Does anyone know if NEG Funding can be removed from setting? Am i correct in assumeing that this is a Government initiative and that all children from the age of 3yrs are entitled. Also how many times should a Teacher Advisor visit the setting per year? can anyone help/ Our LA advisor has told us that they will remove our NEG funding as we are not FULLY COMPLIENT with the EYFS. After speaking to other settings ,it is my belief that the LA are using this tacktik to scare and threaten settings causing increased and unessesary stress and worry on the settings. Recently i was advised that the LA cannot remove the funding and that a teacher advisor should be in place to visit and support the setting for 13 weeks? per year. (we have had a visit only once within 11 months.) Our setting is not perfect, we are following the EYFS and making really good progress,although as with most settings finding it confusing at times. What makes it more difficult is that we get so much confusing and conflicting support from the LA which in turn putts more and more presure on the setting by changing her mind each time she comes. NO support just critisisum. Can anyone advise? i am sure some of these people have lost the plot! and this will cost the sector dearly by good practitioners getting so disheartend and leaving, such a shame.) Are the LA supposed to suppot setting not go out to dishearten?

It is my belief that NEG can be removed yes, if you are not meeting the criteria, but your EYAT should not let you get into this position and should advise you what you need to do. They are an 'advisory team' after all. There are other reasons that you can lose your funding but it doesn't sound like you are referring to those. What basis have they for saying you are not compliant? Do you know what 'rules' you are not quite meeting?

Oh dear woowiss I can feel your frustration from here!

You're right that each child is entitled to free nursery education from the term following their third birthday, however each LA sets their own conditions attached to the way the funding is administered and is entitled to remove settings from their list of registered providers. Similarly there are no hard and fast rules that I am aware of that say how many times an advisory teacher should visit to offer support. In our local authority the early years team has been reshuffled and we no longer receive visits from advisory teachers.

I do know that there are advisory teachers on here who will be able to talk about their perception of their job and how it works in their Local Authority - I'm sure someone will come forward with advice and encouragement!

The Local Authority has a duty to ensure there is sufficient, high quality provision to meet local demand for childcare and as such they have a responsibility for improving quality in the setttings they support. It sounds as if you're having a rough time - is there any higher person in your Authority who you can turn to for help?

What kind of setting are you? Are you a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance or the National Day Nurseries Association - if so maybe they can offer support and advice about where you can go now.

Sorry I can't offer more help.

Maz

In our La advisory teachers are supposed to visit three times a year with one visit being for the whole day. This is stipulated in the contract for NEG which we have to sign to claim the funding. And yes they can withdraw it if we do not keep our end of the deal, but as has been said above they should be doing everything they can to support a setting to prevent it coming to that first.

Hi woowiss - what a horrible situation.

As others have already advised - yes funding can be withdrawn - but your Early years Advisory Teacher and your Development Worker should be giving you their full support to improve practice if that is what's needed.

We see our EYAT once per term usually for an hour or two - but I do know that she spends a lot more time with some other settings - those that need a little more support perhaps.

If you can tell us a little more about why you are being judged as 'non-compliant' we may be able to help you with some ideas/suggestions.

Sunnyday

Hi woowiss
Yes your LA can withdraw the funding but you must have signed a contract which you need to find to see what you have sign up for and what conditions they have set.
We had a similar argument with our LA as they had a rather ambiguous last condition on ours that we had to reach their quality levels without telling us what those levels were. they were not the same as Ofsted!!!!
It should be up to your Teaching Advisors to help bring you to the right level to receive the funding not just threaten without giving you support. good luck do feel for you
steph

I know someone in a Montessori nursery who gets funding and openly states that she doesn't follow EYFS (because of being a Montessori school). I have to admit the only time I've know settings to have had funding taken away is for claiming wrongly.