Children attending for just one session / day

[woodlands1997]

I wasn't sure where to post this. We are thinking about saying from September that funded children can not only do one session/ day per week. We find it hard to manage and to be honest quite unnecessary and unfair on the child. Does anyone else stipulate a minimum amount of time they have to come for? We will only accept funding from 9:30-12:00 And 1:00-3:30 or can do 9:30-3:30 so the must funding they can claim in a day with us is 6 hours. It is children that attend another setting too.

Thanks:-)

[holt2007]

We stipulate 2 sessions minimum - we are only mornings and have found it best for the children as not many settle enough with 1 session and most that did do just 1 were also in another setting as well so just too unsettling for them. We've only ever had 1 strong objection to this from a parent but otherwise everyone has been understanding when we have explained why.

[finleysmaid]

sorry confused by this post.....do you mean that they can only claim for one funded session per week???

Our minimum is 3 sessions per week but we only offer sessional care for funding (approved by lea!) so they can either have 15 hours in mornings or in afternoons not both. If they want full day then they pay for lunch and afternoon session

[Guest]

We haven't done this but might think about it if we were busier!

 

Then again some of our parents like to bring their children in once a week before their funded sessions kick in and this has worked well.....

Ah actually, thinking about that again most of those children have done 2 sessions a week!

 

If I have the space to be able to offer one session I would because maybe parents couldn't afford two, but if the child really didn't settle I would have a conversation then with the parent.

 

I find funded wise the only time someone wants one session is if they find they got a place at our school and they are not at our nursery.... They come for that session to get to know their peers that they will be in school with

[SueJ]

We will - if we have space - take children for one session each week but we advise against it as we find children do not settle as well and not only that do not really become part of the "pre-school community" because the other children (being so egocentric at this age) don't really register their presence because they only see them once a week. However if a child is not yet in receipt of funding we do recognise that it can be expensive for parents to have more sessions. In these instances we recommend that once the funding kicks in their children take more sessions. We have this paragraph in our brochure to support our reasoning behind this.

"It is our policy to recommend that children attend for two or more days per week in order that they may become familiar with the routines and practices of the setting, take advantage of the curriculum that we offer and to ensure that they have the freedom to learn through their play and develop their personal and social relationships."

We currently have one little one who only does a Monday so this half term can only attend three times because of the bank holidays - this Monday she was off with chickenpox! By the time she returns it will be like settling a new starter again!

[woodlands1997]

Yes we have them from 3 months and understand it when they aren't funded because it is mainly due to cost so we have a couple that only do one morning/ day then and that's fine! It's when they're are funded we want to say they cant only come once a week.

 

Finleysmaid we don't stipulate how much funding they take so we have quite a few that do five hours (on one day) with us and 10 hours elsewhere, this is what we find hard.

 

Good to know others say a minimum amount of hours/ sessions!

[finleysmaid]

ah bit clearer now ive woken up! Our problem is that if they dont take the sessions up in september then they are unlikely to be able to increase in jan and by easter every session is full. So we warn them that this might happen...some choose to run the risk others pay until they can get a funded space (not very fair...but i run a business! )

[woodlands1997]

:-) Ours never want to up though as they take the rest of the funding elsewhere so they literally just do one day right up until they go to school!

[Guest Spiral]

We have stipulated a minimum of two sessions as well, primarily as we have had one parent who insists that one session is enough, but the child seems really lost, but also due to the sheer cost in paperwork and well as the level of key children we end up with.

 

It has really worked with us.

 

Good luck,

Spiral ;-)

[lashes2508]

We too stipulate minimum of 2 sessions , we have one child that does a full day only so 2 sessions.

The reason we give is so the child has some continuity and that it means we get to know the child better .

[thumperrabbit]

We used to stipulate this when we were always full and only had one parent complain - however for the past couple of years we haven't been full and have dropped the stipulation. it has brought a few more children in but as said before it really doesn't help to settle them and they miss out on so much.

We are noticing more and more that parents will only have 1 or max 2 sessions per week until their child is funded and then once they are they want all hours - it really isn't helping to balance the books we have tried to explain the more parents have low sessions the more we will need to fundraise

[Wildflowers]

Our minimum is three sessions. Parents have tried to persuade me to change, but will never go back to two or one. Sure I would have more places filled, but it is so very different when a smaller number of children come more regularly - children, parents (who didn't go elsewhere) and we are happier. This is what we offer, and there is no shortage of childcare provision in this area.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Wildflowers

[woodlands1997]

Thanks for all your help! We will change our policy from September! It's only a few children so hopefully their parents will understand!!

[mps09]

We will - if we have space - take children for one session each week but we advise against it as we find children do not settle as well and not only that do not really become part of the "pre-school community" because the other children (being so egocentric at this age) don't really register their presence because they only see them once a week. However if a child is not yet in receipt of funding we do recognise that it can be expensive for parents to have more sessions. In these instances we recommend that once the funding kicks in their children take more sessions. We have this paragraph in our brochure to support our reasoning behind this.

"It is our policy to recommend that children attend for two or more days per week in order that they may become familiar with the routines and practices of the setting, take advantage of the curriculum that we offer and to ensure that they have the freedom to learn through their play and develop their personal and social relationships."

We currently have one little one who only does a Monday so this half term can only attend three times because of the bank holidays - this Monday she was off with chickenpox! By the time she returns it will be like settling a new starter again!

Gosh that sounds like me talking! That's just what we say, and we don't take once a week, and we've never had a parent not enrol their child because of this, I guess they don't like the sound of their child not settling or becoming part of the community....

 

And, by the way, we are open 9-3 and stipulate twice a week, whether those are mornings, afternoons or all day...

 

Hope that helps.

[holt2007]

We stipulate 2 sessions as we'll for all the reasons people have already mentioned. We are mornings only so it really isn't great when a child does just 3 hrs a week. Funnily enough I had a parent come in today who was most indigent that she couldn't have 1 day a week.. It really shocked me as most people, once I explain it are understanding but she was most insistent that child could do 1 session with no problem as already does 1 day at another setting and 2 at another and is fine !!! Poor child !!! That would be 3 settings a week ! A definite no from me !

[finleysmaid]

We stipulate 2 sessions as we'll for all the reasons people have already mentioned. We are mornings only so it really isn't great when a child does just 3 hrs a week. Funnily enough I had a parent come in today who was most indigent that she couldn't have 1 day a week.. It really shocked me as most people, once I explain it are understanding but she was most insistent that child could do 1 session with no problem as already does 1 day at another setting and 2 at another and is fine !!! Poor child !!! That would be 3 settings a week ! A definite no from me !

is she splitting funding between you all? only in our area they can only split between 2 maximum.???

[Andreamay]

We say no to 1 session (3hours) however we did say yes to 1 full day!

We have not been happy with this though as said in previous posts! It is so hard to assess and plan for children and they often will not settle into pre-school community at all!

After reading all your views I think we are going to take the view that we do not recommend 1 day and although I dont think we will refuse them I think we will only take them after we have found places for children taking more days with us.

Thankyou this post has been most helpful

[woodlands1997]

Our county states that two year old funding can only be split between two settings but three and four year old funding there is no stipulation! I don't think two year old funding should be split at all personally x

[Fredbear]

Well our county is the opposite, two year funding can only be with one provider.

[holt2007]

Well our county is the opposite, two year funding can only be with one provider.

I think that's is a very sensible way to go !

I'm not sure what the lady was thinking of doing but it just wouldn't be good on many levels. We are only a morning 3 hr session - maybe if we did all day it would be different but we have healthy numbers and are also trying to keep the practitioners with manageable work loads !

[Guest]

 

We do a first come first served,we don't hv allocated days. Who ever gets there first gets the space! We very reairly get children coming in for one session and if we do it's normally for one term just to help them settle