What Hours Are You Planning?

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

My brain is hurting trying to come up with an acceptable solution to the 3 hr funding which will come in to effect for us in September! At the moment we run:

 

Mon am 9.15 - 1145 & 1215 - 1445

tues am 9.15 - 1310

wed am 9.15 - 1145 & 1215 - 1445

thurs am 9.15 - 1310

fri am 9.15 - 1310

 

so I suppose we could stay at the same hours ie child doing 5 full sessions a week would have 17 hrs

we would have to say that they could leave earlier if they only wanted the 15 hours, this would mean children leaving at different times, I could cope with this I think! However it would limit our numbers, we can only have 30 children per session.

 

Could I ask what hours others are doing?

 

We can not extend tuesday or friday sessions as we are in a community hall and other users currently use it 1330 - 1500

 

Any ideas would be extremely gratefully recieved. I can no longer see the wood for the trees.

 

Thank you

Debbie

[Guest]

We have had the 15 hour entitlement for a while now and basically do

9 -12 and 12- 3 everyday.

 

At the moment our children have their 15 hours in the mornings OR the afternoons.

 

However we are classed as private in the afternoon and so some morning children do stay all day!

[Deb]

9-12 and 12-3 would seem logical and fit in well with school times and that we parents could choose a 6 hour block without incurring any fees, but how do you manage lunch club or perhaps you don't have one?

[Guest]

Watching this with great interest.

 

We tried discussing yesterday at committee meeting and got ourselves in knots almost instantly!

 

We can't really start before 9.30 as we are pack away and staff must drop children at school so they need half hour set up time.

 

My LEA have said that we are fine to have a 'top up' bit of session (e.g. it could be 3.5 hours) so long as parents are happy to pay.

[Deb]

Hi Suzie

 

In my last setting and current, we were/are on the school site, so staff could set up whilst their own children played then they went off to school, depending on their age with or without the parent, and we were able to open up for 9 am. I do not know your set up of course, this is just what we did/do.

 

We also charge for the extra half an hour that we are currently open above the 2.5 hours. We charge children the same hourly rate as non-funded children, we cannot charge funded children a different hourly rate. Hope that helps.

[Guest]

We have similar problems with setting up earlier as the majority of staff due to children dropping off at school are unable to start work until 0845 at the earliest.

 

What about registration, we are currently sessional care, do we have to change this with Ofsted if say we wanted to open for longer than 4 hrs?

 

Getting there but still confused!!!!

 

Thanks all

 

Debbie

[Guest]

I had a chat to our school head yesterday and she thinks she is going to offer 15 hours per week in flexible blocks of 2 and a half hours so parents can have what they choose with a free lunch hour where necessary. Our playgroup opens 9-3 and we also do wrap around for some school nursery children.

we are thinking of doing the same and charging for lunch club it would also mean we could offer wrap around for nursery children that need the extra sessions school cant offer.

the only fly in the ointment is how our LA interprets how we can offer it

sue

[Deb]

What about registration, we are currently sessional care, do we have to change this with Ofsted if say we wanted to open for longer than 4 hrs?

 

Yes, you will need to send Ofsted a variation order, explaining what you want to do ie extend the number of hours you are open and what the outcome will be for the children, if I remember correctly. Would be worth a phone call to Ofsted so you know exactly what you need to put in the letter.

[Guest]

We have just applied for a variation (number of children/extension to time-want to open a little earlier) I phoned Ofsted and they e-mailed the form out.You can complete online and send back or print off and send back paper copy. They tell you which sections to complete and it is pretty straightforward. Takes about three weeks to process.

We are open 9-3 and offer flexible provision. Some parents require 9-2 for three days or 3 hours for 5 days eg 9-12 or 9.30-12.30 or 12 -3. Some parents take 6 hours for two days and three hours on another day.

[HappyMaz]

What about registration, we are currently sessional care, do we have to change this with Ofsted if say we wanted to open for longer than 4 hrs?

As I understand it (and I do use the word 'understand' in its loosest sense) you should get a new certificate stating that you offer "childcare on non-domestic premises - the old sessional/full day care distinctions have gone, I think. However the number of hours you open each week and the number of weeks you open dictate how much your annual fee will be.

 

So you shouldn't need to change anything with Ofsted in terms of your registration, as far as I'm aware, unless of course your increased opening hours take you above the threshold of the higher registration/annual fee. Best to ring them and check, I think!

 

Maz

[JennyT]

Not sure that you can do the 'top up' half hour. As I understand it, flexible means that the first 15 hours are funded to a max of 6 hours/day. Probably worthwhile checking this again with your LEA, but definitely not what Essex have in mind!

First time I've done this so apologies if I've made a mess of it.

Edited March 20, 2010 by JennyT

[HappyMaz]

First time I've done this so apologies if I've made a mess of it.

Welcome to the Forum JennyT - you did it perfectly!

 

As you say, this will depend on the local conditions that your Local Authority has set. As I understand it the minimum level of flexibility is 3 hours a day, and anything taken above that level can legitimately be charged for.

 

Maz

[Guest]

Our hours are 8:30-11:30am (We open the doors at 8:30am and we encourage the parents to stay for the first 25 minutes...we ordered adult size sofas to encourage the parents to read to their children...and then lock doors at 8:55am and parents leave..not many parents stay but we encourage it...(one staff member stands at door for security...we then open doors at 11:20 for parents to come...and lock at 11:30...

 

The staff have 45 mintutes lunch and then open the doors at 12:15 ready for afternoon session with different kids...(parents can stay for 25 min similar to morning session) Session ends at 3:15pm but open doors at 3:05 so can chat to parents if need to....

 

it has worked for us so far in Nursery...