When do others take an extra unfunded week?

[BroadOaks]

Just wanted to ask when other settings took their 14th unfunded week? Do you follow the 13 weeks schools take or change this as well?

[Stargrower]

We're funded for 14 weeks this term. We always are as it's the only term that doesn't change.

[louby loo]

We are funded 14 this term. We did however start back early 1st Sept, so that we could finish early.

 

We are a sessional preschool with quite a few staff with young children- we always try and finish early so that staff can see there own concerts and do a bit of Christmas prep themselves.

[Inge]

We tended to take it last week of term, so staff had time off before C and children still at school... or sometimes a few days beginning of term and rest at end.. most preferred extra time off before C.

[BroadOaks]

Yes it is a 14 week term this year Autumn. In case i didn't make it clear to all.. I mean throughout the 52 weeks of the year.. when do others take their week that schools use as odd days (inset days x 5 = 14th week)

 

EDIT: 14 weeks this term but it is 16 weeks right in total? Or am i wrong?

Edited October 14, 2016 by BroadOaks

[hopeytg]

I close the same days as the local school - we use them for staff training as well.

[Stargrower]

We don't close at all for inset days. If we did, they would be non-funded days and we would have to make them up at some other time.

[zigzag]

We close the same days as the school. They tend to take an extra week on the summer term half term so people can get away if they want too without incurring the price hike.

[louby loo]

Yes it is a 14 week term this year Autumn. In case i didn't make it clear to all.. I mean throughout the 52 weeks of the year.. when do others take their week that schools use as odd days (inset days x 5 = 14th week)

 

EDIT: 14 weeks this term but it is 16 weeks right in total? Or am i wrong?

 

I completely ignore all school dates!

 

I just make sure I only do 38 weeks from April to March in the format the LA states this year 14, 11, 13.

 

Edited October 14, 2016 by louby loo

[Stargrower]

I think I need to look at our terms and conditions of funding. Our LA says if we close, these are non-funded days and MUST be offered at another time. I've never closed for extra weeks/days. Does everyone do this?

[Lyanne]

We don't close at all for inset days. If we did, they would be non-funded days and we would have to make them up at some other time.

 

We don't close either, for the same reasons.

 

We told get about a year in advance how much we're funded each term (14 weeks this week), so open for that many weeks.

 

We feed into various primary schools which are in different pyramids so have different PD days, and staff have children at even more different schools, so if we closed for PD days, it wouldn't help everyone anyway.

[kristina]

We are open for 14 weeks this term, but think it works out that we have 3 weeks at Christmas instead of two, usually it works out 7 weeks off in summer instead of 6 so it must be how Easter falls this year. We never took inset days as couldn't offer additional days to parents (sessional pre-school in a school), however Essex have changed the wording in their contract and it now says we can take one day a term for staff training without having to offer additional days to parents. Hope this helps.

[Mouseketeer]

Wow that's good of them I wish our county would give a day a term, or anything would be nice, we are open 14 this term, then we do a week more than funded for Spring, but a week less than we get funding for summer ...don't even ask :-/

[gillpen]

This is a 15 week term for us!!

[lsp]

We are 14 weeks this term.

Edited October 16, 2016 by lsp

[AliceinWonderland]

We are given a calendar each year stating which weeks will be funded and which won't be, it never ties in exactly with the local schools as they always seem to be different from each other anyway.

[louby loo]

We are given a calendar each year stating which weeks will be funded and which won't be, it never ties in exactly with the local schools as they always seem to be different from each other anyway.

 

We are given dates when funding 'can' be claimed. We have to double check though- and pick our weeks within those dates.

 

Before we double checked we found out some years we were doing 39 weeks- therefore giving a free week to parents but still paying staff/rent!

[BroadOaks]

Yes we used to give 39 weeks per year and stuck with the school holidays (we used to be close to 3 schools in the area) and it was only when I read the form properly, a few years ago, stating 38 weeks per year, the penny dropped!!

 

The 5 inset days school's take, make up the 14th week of unfunded. I do realise that many will also use this format.. but for many private nurseries it is inconvenient and an extra full week is slotted in somewhere.

[GFCCCC]

We also only offer 38 weeks for funded children because that is all we get paid for. The staff who work term time only work for 39 weeks so we have 5 inset days per year - we use three for training and two for meetings/paperwork/cleaning & tidying nursery.

[Lynne28]

Hi

 

we are also a 14 week term this term. What about after Christmas because the Monday we should start back is a bank holiday, Do you add another day on otherwise the children are not getting their 38 weeks funding.

 

We have added a day but onto the summer term so that we go with the local schools.

 

What are your thoughts on this and does everyone add another day for all/any bank holidays.

 

Thankyou

 

[GFCCCC]

Even though we don't, we are actually allowed to take 5 days for inset days within the 38 weeks. Our LA are totally in support of us taking funded days as inset days just like schools do. We do not have to give alternate days to parents. We just have to show evidence of what training we have done on that day.

[Pimpernel]

its 12 weeks spring, 14 weeks summer and 12 weeks autumn here irrespective of school dates and stays the same every year irrespective of when Easter falls. Payment dates start on Monday and finish on Friday. This is the same for schools and private settings, even though schools may not start/finish on a Monday or Friday.

[BroadOaks]

Are schools funded for 39 weeks of the year, yet they take 5 days of this for inset days? Opposed to PVI settings or Childminders who are only funded 38 weeks?

[GFCCCC]

Are schools funded for 39 weeks of the year, yet they take 5 days of this for inset days? Opposed to PVI settings or Childminders who are only funded 38 weeks?

 

Yes they are. Typically school holidays are 1 week February/ 2 weeks Easter/ 1 week Whitsun/ 6 weeks summer/ 1 week October/ 2 weeks Xmas - making 13 in total so 39 weeks at school. PVI only gets 38 so our staff work for 39 which includes 5 inset days. However, some local settings only work 38 and still get 5 inset days - I am thinking of trying it next year.

Edited October 28, 2016 by GFCCCC

[Rafa]

Even though we don't, we are actually allowed to take 5 days for inset days within the 38 weeks. Our LA are totally in support of us taking funded days as inset days just like schools do. We do not have to give alternate days to parents. We just have to show evidence of what training we have done on that day.

 

Well wouldn't it be good if ALL local authorities were as sensible! Our LA thinks all staff training is done like the elves in the shoemaker!

[Pimpernel]

Schools are funded for free entitlements for 38 weeks of the year (or 570 hours per annum) just like everyone else