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Do you think it's appropriate to use EYPP to pay for meals?

We collect our mid-day meal from the local primary school and parents pay £2.30 per meal. We are a full daycare setting but have many children who only use their free entitlement with us. Many of these families struggle to pay for a hot lunch (they do have the option of bringing a packed lunch) and we often end up out of pocket as children leave having not paid for their lunches.

So I was thinking I could offset the cost of the meals with the EYPP. What do you think? Do you think I would need to offer eligible parents the choice of free meals?

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Not sure this meets requirement. Free meals for your children that can claim may be is what required to help narrow the gap but to meet your costs? Unless you can show that paying for meals means budget is reduced and therefore you are not providing for those children you would need to show that

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Hmm, I can see your point Suer. It would look like we were just cost-cutting. My initial idea was to offer the free meal as a way of 'closing the gap' but in reality, these children are already getting a hot meal, just not paying for it! :1b :rolleyes:

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Hmm tricky - if you could argue the case that without the EYPP they wouldn't get a hot lunch, debatable if their parents would make them a nutritious packed lunch and that their performance was enhanced in the afternoon session because they had good food in them, rather than their progression beforehand which had been decidedly slower - you might get away with it. As ever's it's tax payers money - everything must be accountable

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I was also wondering whether it could be used to provide a hot lunch. Our children can bring in a packed lunch if they stay over the lunch period. I was thinking along the lines of the feedback from the primary schools is that the children are struggling with using cutlery etc. We were hoping to cook our own hot meal and offer to all children. We are a small setting, only 12 at most for lunch. Quality of food provided by parents not too good impacting on behaviour etc in afternoon????

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I have given them out and had a few back, but really not sure how we are going to use the premium for them ( when confirmed via checker from apr1 for us) they are not Sen children that have a clear need of how we could spend it to help them, or chn that appear to go without anything (at all), one likes to fill bags, so maybe a new Radley ? But seriously has anyone given any real thought to how they will use it if not obvious what could help the child ?

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We only have 2 so far who have responded (yes i have sent out info....if i wait till our lea gets organised the'll be at school!)

One i have considered using to pay for some lunch clubs ...going down the line of healthy eating/meals /supporting family

the other one has serious medical needs ...so i'm wondering about using it to support transition to school as this will need time ...so couls pay for staffing this

What do you think? suitable ?????

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I have given them out and had a few back, but really not sure how we are going to use the premium for them ( when confirmed via checker from apr1 for us) they are not Sen children that have a clear need of how we could spend it to help them, or chn that appear to go without anything (at all), one likes to fill bags, so maybe a new Radley ? But seriously has anyone given any real thought to how they will use it if not obvious what could help the child ?

I'm in a school so it's just 'normal' PP for me rather than EYPP and I'm not sure if the guidelines are different. However, I have a PP child with no obvious need at all and had to write a case study of how we would spend to support him. I looked at his progress through the year, identified areas where there was a query over whether he would meet the ELGs or not and then tried to think of things we might do to support him. My head suggested thinking sideways so, if one of his issues is speech/interaction with other children looking at ways to encourage his participation in role play - buying some transformers dressing up costumes and small world diggers as these are two of his current interests. That may not be of any use to you at all but hope it makes sense!

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Mouskateer . I'm thinking same as you. The two children we have who will probably be eligible are doing just fine, developing just as they should with no needs for SLT or extra input. How we show impact with the 50 p a day extra eludes me! I struggle with the thinking that all children from families on income support are "deprived".

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Thank you for replies, I can see how schools can help by covering extra clubs or trips that a child might miss out on if parents couldn't afford to pay for them, I expected a few as children were previously funded 2 yr olds, but I've been quite surprised with some that have been returned, a couple already attending more than their funded hours, when others who are just under meeting the criteria clearly struggle to make ends meet, often waiting till children are gone 3 to be able to send them :(

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I contacted our LA as we have heard nothing, to be told yes it starts in April and we will contact providers nearer the time! Hmmmmmm is 18th March not near enuf!!!

Me thinks they havnt got a clue how their going to deliver it and how it will be implemented or how they are going to assess its impact. Cheers to our LA ! I'm sure they will want me to receive information and send it all back in a week but hey let them take all the time in the world.

(Oh I do sound annoyed lol)

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Sounds great Finleysmaid.

We also have two children next term so far. With two others already receiving two year funding and unless their circumstances change will come under this category in the Autumn term.

1: child A to support child and family with transition to school.

Continue to liaise with social care team to support child.

This might include small group work with SL activities.

2: child B enjoys role play equipment and puzzles.

So purchasing some additional items to extend and support their play.

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The EYPP advice sheet says settings can use it for several things training staff, resources etc and the letter to send to parents says the setting can use how they want! Personally I think providing a hot meal is eligible , children and adults all 'perform ' better when well fed and if these children are missing out because of financial constraints then I think go for it , it's about proving to Ofsted how the money is having an impact on said children and will form part of the judgement in leadership and management .

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I think if you can prove that giving them a hot dinner is having a positive impact on their development compared to having a packed lunch, and can show its "closing the gap" as the bigwigs like to throw around, you'll be fine.

 

Our LA give us "deprivation funding" because we're in a deprived area and we have certain things we're allowed to spend it on. We've used it in in house training, specialist resources and to subsidise hot dinners before.

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A few comments.

Regarding whether or not the EYPP can be used for hot meals, I think Id ask the question

What issue regarding childrens learning and development is going to be improved by providing a hot meal?Why this solution and not another one? It may help you to look at the evidence from the free school meals pilot study for an evidence base. Interestingly the giving of FSM in the pilot made only small gains in attainment, often not statistically significant. If you can show that this intervention is what is needed for your children (rather than looking like a financial issue for you) and is the best solution to the need you have, then you would be able to justify this decision. I dont think it would be an easy one though and certainly if you couldnt show the impact of this over time, you would need to re think it.

 

In terms of eligibility, unlike the 2 year funding, the EYPP has to be applied for each year. The rules about this are set by govt and not by LAs. So all 2 year funded children continue to receive it if their circumstances change. In reality they will only get this for 3 terms.

 

Finally the Education Endowment Foundation has now published its early years toolkit so that you can see some of the interventions that are making a difference. Not many on there yet but I am sure it will grow over time.

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Really Mouseketeer, that's bonkers. :(

a parent told me a couple of terms ago they were no longer eligible and paid invoice, my county funding person phoned me to ask why I'd left them off, told them parent had said they no longer meet criteria and was told once given it stays, they don't have the man power to ensure everyone is still meeting the criteria ....I very unprofessionally blurted out 'that's my tax money your giving away' :ph34r:

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Can I ask a question - do schools receive their pupil premium funding in one lump payment? I am assuming that we will receive ours in 6 payments alongside the early years funding? I really must do some more research as we are still waiting for clarification from LA.

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Our LA is same for changes in circumstances in regards to 2 year funded children, it is said to be detrimental to a child putting them into childcare and then if circumstances change taking them out for them to change again and then be put back in, once awarded it is not in the best interests of the child to retract it at any point. This has always been the case since we did the pilot back in I think it was 2009/2010 x

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Finally the Education Endowment Foundation has now published its early years toolkit so that you can see some of the interventions that are making a difference. Not many on there yet but I am sure it will grow over time.

This is the link I put in above - I found (and know our SENDCo did) it really useful for helping to look at how we spend our PP.

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Our LA is planning on a once per year payment of the EYPP... in January!! But we have to 'close the gap' from April (which means some of our eligible children will have been at school for a term before we receive the funding!) and be accountable to our 'fabulous' governing Ofsted for how we have closed the gap, before we actually see a penny!!!

Hmmmmmmm....!!!!

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