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Yup from 1st September, ofsted are now in charge of the funding for Early Years Entitlement. There was talk of it, but nothing had formally gone through as far as I was aware, but a setting that has recently just got an inadequate received an email to say that ofsted won't be providing them any funding from september but will give them a part payment next week as planned but they won't receive the rest for the term.

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Well the Dfe site has this for 2 year olds:

"From 2013-14 funding for two-year-olds will be included within the Dedicated Schools Grant – this means that it is ring-fenced for spending on education."

 

And the funding for 3 and 4 year olds is also in the same grant as far as I'm aware so I really don't think this is accurate...it's the LA which manages the DSG with the Schools Forum. Ofsted can't pay the funds to the same settings they regulate - it would be a conflict of interest.

 

Cx

Edited by catma
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Thats handy to know thanks Catma, I'm just waiting for the link to come through from the other setting and then I'll post it on here when I get it :-)

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http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/la%20role%20statutory%20guidance%20final.pdf

 

This is the link - yes it's not Ofsted persay but whereas before you could continue with your funding based on action plans etc that has now been withdrawn, and looking at this too, if you get a satisfactory or below it will be compulsory for you to attend LEA training for staff. Which is fine - however my LEA are rubbish and the courses are sometimes 30 miles away!

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Not exactly - it's the DfE response to "More great childcare".

The basic shift is that only Ofsted judgements will dictate the quality of the setting. The LA should have training etc for all settings including those judged below good but the LA cannot require anyone to access their training alone.

Funding can (and should in my opinion) be withdrawn for settings rated inadequate (Section 3 Quality).

 

Cx

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Funding can (and should in my opinion) be withdrawn for settings rated inadequate (Section 3 Quality).

 

You took the words right out of my mouth catma - I had just logged back in to say the very same thing.......

 

This is 'public money' and in my humble should not be used to fund 'inadequate settings'......

 

Guess we probably both need to 'duck' now catma! :ph34r:

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'More Great Chilcare' proposed that Ofsted will become the sole arbitrators of quality. Local Authorities will retain the payment of the funded places to settings. Settings will be able to access funding after their registration up until the settings first inspection. So no quality checks to ensure that children's learning and development requirements are being met appropriately aside from a registration visit with no children present just the proposed format for supporting children's learning and development.

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'More Great Chilcare' proposed that Ofsted will become the sole arbitrators of quality. Local Authorities will retain the payment of the funded places to settings. Settings will be able to access funding after their registration up until the settings first inspection. So no quality checks to ensure that children's learning and development requirements are being met appropriately aside from a registration visit with no children present just the proposed format for supporting children's learning and development.

I'm not sure what has changed then!! we re-registered after a move 2 years ago our set up was as you describe a pre-registration inspection (which was in depth and talked about our proposed plans etc...we also had to have had everything set up for this) then a full inspection after 7 months.

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What is proposed to change is that just about anyone will be able to take public money from the moment they open without a comprehensive check that the people offering the service know what they are doing and how to meet the needs of children in regards to the emotional well being and quality of learning and development. Some settings will re register just before they are due an inspection so could go for a long period of time with no one actually ensuring the quality of the provision.

 

You have described an existing provision that moved you knew what you were doing and how to support children imagine people who do not have your experience opening up a new provision taking in children who will ensure the quality is good enough for them? Is a registration visit enough to then be able to offer funded places are we putting children at risk & are we wasting public money?

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Thanks for the clarification DNB21 ...i had misunderstood the emphasis of your post. I guess it is difficult if you are setting up a new provision though if you are not getting funding...people aren't going to pay for a service that they can get free elsewhere. The pre-registration visit is fairly in depth ...you would need to know your stuff to get through it.

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Thanks for the clarification DNB21 ...i had misunderstood the emphasis of your post. I guess it is difficult if you are setting up a new provision though if you are not getting funding...people aren't going to pay for a service that they can get free elsewhere. The pre-registration visit is fairly in depth ...you would need to know your stuff to get through it.

 

When I set up my pre-school in September 2011, it took us nearly a year before we were able to offer funded places for 3&4 year olds! We only had 5 children in (all 2yrs old) as others didn't want to pay when they could go somewhere else for free. But we also got marked down by our LA in our quality review and when we had Ofsted in November (only been open 2 months but registered in June) they gave us satisfactory and said we couldn't get higher because we only had 5 children!

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That doesn't seem fair klc, and a bit of vicious circle.....if you can't get high enough grade to take funded 3/4 year olds, you may never get enough children to get higher grade, didn't realise there was a limit to children you needed, and childminders don't have many :(

Edited by mouse63
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That's what we thought too. We've still only got 8 children per session as we are in such a small village so I'm hoping that won't affect our grade this time. We've recently had another LA quality review and got good in all areas so I'm hoping we get the same from ofsted!

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I'm not meaning to be challenging in any way so please do not take this the wrong way just want people to see the potential in the changes.

 

A Local Authority see's you as a good setting so fund your provision if Ofsted become the gatekeepers to quality and only visit you once every 2 to 3 years & they judge the quality to be lower than good this may affect your access to funding. Would you prefer someone who knows the local area, knows the need in the area & can work in a constructive way to support you develop & you keep your funding or Ofsted visit once no advice no follow up visit & no funding for a long time? & then someone opens up round the corner & can claim the funding from the day they open they then change their registration 6 months after they've opened & go another 6 months funded without Ofsted visiting?

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I think we would be best keeping our LA quality reviews to determine our funding as like you say they work with you and support you in changes that need to be made. OFSTED only see you for one day and make their judgement.

 

But I do think it can take too long to get a quality review and be able to offer funded sessions. Like I said earlier we went nearly a year before we could offer them.

Edited by klc106
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Hi,

 

the link i posted is the link that the LEA sent to the nursery about their funding. I agree that we can't fund inadequate settings.

 

I do feel that the process is going to be even more unfair based on this now - like part of the furniture said Ofsted only see you for one day, and it can take them 18 months to do your first inspections sometimes!

 

I was more curious to know who had been told that it was happening.

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