Confused.com

[apple]

Hello all

 

Re Lunches - 30 hours

 

I am just working my way through the Operational Guidance for Early Years Entitlement. On Page 31 it states

 

'Providers can charge for meals and snacks as part of their delivery of the free entitlement as long as parents are not required to pay as a condition of taking a child's free entitlement place.'

 

I am a little confused about this. We are a maintained school Nursery class. At present we have no provision to offer the option of packed lunches (I won't go into that point). Therefore we employ lunchtime supervisors to look after the children over the lunch period and parents either pay for the lunch or are eligible for FSM.

 

I don't understand how we can offer a 30 hour place, charge for the lunch (as we are entitled to do as stated above) but not make this a condition of the offer?

Can anyone clarify this for me please?

 

[finleysmaid]

​don't children in the maintained sector all get free lunches anyway??

[apple]

Hi Finsleysmaid

no FSM only apply for all children from Reception upwards.

[lsp]

Hello all

 

Re Lunches - 30 hours

 

I am just working my way through the Operational Guidance for Early Years Entitlement. On Page 31 it states

 

'Providers can charge for meals and snacks as part of their delivery of the free entitlement as long as parents are not required to pay as a condition of taking a child's free entitlement place.'

 

I am a little confused about this. We are a maintained school Nursery class. At present we have no provision to offer the option of packed lunches (I won't go into that point). Therefore we employ lunchtime supervisors to look after the children over the lunch period and parents either pay for the lunch or are eligible for FSM.

 

I don't understand how we can offer a 30 hour place, charge for the lunch (as we are entitled to do as stated above) but not make this a condition of the offer?

Can anyone clarify this for me please?

 

Welcome to our world. I read on one of the facebook groups that settings had been told to put out donation buckets for the voluntary contributions! Have no idea whether that is true?????

 

I just do not understand how we are all expected to run a sustainable business relying on parents choosing or not to pay voluntary contributions. Its insulting and degrading! Sorry, rant over.

[Foreveryoung]

We are looking at buying in hot dinners so no overheads, the parents pay what it costs for the food or send pack lunch then only takes dishing out time for a staff member.

Children in receipt of EYPP get free dinners in maintened nurseries but PVI carnt tap into that and with my EYPP I'd struggle to argue that they needed the meal to increase their learning and narrowing the gap.

In these times I was going to take on a cook but it's not feasible.

 

We will be claiming funding for the period of care but then it must be a pack lunch or pay for hot meal. For children who are only 15hr FEL they will have to pay for lunch hour child care and same stipulation on food front. This will hopefully reduce numbers at lunch hour enabling easier staffing levels to cover staff dinners.

[Guest]

If you look on the Champagne Nurseries Lemonade Funding Facebook page there are quite a few posts about this.

It is all in the wording of your agreement with parents.

One of our local primary schools is opening a new nursery from September and this is what they have on their website

 

"Option 1: All day Monday, All day Tuesday & Wednesday morning = 15 hours  Option 2: Wednesday afternoon, All day Thursday & All day Friday = 15 hours  Option 3: All day Monday – Friday = 30 hours  Term time only (closed on school Inset days) All day sessions run from 9am – 3.30pm including hot lunch at an additional cost of £5 per day Half day sessions on Wednesdays run from 9am-12 noon & 12.30 -3.30pm All sessions will eligible for FEET/FEE/FEE+15 funding. Additional sessions will be charged £20 per 3 hour session.

We will also be offering:  Breakfast Club 7.45-9am @ £6 per session  Tea-Time Club 3.30 -6.00 @ £12.50 per session Please not these clubs are for 3 & 4yr olds only. "

They are also asking for a non-refundable admin fee of £30.00 to be paid on registration but it doesn't guarantee a place.

I can't see that they are giving an option of a packed lunch, but seem to be including the cost for 1/2 hour care within that lunch charge as their sessions are 9.00-3.30.

[HoneyPancakes]

Offer the opportunity for children to go home for lunch after first session and come back for afternoon session?

[apple]

Hi thanks for the above replies

My worry is that if we do charge (which it says we can) but don't offer packed lunch as an option - only the school hot dinner - then can parents take 'legal action' regarding what it says in the Operational Guidance ?

 

HoneyPancakes - thanks for that suggestions but this would not work for the 30 hours as what parent who is working full time would come and pick up child for lunch and bring them back later?

 

It is a bit of a strange one! I think the head is of a mind to say this is what we are offering e.g. paid school lunch ... take it or leave it!!

[mundia]

Could you not offer packed lunches and explore the reasons you won't allow them as this seems the best all round option.

[HoneyPancakes]

Hi thanks for the above replies

My worry is that if we do charge (which it says we can) but don't offer packed lunch as an option - only the school hot dinner - then can parents take 'legal action' regarding what it says in the Operational Guidance ?

 

HoneyPancakes - thanks for that suggestions but this would not work for the 30 hours as what parent who is working full time would come and pick up child for lunch and bring them back later?

 

It is a bit of a strange one! I think the head is of a mind to say this is what we are offering e.g. paid school lunch ... take it or leave it!!

 

 

 

HoneyPancakes - thanks for that suggestions but this would not work for the 30 hours as what parent who is working full time would come and pick up child for lunch and bring them back later?

 

 

You just need to make the offer. You'd be giving the choice. The parents aren't ever expected to take you up on it. It's like eighties nightclubs - no one was ever expected to eat the bona fide meal provided at the door - just take it to get to the entertainment.

[Upsy Daisy]

HoneyPancakes - thanks for that suggestions but this would not work for the 30 hours as what parent who is working full time would come and pick up child for lunch and bring them back later?

 

Surely that would still solve your problem as the parents are not required to pay as a condition of taking a child's free entitlement place' if they have the option to collect the child for lunch. Whether they choose it is a different matter.

[MarshaD]

I must admit I haven't fully explored this. We are relocating in September and hope to offer a cooked lunch, currently only pack lunches at lunch club. The lunch session is covered with staff who have to be paid for, so I guess we will say that anyone who doesn't want to pay will have to come and get the child 45 minutes early at the end of the session so they just do six hours.