Wonderstuff16 Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 Hi - i am just working out my term dates for September. Can i ask when you work out your term dates for the 38 weeks, if a bank holiday falls in a week, like Easter next year (Fri 25th March) do you add an extra day on another week. I know we have to be open for 38 weeks, but as some weeks are only 4 day weeks because of bank hols, we are not giving the 195 days which would be the full 38 weeks if we don't add on the extra missed days for bank hols. What do you do?
Stargrower Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 I think there is usually only one bank holiday that falls during term time each year - the one in early May. We don't add an extra day for this.
korkycat Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 We use dates provided by county for schools which actually cover 39 weeks then we choose which 5 training days we close as we feed to more than one school and the dates vary. Tends to be start a day or 2 later and then maybe close for christmas party/trip/ etc. Have 2 days this year for first aid training for whole staff. korkycat
sunnyday Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 Ah - well - our LA (Kent) are now 'insisting' that we add an extra day to compensate for the BH Monday so yes that's what I will have to do.......
Cait Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 How strange. Our county just fund a specific number of hours per term, making allowance for the bank holiday. In actual fact, over the course of the year, it generally meant that there were children who were getting some free sessions each term as the allowance never seemed to quite tally, for some reason. 2
sunnyday Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 How strange. Our county just fund a specific number of hours per term, making allowance for the bank holiday. In actual fact, over the course of the year, it generally meant that there were children who were getting some free sessions each term as the allowance never seemed to quite tally, for some reason. Hmmm - we have had 'Compliance' briefings here - now I would have said with great confidence "yes, I am definitely compliant" - but the question of B Holidays brought me up short so have now had to alter this years last day of term (summer 6) to ensure that I am indeed 'compliant' - that said we will be closed on Election day and I can't see an easy way to sort that one out
Inge Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 38 weeks is 190 days open... We always had to ensure we were open 190 days. we used to follow the same as the schools locally which is for 195 days and then close for 5 during the year at our choice.. not necessarily for training as we were not being funded for those days.. It was usually beginning of term in September when all the schools seemed to start 2 days later than the term dates, Christmas and end of summer term - we tended to have the party or outing on these..no worries about outing on funded days etc.. We did find having Easter at different dates in the year caused a big headache.. as funding was from beginning of April which did not always tie in with the break.. one year we had children eligible for 3 days funding before we broke up for 2 weeks!
LKeyteach Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 Our LA tells us how many weeks each term and gives us earliest start dates and latest finish dates. Sometimes it makes no difference. They do pay for bank holidays if they fall in term time so the May bank holiday is paid. Next year it might be possible that we get Good Friday. But they have not published their dates yet! Every year I go through this, I set dates based on the school terms and every year I get a date wrong. Learnt from the first year and now tell my parents that they are provisional dates and confirm them when we are told. Sorry but am out of office so can't tell give you my guess at next year's dates but when I get into office I'll post my estimated dates.
Wonderstuff16 Posted April 7, 2015 Author Posted April 7, 2015 We also have to close for a Polling day in May, so I am wondering if I need to also add that day on aswell. We have no choice but to close & still have to pay our staff, so if we opened an extra day for that closure, we are going to end up out of pocket. Working out dates as per standard school year less 1 week, I have my dates as: Autumn term is Thurs 3rd Sept - Weds 16th Dec - 14 weeks (70 days) Half Term Oct 26th- 30th Spring term is Mon 4th Jan - Thurs 24th March - 11 weeks (but 54 days with Fri 25th Bank hol) Half term Feb 15th- 19th Summer term is Mon 11th April - Friday 15th July - 13 weeks (but 63 days as 2nd May bank hol & 5th May Polling day) Half-term May 30th- 3rd June So we are complying with the 38 weeks opening but if you count actual days, it is only 187, so do i need to open for an extra week to add on the extra 3 days to make up to 190 day? I'm confused!
Cait Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 I guess you just ask your County, or only claim for the actual hours
diesel10 Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 It's the 3 bank holidays that you are missing. We don't make them up. Although I'm sure the council will catch up with us one day. For all the children who have extra hours I moved their funding to the bank holiday for this term so they actually pay for the extra hours and the Monday is funded. I won't charge younger children whose parents pay for the session though. So we do miss out a bit. Good Friday will be an extra one next year.
Foreveryoung Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 We are funded for bank hols and other closures such as snow, we close for polling day too but just offer an extra session at some point over the term as carnt do it in much less (most choose to use it on end term party when we let all and sundray book in lol) We are not allowed training days only maintained schools can have the 5 extra days here I still pay staff for polling day as it's only just under 4 hours and they are to do online training and other paperwork that I share out between them, or it covers twilight training. 1
MegaMum Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 Hmmmm.... I am going to check now as I have always followed the local schools dates!
Mouseketeer Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 I'm not going to check....just keep my head in the sand and take what's offered and definately not going to worry about giving extra days to make up for it, if they ever ask what I did with my BH funding I'll tell them I've spent it on the training they no longer fund or supporting a child pretty much 1:1 who would have been allocated inclusion funding once up on a time...as for parents they should think about that when they book Monday's 4
lynned55 Posted April 9, 2015 Posted April 9, 2015 I'm not going to check....just keep my head in the sand and take what's offered and definately not going to worry about giving extra days to make up for it, if they ever ask what I did with my BH funding I'll tell them I've spent it on the training they no longer fund or supporting a child pretty much 1:1 who would have been allocated inclusion funding once up on a time...as for parents they should think about that when they book Monday's Well that will tell them then Well said you! 1
tish501 Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 We have to close Bank Holidays so never claim for them....
Mouseketeer Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 We close to but no one ever asks 'how many hours have you claimed for Monday's, we're going to deduct it'
sunnyday Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 We close to but no one ever asks 'how many hours have you claimed for Monday's, we're going to deduct it' Watch out mousie - they might do - this is all new to Kent too - we have all had to go to 'Compliancy briefings' and will all be audited in the not so distant future!
sunnyday Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 Actually - if it was a case of "we will deduct it" that wouldn't bother me - we are ever so slightly 'stuffed' here because we have to claim in 'whole weeks' - if we could claim in days or even better hours it would all be so much easier........
Mouseketeer Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 Watch out mousie - they might do - this is all new to Kent too - we have all had to go to 'Compliancy briefings' and will all be audited in the not so distant future! why doesn't that surprise me 1
lynned55 Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 Hmmm... I wonder what they do with these 'deducted' Bank Holiday funds then? Strictly speaking the money is not theirs to keep is it. Does it not belong to Central Gov? or am making this up? Actually, I think they have a cheek deducting it and would be very, very cross if anyone here started suggesting they may do that. I may then have to start billing them for all their stupid forms they keep sending out, with mistakes on. 1
Mouseketeer Posted April 29, 2015 Posted April 29, 2015 Yep and all the extra printing costs now they expect us to keep printing off forms for parents, and emailing posters they want displayed and printing off everything to take to training rather than being given hand outs anymore.
lsp Posted April 30, 2015 Posted April 30, 2015 I think our funding is worked by the LA as the equivilant of 3 hours per day that the LA schools are open each term. Except when Easter falls late, when we have to claim hours up to end of March in Spring term and hours claimed for April but officially still in the spring term, from the summer term claim. Easy peasy!! :blink: Of course parents can then choose how they use those hours and we then get the problem, especially in the summer term with lots of odd days off and parents having blocks of 6 hours. Sometimes they end up using more than the allowance. We use to just give them free but parents are now given the option of paying or having the odd session off. They still are getting their full free funded entitlement.
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