have funded children that attend from between 1-8 sessions for a variety of reasons. I take into account parental preferences and needs of child when I allocate places. I have had 3 parents last week that appeared at the door wanted funded places as I only had 4 spaces left they have to be shared. These children were not on my waiting list but the parents expected to leave their child with us on that day!!!!!

[Linda McDowell]

Hi Mimi
They will only get funding for the one session a week.
We have had confirmation this week that we will get 38 weeks funding as from April with an inflationary increase in the amount we receive. We just now need the extra 4 weeks for statutory holiday pay!! And paying for places which the local authority nurseries receive rather than children attending.
Linda