2 year old funding, are there any settings left who don't have any

[thumperrabbit]

I feel as if we are on our own!

We are a Good with 4 Outstanding features (last Ofsted 2 years ago) setting BUT because we are in an affluent area we are missing out on lots of help, support & even money that other settings are getting to take funded 2yr olds.

We have lots of spaces so much so, that if nothing changes for us, we will be closed in just over 8 months. This is really upsetting when all the LEA/Government keep going on about it not having enough childcare

Just interested to hear if there are any other settings not accessing 2yr funded children.

[Madmum]

We only take 'Rising 3s' ie in the term they turn 3.

I am devastated that we will reduce to 1 session in September, meaning I lose half my job. Not just because we don't take 2 year olds but also because we only offer 15 hours at 3hours a day. The encouragement to get people back to work means they want far more than we can offer.

[thumperrabbit]

Gosh Madmum is that 1 session per week? or per day?

We do take 2 years olds - but with schools now taking our 'rising 3's' there aren't enough paying 2 year old children about, certainly not ones that more than 1 or 2 sessions max a week

[Madmum]

1 per day, and we're a school nursery.

We've only had 3 Rising 3s in a year!

[mundia]

Most of our eligible nurseries take two year olds (or can if they wish) even when in more affluent areas. The only exception to this may be more rural settings where unless there are eligible families right there, they are less likely to have the means to the means to travel. Thumperrabbit, are you in a rural setting?

[Guest]

I am in a nursery attached to a school that was maintained but has gradually been forced to go "private" because of low numbers and a wage bill that was too big.

 

We went entirely private in September 2013 and we are run by the governing body.

 

Numbers remain low and so since September we have taken rising threes........

Actually though all 3 of our rising threes turned 3 in early September!!

 

I had put a bid in for the satellite children's centre next door to us so that I could provide nursery for two years olds (many of the families in the area we serve get the 15 hour entitlement but nowhere for them to access this care)

Our bid was turned down and the building has been unused since last April!!!!

 

I do not want to take the younger 2 year olds into our nursery with three and four year olds because I feel it would have a negative impact on the older children who we work really hard with and often come into us with low level skills.

 

I am angry that we tried to provide childcare for our two year olds but couldn't get a building that was actually built for under five care!!!! It's grossly sad!

Edited March 23, 2014 by Scarlettangel

[Guest]

It does make me sad to see childcare buildings standing in ruins, not being used.

[thumperrabbit]

Most of our eligible nurseries take two year olds (or can if they wish) even when in more affluent areas. The only exception to this may be more rural settings where unless there are eligible families right there, they are less likely to have the means to the means to travel. Thumperrabbit, are you in a rural setting?

Sort of 3 miles from our closest town but on a bus route - but then there are closer settings rather than getting a bus!

[sunnyday]

Hi thumper - we don't take two year olds - mine start at 2.5 and yes I know that's still two before anyone feels the need to point that out there is a lot of difference (in my humble) between 2 and 2.5 :1b

Have been asked to take 'free for twos' but I won't - my setting is just not suitable + we are very 'small' - we take just 12 children per session and we are lucky enough to always be over-subscribed.

I do have a big issue too with the 'free for two' funding - but that's because I think we were all (well I was anyway) completely 'suckered in' with the funding when it first began as 'vouchers' - we were 'quids in' then as the funding was far more per hour than our charges - but who knew it was never going to keep pace - my current situation is that as soon as my children change from fee paying to funded I lose 0.60p per hour per child

[Panders]

We are much the same as Sunnyday I take children from 2.5yrs, and I don't intend to accept any younger just don't have the resources and the funding will not be enough to make up for that.

[thumperrabbit]

Hi thumper - we don't take two year olds - mine start at 2.5 and yes I know that's still two before anyone feels the need to point that out there is a lot of difference (in my humble) between 2 and 2.5 :1b

Have been asked to take 'free for twos' but I won't - my setting is just not suitable + we are very 'small' - we take just 12 children per session and we are lucky enough to always be over-subscribed.

 

We used to be like this Sunnyday, but the introduction of school nurseries, first made us change to taking 2.5yr olds and then when schools started to take 'Rising 3's' we had to lower our admission age to 2yrs.

All this has happened so quickly; it was only 3 years ago I was being shouted at by mums about not being able to get a place.

I just feels very unfair that unless you are 'lucky enough' to get 2yr funded children in our area, then LEA support is virtually zero as well.

[Guest]

I too take from 2.5 . Have been asked to take 3 4 2 but can't afford to. We are also hugely over subscribed.

 

The funding is just not enough. Schools in our area asked to take 2 yr olds but most probably will not as they don't have the space.

 

I'm glad school is not the place for these often vulnerable group of children.

 

The politics of all this is infuriating me. With schools trialing this getting £10,000 as a sweetener .

 

There are now where near enough places in our area for 3 yr olds let alone 2.

 

This children will end up in settings or schools not suitable to take them

[Stargrower]

We are full daycare and have funded two-year-olds but have never had any extra money for them, other than we get a slightly higher rate for their funding. We've never had any grants, money for resources, training etc. We even had to pay for our training entitled Two's Are Special which was put on by the LA for settings taking funded two-year-olds!

[caffinefreak]

I am in a nursery attached to a school that was maintained but has gradually been forced to go "private" because of low numbers and a wage bill that was too big.

 

We went entirely private in September 2013 and we are run by the governing body.

 

Numbers remain low and so since September we have taken rising threes........

Actually though all 3 of our rising threes turned 3 in early September!!

 

I had put a bid in for the satellite children's centre next door to us so that I could provide nursery for two years olds (many of the families in the area we serve get the 15 hour entitlement but nowhere for them to access this care)

Our bid was turned down and the building has been unused since last April!!!!

 

I do not want to take the younger 2 year olds into our nursery with three and four year olds because I feel it would have a negative impact on the older children who we work really hard with and often come into us with low level skills.

 

I am angry that we tried to provide childcare for our two year olds but couldn't get a building that was actually built for under five care!!!! It's grossly sad!

We are in a similar situation, we are full day care, we do take funded 2 year olds but we are full with a waiting list. We are desperate to take over a nursery building that has been empty since the last nursery was closed down by Ofsted last July, we are turning away funded (and private) children daily but the council is wrangling over the empty building... at the same time as calling me daily for 2 year old places, Ive told anyone who will listen that we could be operational in the other building with in a few weeks but I just keep getting 'oh the lease is still under negotiation, blah, blah, blah... 'SIGH' xx

[Guest]

I feel like we're really lucky. We take the funded 2 year olds and were given a £500 grant to buy resources to support them, and I've been attending the LA course on 2 year olds learning and development. On top of that, our children's centre teacher has been running a session for an LA initiative called PRIME TIME that focuses on the funded 2's, taking them out and giving them some specialised support in the prime areas of learning, which I have been supporting her with. They're using the data to track the progress of the funding to check the impact etc.

 

*hides*

[Guest]

I feel like we're really lucky. We take the funded 2 year olds and were given a £500 grant to buy resources to support them, and I've been attending the LA course on 2 year olds learning and development. On top of that, our children's centre teacher has been running a session for an LA initiative called PRIME TIME that focuses on the funded 2's, taking them out and giving them some specialised support in the prime areas of learning, which I have been supporting her with. They're using the data to track the progress of the funding to check the impact etc.

 

*hides*

 

This £500 was also on offer in our area, but schools who are doing this as a trial ( I read somewhere there were 49 of them ) got £10,000. Where is this fair? As the urgency grows to place these 2yr olds so criteria to recieve these children is less and less. Truly shameful.

 

Yet again our funded rate has not increased

[Guest]

Caffeine freak I really do feel your pain!!

 

Every time I have a call about two year old places I have a little moan/rant about the empty building next door to use that was originally built for under fives!!

It is equipped pretty much too.

 

I wrangled about renting space from them for two year old nursery, for about a year before it became apparent that our children's centre would no longer be used as a CC. Then another nine months or so putting bids in etc waiting for meetings to happen........... Almost the end of July last year before we were told our bid was unsuccessful.

I appreciate the economic issues etc but the building has not been used by county now since Easter 2013. So, then how desperate was the need for the building to be used for social care??

It's now sat empty and probably the building is suffering for the lack of use.

 

I am way past CROSS!!

 

I will add that we were told we could negotiate with social care re school and nursery using the building but for this we had to clean it, care take the building, sort issues etc...... Then we might possibly get a couple of hours a week in there but no promises and no regularity which didn't lend itself to the needs we had.

 

I am also in an underprivileged area with many social issues and I think two year old places in an apprpropriate setting could have made all the difference for the area and families we serve.

 

Keep wrangling is my thought! Fingers crossed for you!!

[Guest]

This £500 was also on offer in our area, but schools who are doing this as a trial ( I read somewhere there were 49 of them ) got £10,000. Where is this fair? As the urgency grows to place these 2yr olds so criteria to recieve these children is less and less. Truly shameful.

Yet again our funded rate has not increased

Yeah I find it disgraceful that schools got 10 grand and we got 500. It's unfair.

[caffinefreak]

Caffeine freak I really do feel your pain!!

 

Every time I have a call about two year old places I have a little moan/rant about the empty building next door to use that was originally built for under fives!!

It is equipped pretty much too.

 

I wrangled about renting space from them for two year old nursery, for about a year before it became apparent that our children's centre would no longer be used as a CC. Then another nine months or so putting bids in etc waiting for meetings to happen........... Almost the end of July last year before we were told our bid was unsuccessful.

I appreciate the economic issues etc but the building has not been used by county now since Easter 2013. So, then how desperate was the need for the building to be used for social care??

It's now sat empty and probably the building is suffering for the lack of use.

 

I am way past CROSS!!

 

I will add that we were told we could negotiate with social care re school and nursery using the building but for this we had to clean it, care take the building, sort issues etc...... Then we might possibly get a couple of hours a week in there but no promises and no regularity which didn't lend itself to the needs we had.

 

I am also in an underprivileged area with many social issues and I think two year old places in an apprpropriate setting could have made all the difference for the area and families we serve.

 

Keep wrangling is my thought! Fingers crossed for you!!

Thanks Scarlettangel!

Its beyond frustrating isn't it?! but I agree totally with your comment that they can't be as desperate as they are claiming to be, there are several empty buildings which are purpose built nurseries (no doubt at a cost of £££££££'s!!) which are now empty, yet it appears easier to pressure PVI's than to actually get these leases sorted, honestly I just have to not think about it because when I do, smoke pours from my ears!! xx

[Rea]

Birmingham City Council closed all of its community day nurseries which were based in their own purpose built buildings about 4 years ago. The one close to me and where i worked for a while, is just boarded up and abandonded. It has four rooms for the different ages, sensory room, library and gardens but we're being asked over and over to take 2 year olds. I don't want to but I'm aware its not just my decision so I'm getting a list of the pros and cons together for the staff and committee.

[caffinefreak]

Birmingham City Council closed all of its community day nurseries which were based in their own purpose built buildings about 4 years ago. The one close to me and where i worked for a while, is just boarded up and abandonded. It has four rooms for the different ages, sensory room, library and gardens but we're being asked over and over to take 2 year olds. I don't want to but I'm aware its not just my decision so I'm getting a list of the pros and cons together for the staff and committee.

Such a waste, most settings would LOVE to have facilities like that!!

It's worth thinking about, let us know how you get on!