It's Friday!

[Mouseketeer]

We are 4 wks too, finish Fri 3rd back Mon 20th, but claim the last week as 1st week of summer funding, which is a fuss as any chn going on to funding or increasing hours have to have it the week before we finish or they miss out on a week of their summer funding. 

[sunnyday]

That sounds 'complicated' Mousie

We are back Thursday 16th

[Froglet]

We’re the 3rd.

[louby loo]

3rd for us too!    That's four weeks left  

[sunnyday]

2 hours ago, louby loo said:

3rd for us too!    That's four weeks left  

Whenever we discuss our term dates I start to worry that I have made a mistake somewhere 

[louby loo]

Just now, sunnyday said:

Whenever we discuss our term dates I start to worry that I have made a mistake somewhere 

Me too. I'm usually so hot on after being caught out one year. Last year our LA only offered 37 weeks (April to March) so feel bit hard done by having to do 38 this year.

[zigzag]

There are ten funded weeks this term and we have already done six. Oh my god , you are making me panic now!😬. Look at my dates and tell me I am correct!

06/01/20 to 14/02/20 (6 weeks) 24/02/20 to 20/03/29 (4 weeks)

[finleysmaid]

3 hours ago, zigzag said:

There are ten funded weeks this term and we have already done six. Oh my god , you are making me panic now!😬. Look at my dates and tell me I am correct!

06/01/20 to 14/02/20 (6 weeks) 24/02/20 to 20/03/29 (4 weeks)

im sure it depends on your lea 12 week term for us ! 

[zigzag]

19 minutes ago, finleysmaid said:

im sure it depends on your lea 12 week term for us ! 

Of course, it would be too simple for all LEA to follow the same plan! It does mean our summer term is 14 weeks!😬

[Mouseketeer]

2 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

im sure it depends on your lea 12 week term for us ! 

We are running a 12wk term but only funded for 11, then run 12 wk summer term but funded for 13 (all due to end of year falling in the term).

The 20th March seems an early finish zigzag, will you go back on the Tues after Easter Mon? Are they the dates on your Lea term dates? Edit -  the Cornwall term dates say ‘Spring’ (very pc ours still calls them Christmas and Easter) Hol starts Mon 30th? 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Mouseketeer

[louby loo]

Well I've checked, and we are in fact doing a 39 weeks year      (Sept19-July 20)

 

[Mouseketeer]

48 minutes ago, louby loo said:

Well I've checked, and we are in fact doing a 39 weeks year      (Sept19-July 20)

 

Did you do a 37 sept > July last yr Louby? Or maybe will next yr, our July to Sept fluctuates between 37/39 but always 38 Apr 1st to 31st Mar

[zigzag]

When I queried with funding if we could make this half term into an eleven week term and break up on the 27th this is the reply I received (it seemed so much simpler to stick as we are)

In essence, yes you can do that, but problems arise such as if the child leaves you and goes to another setting in the Summer term as we will only pay for the weeks the child has attended, we would not allow you to still claim the extra week which you have used in advance.

You need to keep very clear records of which children you are doing this for and you will need to amend the weeks for the term down to 13 for those children in the summer.  If new children begin with you and you are closed for an extra week in Summer, then their funding should be 13 weeks for the term and parents need to be aware of that, however, if you are open for 14, those starting with you from 1st April should be allowed the 14 weeks.

As the summer term is 14 weeks for a school term and we fund 14 weeks, your children will be down a week for the summer term instead of the Spring term.  For the week that is unfunded you can invoice the parents.

 

[finleysmaid]

Are they not funding you the same as the school dates then??? seems a bit of an odd way of doing it

[sunnyday]

Oh my actual goodness - there is some complicated 'stuff' described here - remind me never to moan about Kent again

[sunnyday]

Very pleased to say - it's Friday!

Hope that the weekend is kind to all

[louby loo]

On 09/03/2020 at 07:19, zigzag said:

When I queried with funding if we could make this half term into an eleven week term and break up on the 27th this is the reply I received (it seemed so much simpler to stick as we are)

Gosh that does sound hard work!  I did similar last year and our LA literally just more or less said ' Nah, don't worry about it, will just count it as stretched funding, as long as you tell the parents'!   We did, and we  started the couple of summer term starters the week before Easter.

[louby loo]

On 08/03/2020 at 20:23, Mouseketeer said:

Did you do a 37 sept > July last yr Louby? Or maybe will next yr, our July to Sept fluctuates between 37/39 but always 38 Apr 1st to 31st Mar

No, they actually only funded 37  April - March!  Stating something about parents will get extra this year,(sept- July that is!)  all very weird if you ask me.  

There were rumours that our LA were about to go bankrupt, so not sure if they were grabbing money left/right and centre?  Haven't a clue if if was true or not though, however things have seriously changed, lots of job loses,  and we have very little input from them now. 

[sunnyday]

I have been very 'naughty' - I expect a bolt of lightening to get me soon 

I knew that the first person to be a complete pain re illness and pre-school would be my 'odd' mum - suffice it to say that her child will now be absent for the week - she thought we were going to have a long discussion about his symptoms - er no - if he is unwell (bet he's not) then please stay at home - she said "oh okay, we will see you tomorrow then" - er no he needs to stay home for seven days

Bet she wishes she'd never bothered now - as I said 'naughty'  

[Panders]

lots of posts from you this afternoon Sunnyday - bit bored are we?.    I had a similar parent a number of years ago we were a nano second away from describing her as Mrs. Munchhausen (too wicked), as is my way, I was incredibly patient with this woman, that made her worse, so I think you have done the right thing and I don't think the bolt of lightening will be coming your way any time soon.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Panders

[sunnyday]

Good morning all - I couldn't possibly post my usual Friday greeting yesterday on what was a sad and worrying day for us all

Would be nice (I thought) to keep this thread going just as a place for some general chit-chat

hope that the weekend is as good as it can be for us all in these strange and scary times

 

[Panders]

after a challenging shopping experience or two this week, our local Tesco had excellent supplies this morning at about 10 am.    I hope they do manage to persuade the public that the food is "there" they just need to get the supply chain moving up a gear for a while.

[louby loo]

On 07/03/2020 at 20:06, Mouseketeer said:

We are 4 wks too, finish Fri 3rd back Mon 20th, but claim the last week as 1st week of summer funding, which is a fuss as any chn going on to funding or increasing hours have to have it the week before we finish or they miss out on a week of their summer funding. 

   While we're chitchatting..... remember us grumbling about how long we had to go before the Easter Break.

Hope everyones' ok, is able the weather this storm.

Like the idea of a cheerful chit chat thread. 

I'm going try and make the most of the enforced break and get our in the garden. My husband is getting our bikes out (after about 6 years in the shed) and we are going to explore the countryside again like we used to. We will have to take a rucksack with supplies and not be able to rely on country pubs though.

[sunnyday]

Good news there Panders - loo rolls? 

No shopping here - now that I have stopped work I need to go into full social distancing mode - this is all that will keep Mr S safe, I am going to find it incredibly difficult to have no contact with my grandchildren  exchanged texts with the three oldest yesterday evening, oldest grandson is down from Uni, oldest granddaughter had her last day at school yesterday (should have been taking her A levels this year) she described it as "sad and weird", on a brighter note she has received an unconditional offer from Leeds Uni so that has taken some pressure off, although ideally she would like to go to Newcastle, middle granddaughter is a bit taken aback by how much schoolwork she will be expected to complete 

The two little ones - well I don't know really - we can facetime - not as good as spending time with them but hey ho - we just need to try to get through this safely

On a brighter note - the sun is shining, my washing line is full, I have cleaned my patio and have rearranged the furniture - simple pleasures 

[sunnyday]

7 minutes ago, louby loo said:

   While we're chitchatting..... remember us grumbling about how long we had to go before the Easter Break.

Hope everyones' ok, is able the weather this storm.

Like the idea of a cheerful chit chat thread. 

I'm going try and make the most of the enforced break and get our in the garden. My husband is getting our bikes out (after about 6 years in the shed) and we are going to explore the countryside again like we used to. We will have to take a rucksack with supplies and not be able to rely on country pubs though.

Crossed posts there louby - the chat about one, two or three weeks to go to Easter holiday heads this page - little did we know eh

happy cycling - sounds great to me 

[Froglet]

Definitely a strange and sad day yesterday. I was at school until 7pm trying to work out stuff for next week.

Today I was at Tesco before breakfast but did manage to get everything I needed and was pleased to hear one man willingly putting back a item as he hadn’t realised what the new limits were and another woman worriedly explaining that she was buying for a business not stockpiling. Other than that I have been resting and recovering before tackling the school TDL tomorrow. The house is a tip but I’m not sure I have the energy to sort it!

Sunnyday, it’s not the same but this week my family has adopted a new habit of a group video WhatsApp call around 7pm where I read the niblings a bedtime story. Last night my middle niece read as I was still at school and my sister-in-law read one too. It’s lovely to see their thumbs go in mouths and eyes start to close.

My sister has also just sent me a very sweet picture of her children doing a puppet show over the garden fence for a little boy next door.

[sunnyday]

Daughter in law sent video of my youngest grandson completing some very simple two piece dinosaur puzzles - I think he has watched too much Peppa Pig - lots of "dinosaur raah"!

Very sweet 

 

[sunnyday]

youngest son has just been round with a Mother's Day pressie for me - he opened the front door and threw it in! Then stood way back and had a chat which was lovely  it is his birthday tomorrow - I will have to do the same at is house!

 

[Froglet]

16 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

youngest son has just been round with a Mother's Day pressie for me - he opened the front door and threw it in! Then stood way back and had a chat which was lovely  it is his birthday tomorrow - I will have to do the same at is house!

 

Love it. We had a hysterical 4 way video chat this morning - mum and dad showing either the top of their head or an ear because they couldn’t get the hang of positioning themselves in front of the camera. Sleepy middle niece because they had a ‘sleepover’ (her and mummy) in the living room last night and she was late to bed but still got up at 6. Very excited youngest niece who insisted on showing us her new dress and her ‘ballet’ (which also meant she showed us her knickers quite frequently) and ended by howling at us which the two dogs joined in with!

[Panders]

2 hours ago, sunnyday said:

youngest son has just been round with a Mother's Day pressie for me - he opened the front door and threw it in! Then stood way back and had a chat which was lovely  it is his birthday tomorrow - I will have to do the same at is house!

 

I had much the same experience, but eldest son and grandchildren.   Youngest, 5, couldn't quite get the hang of social distancing.   Eldest granddaughter doing "Romans" before school finished and they treated me to their roman numeral counting song and dance, very good.