Guest cattin Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 I am a 65 place nursery school. We have been told that from September 2012 Manchester city council has cut the funding from 25 hours to 15 hours. We know that lots of our parents will still want full time places and can use working tax credits to help pay for the additional cost. However we know that our most in need children will only be given 15 hours. Does any other LEA do this and are there anytimes when school would pay for the extra hours. Also for partime place how do you get two lots of 15 hours in a week without the children crossing over and then impacting on your staff to child ratios. Plus allowing children lunchtime which carnt be included in your 15 hours, Help
Cait Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 I don't understand how you had 25 hours. Our councils increased our funding from 12.5 hours to 15 a few years back. We currently have only 8 children in receipt of the free entitlement. We split this as 6 2.5 hour sessions, so some children have all mornings and an afternoon, some have 3 full days etc, split how parents want. If children stay full time they pay for their additional hours over the 15. Lunchtime can be included in the 15 hours if you 'EYFS it', showing the learning etc
Guest cattin Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 I don't understand how you had 25 hours. Our councils increased our funding from 12.5 hours to 15 a few years back. We currently have only 8 children in receipt of the free entitlement. We split this as 6 2.5 hour sessions, so some children have all mornings and an afternoon, some have 3 full days etc, split how parents want. If children stay full time they pay for their additional hours over the 15.Lunchtime can be included in the 15 hours if you 'EYFS it', showing the learning etc Manchester nursery schools have always had 25 hours funded. Feel like a bit of moaner when i know some LEA have only had 15 but we know this will have a negative effect on our children. Cant think how i will get LSL Cll and PSRN teaching and free choice into such a shot time
blondie Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) lucky you - we too only have 15 hours which was increased from 12-5 ! x (sorry hope that doesnt sound like i am being mean ) Edited September 28, 2011 by blondie
finleysmaid Posted September 28, 2011 Posted September 28, 2011 i dont think anyone likes change especially when it is forced upon you....we can all empathise with that! we went from 12.5 to 15 only a short time ago ...it really messed the system up and we had to reorganise everything...we now do two sessions a day 8.30-11.30 and 12-3 with a half hour opt in lunch club (charged seperately)...we dont do full days at present but could easily adapt if needed. We found it a bit tricky to start with but now it seems like we've been doing it for ever!...and yes we do fit all the learning in as well!!
lynned55 Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 We have, within the last year, also gone from 12.5 to 15 hours funded Are you saying that your children have attended your nursery school for 25 hours per week for free (i.e paid by the council) but as from Sept 2012 they will only be able to attend for 15 hours (free)? I know some nurseries that are maintained in the am and then private in the afternoon. So anyone that wants to access more then 15 hours per week would have to pay for the additional hours- which is what I guess the rest of us do? Sorry I know of no other borough that has funded for 25 hours. So not much help to you
Guest Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Manchester nursery schools have always had 25 hours funded. Feel like a bit of moaner when i know some LEA have only had 15 but we know this will have a negative effect on our children. Cant think how i will get LSL Cll and PSRN teaching and free choice into such a shot time Sorry, can't be any help - but all I can say is 'Welcome to our world!' I too don't know of anyone who has been so lucky to be in your situation. With staff all wanting to leave because of the workload and myself feeling pressured and stressed and with no work/life balance while waiting for Ofsted I can't offer any sympathy. Sorry
mundia Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 I always worked in 25 hour funded nurseries so I can see where cattin is coming from. However, Im not that up to speed on how funding is to be if it is being cut. In the dim and distant past we used to have priority places for families in difficulties and there was a list of criteria. I don't know if its worth finding out if such a thing still exists in your LA, although I would somehow doubt it. However take solace from the fact that Im sure the EPPE (or it may have been another influential piece of research) showed that there were no further gains to be made for children if they attended full time v part time. It might be a shock for parents who are used to have full time provision, but actually it only balances things up with what other providers can offer. On a more practical note, there are a number of nursery class members here who can explain how they manage the 2 lots of 15 hours in a week.. Ill leave space for their replies.
catma Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 (edited) I always worked in 25 hour funded nurseries so I can see where cattin is coming from. However, Im not that up to speed on how funding is to be if it is being cut. In the dim and distant past we used to have priority places for families in difficulties and there was a list of criteria. I don't know if its worth finding out if such a thing still exists in your LA, although I would somehow doubt it. We do - all the hours in nursery classes were rationalised way back. In the schools there was an allocation dependent on the deprivation level in their catchment area. Additional hours can be applied for where there are specific criteria in place (SEN etc etc). We are now looking at how school nurseries could charge for unused spaces as full time provision and what criteria they would need to use. Personally I don't think it would make a difference to the children. When we shifted there was a hand over period when children who had full time places kept them until they left to avoid parents being stuck for childcare. cx Edited October 1, 2011 by catma
enuffsenuf Posted October 4, 2011 Posted October 4, 2011 I am a 65 place nursery school. We have been told that from September 2012 Manchester city council has cut the funding from 25 hours to 15 hours. We know that lots of our parents will still want full time places and can use working tax credits to help pay for the additional cost. However we know that our most in need children will only be given 15 hours. Does any other LEA do this and are there anytimes when school would pay for the extra hours. Also for partime place how do you get two lots of 15 hours in a week without the children crossing over and then impacting on your staff to child ratios. Plus allowing children lunchtime which carnt be included in your 15 hours, Help crikey...until last year we were only getting 12 1/2 per week and have only moved to 15 in the last 12 months!
Guest cattin Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 crikey...until last year we were only getting 12 1/2 per week and have only moved to 15 in the last 12 months! I know we were very lucky to have 25 hours but when this is all you know change can be scary. Think we have finally got a timetable we are all happy with. Thanks for all the help.
Guest George85 Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Jeeez. Somebody comes on here looking for advice on what to do in a new situation and all they get is people saying 'man up its always been this way for me' How helpful!
hali Posted October 6, 2011 Posted October 6, 2011 Thats not all Manchester are doing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-15151271
Cait Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 I know we were very lucky to have 25 hours but when this is all you know change can be scary. Think we have finally got a timetable we are all happy with. Thanks for all the help. I'm pleased you have managed to sort out a timetable that suits everyone. Are you going for 5 funded 3 hour sessions or 6 of 2.5 hours?
louby loo Posted October 7, 2011 Posted October 7, 2011 Jeeez. Somebody comes on here looking for advice on what to do in a new situation and all they get is people saying 'man up its always been this way for me' How helpful! Hello, and welcome to the fsf. You'll find we're a friendly bunch - and if you re-read the whole thread you'll notice that the couple of posts you're talking about are said in a non-aggressive manner!
debs1 Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 Hiya. We have had children on 15 hours for quite some time. We offer three 5 hour sessions for those who only want their free hours. If i was to do it any other way, i would have to close my nursery. It's the only way i can make it work for us. As far as not including lunch time, i don't know where that has come from? Lunch time is a great social time and a lovely opportunity for the adults to sit down and talk with the children. It should be fine as long as your not charging anything for those funded hours. You have to make it work for you as a setting. We try to offer some flexibility where they can choose from 8 until 1 and 12 till 5 and 1 till 6. At the end of the day, do whatever works best for yourselves. Hope things work out Deb
Guest Posted June 12, 2012 Posted June 12, 2012 Yes we have also had the 15 hours funding per week for a few years now.. for min 3 days attendance per week. (2 days per week is 12.5 hours only) We try to use 5 x 3 hours per day or 3 x 5hours.. but find it is better for us to offer the 5 x 3 hours.. so we can then do 9am - 12pm slots and 12pm - 3pm slots in 1 day.. leaving 3pm - 6pm free for an after school club!! Well this will be from September anyway! Does that seem greedy lol I know it doesn't help the op in any way.. sorry you have lost your full funding allowance.. a generous 25 hours per week.. which isn't fair on children and parents who might have relied on this!! Well i guess 15 hours per week is better than nothing though
Recommended Posts