6 Term Year

[Guest]

Hi, This is to preschools and schools,

 

We now have 6 Terms per year, I asked my EY management team, ( the people who deal with the Education grant funding) when the Term 1 starts.

 

They said, Start of the Calender year ie:

Spring is Terms 1 & 2

Summer Terms 3 & 4

Autumn Terms 5 & 6

 

but...................................

 

they don't know if this will change to - Academic year ie:

Autumn Terms 1 & 2

Spring Terms 3 & 4

Summer Terms 5 & 6

 

or......................................

 

they don't know if this will change to - Financial year ie:

Summer Terms 1 & 2

Autumn Terms 3 & 4

Spring Terms 5 & 6

 

 

Confused or what?????

 

Can any of you wonderful people enlighten me as to when Term 1 is?

( I can work the rest out from there )

 

 

Peggy

[Guest]

In Lincolnshire we're in our second year of 6 term year, & it's Autumn 1& 2 etc. I don't know if it's the same elsewhere.

 

The funding remains in 3 effectively i.e. Autumn Period, Spring Period & Summer Period. Parents with children at school find it confusing that their little ones aren't eligible for funding at the start of a new term, necessarily. And no-one seems sure what to call the old half-term holidays.

[Guest]

I've thought of calling the old half terms - TERM BREAK and the old end of terms - Christmas, Easter and Summer Holiday Closures.

 

Not sure if I understand what you mean by "Parents with children at school find it confusing that their little ones aren't eligible for funding at the start of a new term, necessarily"

Do you mean they expect funding say at the beginning of any of the even numbered terms. ( Terms 2,4 & 6) I can see why they are, and had not thought of that myself.

My parents aren't really familiar with the 6 term year, although I suppose we have been aware of the 6 term year for a year.

 

 

Peggy

 

P.S. What was the point of the change anyway?? So many new things have happened, I've lost the plot

[Inge]

we changed to 6 term year and are in 2nd year of change.

 

As said before 1&2 are Autumn 3&4 spring 5&6 summer, and yes funding is a pain as parents cannot see why the funding does not start at the beginning of each term ....many turn up at beginning of term 2 for example and expect to have a funded place. Then all the other rigmarole about no being able to charge anyone if they should be eligable etc etc. we ahve developed a policy of them having to wait until the next funding term to start,we cannot afford a place for a child who brings in no income.

(I do send parents to the relevant department to complain though!!!)

(Also the funding problem of if you close 1 day for Mayday you have to open 1 day of a week to cover that day.)

 

 

As to why?

 

we were told when it started it was to even out the terms over the year so you do not get 7 weeks followed by 5 weeks followed by 8 weeks each term. It was supposed to have regular terms of 6 and 7 weeks long and if Easter was in the middle you just had the weekend off and had the end of term at a different time.

Also to reduce lenght of summer holiday, the children were to start back earlier in Sept and have a longer break in october.

 

In reality the only change we have really noticed is the schools starting earlier in sept ( 2 days this year!!!) and having a break of 1 week 2 days in October! (last year it was 1 week and 3 days) Our terms have been two of 7 weeks (Autumn) one of 5 and 1 of 6 (spring, no change to short terms there!) and Easter break is 1 day longer, then 1 term 6 weeks and another of 7 weeks (Summer)

 

So in reality we have not noticed any change except the name of the terms. what to call the breaks....parents still call them half term and end term so we tend to go with the flow... we try to change it but keep ending back to the same.

 

I thinks it all a ploy to make us think things are progressing and changing whreas in reality it is the same.

 

It would be interesting to know if anyone has noticed changes other than the name!!

 

Inge

 

sorry bit long!!!

[Guest]

Hi Inge,

Very comprehensive, thanks. I haven't noticed any real change either.

 

Querie: Is your "relevant department" O.K. with your "start at next funding term" Policy? Does this not contravene the fact that if we have a place available ( I presumed at any time) we should offer it to an eligable child?

 

Your policy sounds like common sense to me, although on behalf of parents, it is not their fault if they move location during a term period, and should they be penalised for this. There again, why should we be penalised or expected to provide unfunded places

 

I wish they would just give us X amount of money per year per child, for the number of children we are registered for. To pay it into our accounts at the start of the financial year when they get the funding-let it sit in our bank accounts gaining interest. Still that is another / continuing issue.

 

 

Peggy

[Guest]

In Bath & North East Somerset, we operate a 6 term year, & are currently coming to the end of term 2 (Phew!)

 

The only difference I have noticed is that people end up stumbling in conversation, as they refer to "last term... I mean last old term" or whatever. Surely it's just creating confusion in an already confusing world (well, my world sure is confusing anyway).

[Inge]

Peggy,

no one has commented about the policy, if children move on who are funded we immediately offer the place to another, it has caused no end of problems with children moving and no funding, or funding at another setting and not being able to access it or they like us reallocate it to another child which is what they expect us to do.

Parents & childrens choice / needs doesnt seem to come into it.

we do take them if we do not have to employ more staff, if we do then we cannot afford to, afterall they tell us we should be using the funding money for the child allocated and not to be used to help ofset other costs such as extra sessions not paid for by top up or payments by parents of children not yet eligable etc. and yet we cannot charge for any coming later in the term. seems like a big catch 22 .........

 

i also have parents who want to increase sessions after one term. These days I warn them when booking sessions that they cannot be changed for 2 terms.

in the end it all comes down to them wanting something for nothing. insufficient funds for the excellent standards of care they ask for.

 

Inge

[Guest]

Inge, I agree and know exactly where your coming from.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

We have exactly the same issues, Inge. Unfortunately I don't think we're in a strong enough position to enforce such a policy.We've given one child 5 free places since before the start of term 2, as she missed the headcount. We couldn't afford to turn her away because the falling birthrate & the increased number of settings has meant underoccupancy of places. This was offset to some extent by one child leaving about a month before the end of term 2. Financially things are not at all good!