WChurchill Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I'm just reading some of the posts and it's coming back to me how addictive it is!!! I've noticed some posts talking about 3 hours sessions in Nursery, is this copmpulsary now? I know this was a proposal! Any clarification much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Yo have until 2010 mumm so no panic just yet. Some LAs have begun this already but if yours was one, I'd guess you might know about it by now, although it could be worth checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamgirl Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I'm just reading some of the posts and it's coming back to me how addictive it is!!! I've noticed some posts talking about 3 hours sessions in Nursery, is this copmpulsary now? I know this was a proposal! Any clarification much appreciated. we are one of the authorities going early...and it's a right pain in the neck if you are in a school based nursery. has caused lots of problems with us having diff times to rest of school, cover etc. good luck!!1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Where I am 15 hours per week is coming in for a percentage of the most disadvantaged children in the area (3 year olds upwards) this September with it rolling out to all in 2010. Not sure about 3 hour blocks though - I read somewhere on a government paper and something in pathfinder documentation that when it is 15 hours parents may take a minimum 2 hour block and a maximum of 13 hours over 2 days - this one is going to be a peach to manage!!! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We were a pathfinder county for the 15 hour entitlement and have been offering 15 hours for 2 years now. Its worked great for us..... We are local authority nursery in the morning and then private nursery in the afternoon. (Followed by afterschool club for those needing more hours) We in the nursery start and finish our day at the same time as the school pretty much but our lunchtime is way off in comparison to the rest of the school!!! It is fine though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Do your parents sign a contract for a certain number of hours each week? In our authority we are only just about to start offering back to back 2.5 hour sessions - up until September children had to have a physical break from the premises of half an hour if parents wanted to access another 2.5 hour session in the same day - totally impractical. We were offering 3.5 hours and parents had to pay top up if they wanted extra hour but from September we will run with a 5 hour session e.g., 2 x 2.5 hour blocks back to back. Most parents can still only have 12.5 hours per week here though until 2010. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 what will you do when everyone wants 3 full days at 5hrs a day ? Will you just fill up the spaces with those who don't want or can't have 3 full days? or start working Saturdays?! We have a history of some people having two 2.5 hr sessions back to back five days a week "free" which we have to unpick! Does anyone else have the answer to that one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We are in one of the pilot areas so have offered the flexible 15 hours for some time now. We've have found very few parents want full days and most prefer the traditional morning or afternoon options. We have offered 3 hour sessions morning and afternoon with a small charge for those children who attend morning and afternoon to cover their lunch and the additional time (45 mins). In school it is a bit of a logistical nightmare and the big downside we found was that children starting in the summer term could only be offered the sessions no one else wanted ie: Monday am, Tuesday pm, Wednesday pm, Thursday & Friday am. which some parents found inconventient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We have offered 3 hour sessions morning and afternoon with a small charge for those children who attend morning and afternoon to cover their lunch and the additional time (45 mins). I'm really interested in this Marion - we were told at a recent network meeting that our local schools and state nurseries were unable to make a charge for extra time offered due to the Education Act. Wonder if they (or I!) have got some wires crossed somewhere? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 All school nurseries in my LA have been offering 3hour sessions for some time Maz although there seem to be a number of different approaches. We have changed the working hours for both nursery and reception, we now start at 8.45, nursery works until 11.45 and reception until 12.00. Nursery resumes at 12.30 and reception 1.15 until 3.30. Some parents have chosen to take their 15hours over 2 full days and half a day so these children eat lunch in the Children's Centre and parents pay for lunch plus the 45 mins childcare to the private day nursery. I know schools in the 34 pathfinder LAs have already moved onto 15 hours http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/e...reeentitlement/ case studies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 My LAs is also offering the free 12.5 hours nursery for 2 year olds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Some parents have chosen to take their 15hours over 2 full days and half a day so these children eat lunch in the Children's Centre and parents pay for lunch plus the 45 mins childcare to the private day nursery. Ah so that would explain it! I read your post to mean the school was charging parents. Good to hear positive reports of how its all working - now all I need to do is get my head round how the finance is going to work... still I have another year to think about that! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Some schools are charging parents for anything in addition to the 15 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We are still offering 12.5 for pre-school sessions, morning or afternoon with some children stayine all day, they pay for the additional hours. We have also started a couple of chidlren who are claiming the 2 year NEG offer, they have joined our day care, one comes just in the morning using 3 hours per day for 5 days and one comes for two full days using 7.5 hours per day. Not sure when the three year old offer is going to 15 hours in our borough yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We have the 15 hours funding for 3 and 4 year olds. Not heard anything up here about increasing entitlement for 2 year olds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 My LAs is also offering the free 12.5 hours nursery for 2 year olds But presumably not in school nurseries though Marion? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Starting in september we will have three systems on the go (quite a change from just being able to offer 5 x 2.5 hour sessions each day): systems are: 12.5 hours / week for 3-4 year olds (up to 3 x 2.5 hours sessions back to back) 15 hours / week for qualifying 3-4 year olds (flexible delivery) - certain conditions apply e.g children must be "disadvantaged", setting must meet certain criteria 10 hours / week for qualifying 2 year olds - certain conditions apply e.g., children must be "disadvantaged", setting must meet certain criteria I used to run 5 x 3.5 hour sessions but although parents were happy about the duration of the session they were unhappy at not being able to use their 12.5 hour entitlement flexibly and paying top up We also have a significant number of parents in our area who look for completely free sessions. To try to meet everyone's needs e.g., use more of their 12.5 hour allowance we are changing to 2 x 2.5 hours back to back - eg 5 hours. We can only have our premises for 5 hour sessions Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri so will continue to offer 3.5 hours on Wednesday which (after consultation) is what most parents want. Most of them love the idea of being able to use their 12.5 hours in back to back sessions as it means no top up fees. When most popular sessions have gone (usually mornings or Monday????) later starters will have to take what is left or wait until new school year. Not entirely satisfactory but the best we can do to try to be fair. Jury out on how it will pan out! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 But presumably not in school nurseries though Marion? Maz Yes in school nurseries. It seems from talking to people and reading posts on TES etc that under subscribed nursery classes are offering the surplus places to existing pupils for a fee. Last year I went to look around a school (I considered applying for a FS coordinators position there) and this was one of the things that put me off applying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 We are like Sue as we are next door so our Authorities try! to collaborate. We are phasing in the 15 hrs. Those that want to start it can. Im going from 2.5hr sessions to 3 hours to cover getting in the 15 hours in the mornings. we have always done lunchlub and afternoons but now have allowed parents to take a minimum of 3 hrs and up to the 6.5. 2 years ago we incorporated the lunchclub as part of our afternoon session, so parents didn't have to pay for it. Then had to stop it last year have now gone back to it being paid for. Poole is also doing the 10 hours for the 2yr olds most disadvantaged. Having hated telling some parents that they live in the most disadvantaged area so were eligible for the 15 hours. Especially as most of them aren't my most disadvantaged!! Now that I've got it sorted in my head it should work better. It just remains to keep explaining it to my parents come September Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tess Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Hi I have also been on the pathfinder trial for 2 and half years now and my parents love the flexibity of being able to choose how long they can attend for and when, we have actually increased our hours further from September to accomodate this further. We find some parents like having the longer sessions 5 hours in one day, whilst others prefer 3 hours every day. Like any when those starting later in the year will have to be fitted around what hours we have left available. Having just done the registers for the term yesterday, I know it means we have to be ultra organised as children leave at different times. I am a pathfinder lover - it works for us, our children and our parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Good luck steph It sounds as though Poole are as organised as we are in Bournemouth - my parent's are getting really confused - so am i - so are staff team ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WChurchill Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Thanks all, seems we have a little while to plan then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Our 2 networks that we have pre-school and Nursery were in an uproar when they first found out as we were told first of all that we had to go over to the 15 hours. then someone found a notice that said it only had to be phased in so the Borough had to back off and allow settings to phase in they want to. After that every one sat down and thought about and most have decided to change their hours to fit in with the 15 hours. I personally think it's better, its the nurseries that have more of a problem because of the amount we are paid. We are still working on the formular for next year it remains to be seen how much we all get. that's going to be the killer blow for some groups. We will have to wait and see. If your ever in Poole Sue I'm at the Stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueJ Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Hi Steph I'm in Ensbury Park - if you are open all year round I would love to come and see you - comparing notes and moans seems a good idea right now. Also saw your post about fees - will add a bit to that one on what we do. Sue If you cross the border at any time come and see us (We are term time only) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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