Funding

[Guest]

I have to admit that a three hour session in the afternoon is very difficult. We had this problem a couple of years ago when we were open in the afternoon. If we started at 12.30 it meant finishing at 3.30 and then it clashed for parents with picking up from school. If we started at 1.00 then we didn't finish until 4 o'clock which is too late for little ones-they would be half asleep by then. So we just did a two and a half hour session in the afternoon starting at 12.30 and charged less.

I don't know how this will work exactly.

Linda

[Rea]

Hi Inge, I've just read the paragraphs you mentioned, and yes they do say that parents shouldnt pay a fee, but only in regard to a free entitlement. The children who come after headcount arent officially entitled, because the LEA wont recognise them. Paragraph 2 says the code is not intended to be prescriptive.

If, say, you had a low year and after headcount 10 children came along, would the LEA really expect you to accommodate them for free? We'd all be out of business pretty quick if that was the case?

[hali]

we had the same problem Linda did 2 1/2 sessions in the morning but only 2 1/4 in the afternoon, our Early years financial person soon picked us up on it and as from Jan have had to do 2 1/2 in the afternoons, makes things very tight......

 

so we do 9.30 - 12 and 12.15 to 2.45.......

[Inge]

i have double chcked with them and yes that is what hey expect. the fact that they came later in the term does not actually mean they are not entitled, just that they did not claim it!!!!

 

We currently have 2x2.5 sessions 9.15 to 11.45 and 12.25 to 2,55 fits in with collecting from local schools to get two 3 hour sessions we would clash with the school times, some parents have 5 min walk between us and the school.

 

Inge