30 hours what are your concerns?

[apple]

Hi all

I am very interested to hear your views on the matter of the 30 hours free provision as next week I shall be visiting the DfE as part of a Teacher Reference Group. We don't get long to air our views within a very packed agenda but none the less, there is a short time allocation for a 'temperature check' of current feeling amongst the workforce.

 

I would very much like to take some thoughts from Forum members regarding the 30 hours, particularly any worries/concerns... any advantages even?

 

I am keen to hear from maintained nursery schools and maintained nursery classes but welcome anyones opinion. We don't get chance to get our views aired directly to Government so please, if you can, do so as I am more than happy to try and pass these on within the meeting which takes place next Tuesday

Thank you in advance

Apple

[Mouseketeer]

Hi Apple

 

Having just attended a session on this, my first concern is where will they all go ? It seems like our hand will be forced to extend our opening hours and weeks we open to at least offer 'stretched' weeks, I really don't think my staff will be up for this and many settings don't even run in places that would make it possible, I think giving all these extra hours to 3/4yrs old will impact on the spaces for 2 yr olds, which has been the big push. The problems of people's circumstances changing (even with what is being called a 'grace period') will bring problems, it looks like you will be able to keep the funding and place over a period if a child becomes 'in-eligible' for the family to become eligible again, but then if they don't you could be a lot of hours down as you wouldn't have been able to offer this to anyone else, it also looks as if parents will have to apply to HMRC, but if not eligible will have the right to appeal, whilst appealing they will be eligible I can see that causing real issues with possibly having to offer short time 30hrs, I don't know how many times a parent can appeal though, and in real terms it does look like funding rates won't be going up for most, and will be lucky to keep current rates.

 

Ps ...you won't want to get me started on my personal views on this ?

[apple]

Thank you for that Mouseketeer, please can you tell me the type of setting you are in? ... and perhaps anyone else who replies, please could you add the same.

 

As we are in a maintained Nursery class we have a few concerns... first and foremost this is about the parents and not the children.

We have had no information as yet as to how this is going to be delivered. It was our belief that the Government under Labour (and to a certain extent within Cameron's 'Life Chances' speech), wanted to ensure quality early years provision for all children, particularly our most vulnerable. If children who have working parent/s take those spaces then surely there is fewer to go around which in turn will disadvantage many children whose parent/s do not work and more worryingly the most vulnerable?

 

Like you said, what happens if the parents circumstances change and they are no longer eligible? How will this be monitored?

[Mouseketeer]

We are a full day care 2-5yrs, term time only.

 

It looks as if it will be one half term to the next if circumstances change, so they could change the 1st week of a term and it would stay in place until the end of the term, if change in 2nd half term it would stay in place until end of following 1st half term for parent/s to become eligible again (excluding 2nd half of summer term - it wouldn't stay in place for 1st Aut half term) It doesn't sound as if we will be doing any monitoring.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Mouseketeer

[hopeytg]

I am a privately owned pre-school - 2-5 yrs open 0800 - 1600 term time only - This term we have had significant problems with parents just not returning after the summer holiday - it is bad enough having to cover the 15hrs a week they are not taking but that I have staff in place for let alone 30 hrs. There needs to be some guarantee that when parents accept their place they are going to attend - I think they should not be allowed to access funding at another setting if they have not given adequate notice at the current placement.

I am also concerned at how parent's eligibility is going to be assessed - again I struggle to get parents to complete Funding Forms each term, having to constantly chase and only the threat of full payment being invoiced if they don't return their form seems to work. As in the previous comment how can settings be sustainable if each 1/2 term a child could drop from 30 - 15 hrs depending on parents' eligibility?

[finleysmaid]

term time mostly sessional ...some full day and some with full day and after school club!!! (not sure which category I belong to nowadays!)

my funding is currently underpaying £1.07 per hour for 15 hours ...how will we cope with underfunding for 30 hours! (my costs have gone up as has my rent and utilities!!!)

[Mouseketeer]

It didn't sound as if settings would play any part in figuring out who was or wasn't eligible, another concern will be if the rate is higher for the 2nd 15 hours and it is used across 2 or 3 settings who will claim the lower or higher rate, that could get difficult.

[laura]

Full day care - apart from the worry of funding not matching fees my main concern is fitting every one in! We are already full which is unheard of at this time of year, with 32 every day, in our pre-school room we can have 40 and I just can't get the logistics of it all, first come first served? age? arghhh!!!!