MegaMum Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Please check the term dates in your county for 2015 - 2016. Our schools this year are open 193 day = 39.1 weeks. I just rang County to see if we are being funded this amount and they said no they haven't got the money and are only funding 38 weeks. They have adjusted their timetable and we open Sept 1st which I was aware of, but we are closing July 8th (which I wasn't aware of) a week earlier than the schools. They said if I wanted to keep open that last week to help parents with children at school, I should charge them our rate. Me thinks not.... a little 'one to one' time without older siblings seems a good opportunity for a little parent/child bonding time and I might get away on holiday without the masses! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 We always have this, and have to keep an eye on each term- rather than across the year. We are told how many weeks each term is. We also have to be very careful with Easter- our LA funds from 1st April - 31st March with no leeway whatsoever as to when Easter falls :huh: We often finish early at Christmas, which gives staff time to both see their own children's concerts and do some Christmas shopping Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Yes ours is always 38 weeks...........shhhhh don't tell anyone I often make it 36/37 weeks :rolleyes: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Yes ours is always 38 weeks...........shhhhh don't tell anyone I often make it 36/37 weeks :rolleyes: I won't tell if you don't - cause I do it too :P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Do you really? I wouldn't dare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 No, to be honest we aren't open for a full week anyway so don't claim full funding at anytime - we do still get funding for the polling day though even though we have to close but LEA do know that, they pay every one(at the moment!) :1b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Do you really? I wouldn't dare! Perhaps I should explain that I only claim for when we are open! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narnia Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Our snooty parents phone County hall and demand to know why they aren't funded when I break the news to them....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I know that some settings and schools carry out home visits during the first few weeks and days so can I ask whether funding would be claimed for this time? To be honest this is one of the reasons we haven't offered home visits - we don't have enough staff to cover if we are open and can't afford it if closed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreveryoung Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 We can not claim funding for home visit times, it occurred here too with the weeks!! I'm merrily doing my cake day Sept-July 16 and which ever way I looked at it I got 39 weeks. Our funded date in Sept has always been week after maintained schools go back therefore equating to 38 weeks. So I phoned them up unsure of what to do and I got told, "well you have to drop a week off somewhere then don't you, it's your business you decide why not have 3 weeks at Christmas" lol. Well I then choose to have 2 training days and close three days early for summer !! Cheaper holidays all round whoop !! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Perhaps I should explain that I only claim for when we are open! Oh, I see! :1b Phew, Sunnyday, I didn't have you down as a hardened criminal somehow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I always close a couple of days early for Christmas and Summer - so that staff have some time to do shopping/wrapping or attend church services etc for those leaving school - it's easier than trying to find cover staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I also worked out we'd be on 39 wks and that is even not going back to the 7th, but I think it evens out as either last year or next (not really checked yet) the school year will come out as 37 wks opposed to their financial yr of 38 wks, wouldn't it be simpler to just fund us a Sept to July school year 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lashes2508 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 We always followed the school dates and it was not until this Summer I realised we were staying open longer than we were being funded for hence we closed earlier and also going back on the 7th but will be conducting home visits during the first week . Keeping a careful eye on it now ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 it is so confusing for everyone - we have trouble where our year goes from september to july and the funding goes from april to march. i am very lucky i get my book keeper to sort it out - she is really good with this and i just do the weeks she says. i do think we could all quite easily be doing 39 weeks without realising! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I counted Sept to July and it came to 38 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I counted Sept to July and it came to 38 weeks.I would guess it depends on when you start back and finish - we don't go back till 7th september to allow for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I counted Sept to July and it came to 38 weeks. For us the actual 38 funded weeks we have to work out from April - March. Yearly contact runs these dates. Some year this mean 37 for academic year, and sometimes 39, but it still only works out 38 weeks :unsure:. We changed our own contacts to run in line with this, so staff holiday pay etc start April now to ensure all staff only work 38 weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starsdance Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Have any of you also had to fill in your provisional forms long before we broke up. I had to return mine by 15th June and the first payment will be made on 28th August. Some of my parents don't know what they are having for tea let alone what hours their children are going to be doing come September. I know it will all be adjusted but my god what a faff to get it all done along with the rest of the end of year stuff that was happening. I've never really looked at the dates we get funded for. Is this different to the term dates that they publish and where do I find the information. The letter I have shows 14 weeks for the funding so should I look at these more carefully? I know there are some pre-schools in my area that seem to start back long after us and finish before us so maybe they know something I don't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaMum Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 As I found out today, our funded term dates are different than those published by the local council. This is a first as far as I am aware.... but I will be watching this from now on. Look at your FEEE term timetable regarding headcount, payments etc. The term dates and weeks per term are on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starsdance Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Mine only seems to publish for the term claiming. Oh well, we may have a surprise in the next two terms!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starsdance Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Found the years dates and ours fall in line with what the LA say except our inset days in September mean we start the following Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Yes we got caught out one year by this ridiculous system. So we keep a close eye on it now. We get little enough as it is without giving an extra week without the funding. We used to be able to put in how many weeks we were open per term, then claim, they now tell us how many weeks in maximum we can claim.:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 It has been this way for years now, unless you are careful it is easy to be open on days when you get no money. I used to have a calender and mark on it the days open counting them to ensure we were funded for all days open. I found it easy using an on-line calender or I used a free one I could download. Did it every year after I realised there was no really easy way to do it. when in our area when they decided to go with 6 terms a year and have set dates for each one.. hence Easter could become a long weekend in addition to the Easter break . I am convinced it is designed to confuse everyone. Funding is from April to March Easter is flexible, so causes confusion when funding kicks in before the holiday/break .. hence children can be entitled to some funding for a few days of April and then we have an Easter break.. We cannot have May Day as a funded day so need to open elsewhere to cover this BH that does not fall in a holiday Academic year is September to July Add to this each LA having different rules etc for claiming the funding and it makes it such a minefield. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 We first realised it didn't work when it looked liked everyone had been paid a week to much as school year only added to 37 wks but when we worked back we'd had 39 previous year, it's when staff leave it can get very complicated, and we had a right kafuffle when Easter fell at the wrong time and had to do a week with no funding in spring term to then claim a week more than open for in the summer term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I never 'over think' the May Day BH... :rolleyes: We were once told ' if you are closed by still incur expenses-- staff paid, hall rental then you can claim funding' Well May Day is taken out of holiday allowance so it is still a paid day, and our rent is worked on full weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 We have always ever opened for 38 weeks. We always break up a week before the schools in July.I always go away on holiday before the schools break up. I do offer to open for the extra week if the majority of parents want to pay for the extra week. So far most do not want to pay so at least I have offered. Also we do not have any inset .We are going back on the 2nd but break up a few days early than the schools to allow staff time to do Christmas shopping. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I have kept quiet about this for years so now I have confessed. I did check with my early years and was told told I can only claim for weeks opened and I am not expected to open in lieu of polling days etc. If I was open throughout the year and wanted to stretch funding I would claim for days opened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lashes2508 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Just a note for those of you packaway settings operating from a village hall that is used for polling day - did you know that the hall gets payment from the council for this and have to fill out an income losses form before the day , your hall can list all losses of Income including yours, this year we claimed for all unfunded children and staff wages, we were given £758 , speak to the chair or treasurer of hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Just a note for those of you packaway settings operating from a village hall that is used for polling day - did you know that the hall gets payment from the council for this and have to fill out an income losses form before the day , your hall can list all losses of Income including yours, this year we claimed for all unfunded children and staff wages, we were given £758 , speak to the chair or treasurer of hall. do you think this applies to schools - we rent a community room in a school so close for polling as it is used as a polling station? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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