sam2368 Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm sorry, I know it's been discussed before but I can't find an answer to my question, so here goes..... For those of you who wlaready provide extended sessions, 3 hours plus lunch club, then another 3 hours, how is is working? We need to fit our hours around the school times not only for traffic congestion but also in consideration of those collecting other children from school. so far our proposals are: 9-12, 12-1230, 1230-330 - flexible with core hours 930-1130 1230-230 , difficult to staff the 3-330 slot especially when people are late picking up 830-1130, 1130-1200, 1200-300 - too early for the younger children, some already struggle to make it 915 845-1145, 1145-1215, 1215-315 - clashes with school times I know you're all up to your eyes in SEF, ofsted and alot you, studying, but any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hi We changed last year to extended hours but are unable to offer three hour session as we share our building with the after school club. So we do 9.10 -11.45 11.45 - 12.30 Lunchclub and then 12.30 till 3. In our area we will still be able to claim the new 15 hours funding when it becomes available because we are able to offer the 15 hours over three days. Not sure if thats any help as your looking to do longer hours. Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hello, we do 8.45-1145, lunch club 11.45-12.45, afternoon 12.45-3.45 works well as most parents have time to drop off other children either before or after in mornings, and all collect other children before in afternoon hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 thanks for both of your replies. how do you staff the latter part of the session? We all have children at school and the staff who don't also work at afterschool club... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Although we couldn't offer the three hourly session due to sharing our building, picking our own children up was also a consideration. The children go home at 3pm and then we get 15 minutes clearing away time, luckily we are on the edge of the primary school grounds so we then go straight to collect our children. Benefit of being in a village only one primary school, so works well for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm really struggling with ensuring our team are catered for and trying to fulfil the flexibility access to the full funding will give us. Penny, are you sure you're able to claim the full 15 hour funding allocation? I understood there were gradings with 1 being the least flexible and therefore the least amount fo NEF and the highest being 4 whereby you are open over 30 hours and offer maximum flexibility. We're on a school grounds but cater for children who have siblings who don't attend the school but go further afield. We also already have a problem with ratios over lunchtime when parents repeatedly turn up late at the end of morning session with staff having to cut their breaks short (unpaid breaks i hasten to add) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 We queried the 15 hour funding with our EYFSA last week and she assured us that although we wouldn't get the top premium for flexibility we would be able to offer the 15 hours as we are open full days part of the week. Unfortunately we aren't one of the settings starting in September, so haven't had a huge amount of information on it yet, you have got me thinking maybe I will clarify it with somebody else, although if we can't access it there is little we can do as we can't change our session times due to the sharing problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 why would your time be to early for younger children ? in my experience its parents that find nursery times to early not the children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 oh i know that Sue, you know what i meant! We used to start our younger group at 945 in our old building and some people even struggled to to make that on time, then wondered why their children took ages to settle! I don't like walking into a room where everyone's already busy with something and I'm a grown-up (at least most of the time!) We have the usual problem of trying to please everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 Does anyone else have anything to offer? I'm finding it really difficult to get much of response both on here and on another forum. Maybe all of the people who've already started extended hours are either too exhausted and have already crawled into bed by 9pm or are fed up to the back teeth of discussing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Hi I have had an email back and also spoken to someone at Bar Hill about the 15 hour funding, who was really helpful. They gave us quite a few suggestions of how we can package our sessions in future. She also said that not offering the 15 hours wasn't an option. If you want to send me PM with your email address quite happy to forward on her email address. Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hi, we have been running flexible 15 hours for quite some time now. Our hours are 8.45 - 11.45, 12.15 - 3.15 for 3 hour sessions. Children staying all day go for lunch around 11.30 so those staff and children are ready to open the nursery for pm session at 12.15. Parents can book am session plus lunchtime until 12.45 if they wish. Parents can book any 2 1/2 days or ams or pms or extended pms (12.15 - 5.15pm). My staff run our After School Club so linking with that provision is not too difficult. Staffing is more flexible than it used to be with staggered lunchtimes, and we employ an extra staff member between 11.00 and 1.00 to cover Nursery lunch, am story and F2 as we are a unit. Sounds complicated but all runs realy smoothly. Just ask if there is anything else you'd like to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hi I have had an email back and also spoken to someone at Bar Hill about the 15 hour funding, who was really helpful. They gave us quite a few suggestions of how we can package our sessions in future. She also said that not offering the 15 hours wasn't an option. If you want to send me PM with your email address quite happy to forward on her email address. Penny Our vice-chair is on the sub committee for the extended hours and I've been to meetings regarding its introduction for us in september, but that's very kind of you Penny. What i really want to know is which hours are proving successful and which not, so that we know what to offer our families this month in preparation for september. We've recently moved to our own building & have had problems with the neighbours regarding their worries about potential increased traffic & already have staff who need to leave at 3pm sharp. I don't suppose you have anyone who'd be interested in emergency cover/afternoon work would you? We're quite near the city centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam2368 Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hi, we have been running flexible 15 hours for quite some time now. Our hours are 8.45 - 11.45, 12.15 - 3.15 for 3 hour sessions. Children staying all day go for lunch around 11.30 so those staff and children are ready to open the nursery for pm session at 12.15. Parents can book am session plus lunchtime until 12.45 if they wish. Parents can book any 2 1/2 days or ams or pms or extended pms (12.15 - 5.15pm). My staff run our After School Club so linking with that provision is not too difficult. Staffing is more flexible than it used to be with staggered lunchtimes, and we employ an extra staff member between 11.00 and 1.00 to cover Nursery lunch, am story and F2 as we are a unit. Sounds complicated but all runs realy smoothly. Just ask if there is anything else you'd like to know. Thank you Helen - that's really helpful and the hours i would like to offer; just a problem with the neighbours over traffic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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