When Do You Get Your Grant Increase?

[Guest]

hi,

 

In bedfordshire, the LEA has allocated us per session £8.10 with review for autumn06/spring07 when Surestart/childrensfund meet again 28/3. We will be paid pro-rata for opening less than 190 days. My setting will be open for 188 days due to teacher training day and polling day as I am set in a church hall.Not receiving pyt for them. I was told by my EYDCP to open for 190 days would be great as funding available so strongly recommended, but if not it is not enforced as not set in stone. therefore a setting my son attends will not be altering their dates for the remainder of this year, therefore only will receive pro-rata amount.

 

kizzy

[Jackie H]

hi Peggy,

 

In Scarborough , the LEA has allocated us £8.00 per session from April.

[Guest]

Got a letter this morning ( Don't they know I'm on holiday!!!!)

 

Good news though, Our increase will be to £8.22 ( up from £7.98) and it will be paid from April and not September. Do you think they heard I was going to go along to their info meeting to ask questions

 

They will only fund 33 or 38 weeks, not in between 33 & 38 wks.

 

They intend to offer 38 wks only from september. ( so settings that cannot offer 38 weeks yet will have to sort it out by September -I'm ok)

 

Children will be able to move between PVI settings during a term from September

 

Thanks for all your responses, it has been really interesting to see how different each area is.

 

Peggy

[Andreamay]

kNUTSFORD £8.41

[hali]

looks like Berkshire and Norfolk are the lowest then!!!!

[Guest]

We are a setting in Kent and are open for 12 weeks next term. We queried the fact that we will only receive 11 weeks of funding next term - their reply was that due to 'operational reasons' they are only able to fund either 33 or 38 weeks (11 or 13 weeks for Terms 5 & 6), and also the flexibility and integration part no longer applies. This means that children who attend our setting for less than 5 sessions will not even receive 55 sessions, as it will not be carried over as in the previous two terms.

 

It all seems very unfair particularly as we had to give our terms dates for the academic year back in September.

[Guest]

If you are open 38 weeks during the financial year you should be funded for that, even if you only have a 12 week term next. Ours is 12 but we make up the time during the other terms. This funding is for the year not per term.

Linda

[nicki-k]

I'm from Kent too and I agree with Sueford that Kent's conditions only seem to suit their own bank account! Other authorities seem to be managing pro rata funding. We're fortunate that we are open for the 13 weeks next term but thats more by luck then judgement.

[Inge]

We had the problem of not fitting in with the weeks set and they have now informed us that we can adjust the days to just ensure we are open 190 days in the year and we would be paid accordingly.

 

we give our term dates for a financial year ie april to march each January!, so have only just sentthis terms in a few weeks ago.......caused a few minor problems trying to remember which year we were in!! evenually set up a spreadsheet to sort it out.

 

I really do not understand how each area can be so vastly different, and why does flexibility suddenly no longer apply in some areas and others are trying their hardest to make it as flexible as possible for parents and settings alike?

 

Inge

[Guest]

I totally agree with you Inge. We have been told that as long as we offer 190 days spread across the financial year that is fine. Also, unlike you, we are allowed to have 5 of those days as inservice training days. Doesn't make sense does it?

Linda

[Guest]

Hi All,

Our funding this term is £8.10 per session and for 38 weeks.

We run 10 sessions and charge 30p per session snack/resources.

Funded children DO NOT pay the 30p per session on their 5 funded sessions but are charged on anything over that. E.G.

Child F- 8 sessions = 5 funded

3 non funded

 

 

Snack/resources - 3 non funded sessions - 90p per week

Also applies to sessions - 3 non funded sessions @ £4.75

 

Our funding forms have changed this term as well. All parents used to do was fill in name, address, childs details. How many sessions a week and sign.

Now its a questionairre - Instead of how many sessions a week, it is how many sessions over the term, race, extra sessions at other settings.

Too much for some of my parents

 

Net x

[Guest]

We are not getting a rise at all our funding remains at £7.56, although we will get paid it for 38 weeks like everyone else - Halton in Cheshire.

[Guest]

Hi Jill

Do they give you a reason why you get such a low amount? How do they justify paying so much less than the majority of authorities? I know in Stockport the funding is top sliced to pay for the teacher advisors. Is there something that your authority is funding which supports the settings?

Linda

[Guest]

What interesting results this has thrown up. I guess Early Years will explain our low funding figure - if not can anyone suggest where else to take it further?

[Guest]

What interesting results this has thrown up. I guess Early Years will explain our low funding figure - if not can anyone suggest where else to take it further?

54903[/snapback]

 

 

The differences have been very interesting and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have responded.

 

Jill, How do you manage on such a low rate? How does this compare to local prices overall ie: fees for non funded sessions.

Are you a member of PLA or NDNA? Maybe they will take this issue up for you. Maybe talk to your local MP and see if they can help - either by lobbying your LA or advising who you should contact, or contact the DFES and see what they say. I wonder how much government allocates per child and how much is top sliced. These "accounts" must be accesible to the public, being public money, but I don't know where you would get them from, and if you did would they be understandable

 

Peggy

[Guest]

We are PLA members and have been in touch with them today to discuss the various rates other authorities pay out. Also contacted DFES asking how much is allocated to LEA'S per child, they are going to ring back tomorrow.

It is a struggle to run within budget as I'm sure everyone finds. But, I was unaware of the major differences in grants until I joined this site The pre - school Manager looked back in our records today to check some figures for me. We started off on £7.03 when funding was introduced this was raised to £7.20 in April 2001 and to £7.56 in April 2003. We charge £3.00 per session for non funded children and £6.00 per half term snack this is comparible to other groups in the area (not including The Childrens Centres and Full Day Care). We have always been careful not to price ourslves out of the market/become inaccessable to our parents pockets. That sounds simplistic but is the ethos of the group.

The reply from the DFES could be interesting

[Guest]

Can I ask if £3 per session income from all your children would be sufficient to finance the preschool? ie: if you had the same numbers of children and none of them were funded. The reason I ask this is because if this was not financially viable, some may say that the funding is subsidising the non-funded places. Therefore the total of the funding is not being used solely for the children who are eligible.

 

I look forward to hearing what DFES have to say.

 

 

Peggy

[nicki-k]

The differences across the country are amazing. I'm sure your LEA will come up with some very plausible waffle as to why their allocation is so much lower than everywhere else . Our LEA came up with some very good excuses and manipulation of figures as to why they couldn't forward the full 6.8% increase allocated by the government. We do get £8.22 per session though so can't complain too much.

 

How does your group survive Jill on such low sessional fees. We struggle and we charge £5.00 per session. Do you have extremely low overheads?

[Guest]

Well, for once, I think Surrey comes up trumps - as far as I can tell they are the best at £8.30 beginning in April and we can take up to 13 weeks full funding from this April. Parents are very pleased with their bills this term, some have even said they thought we had made a mistake - I hope we haven't - not been to the regional NEG meeting.

However, what will be more interesting is what will happen when they go to 3 hours funding forcing groups to open for an extra half hour so they can top up. My group currently only operates for 3 hours, perhaps I could then do 3 hours and 15 minutes and charge a disproportionate top up to cover my overheads as I struggle getting time in my hall. There will no doubt be some very creative accounting and session planning coming on board. If parents want ia particular group then I am sure they will consider paying the top up, however, I am in an affluent area - so call me lucky.

Nikki

[Sue R]

I can't believe I haven't added to this - probably because I've got shedloads of stuff, not all EY related ( ) in my head.

 

Yes, we got the full thing from - er - now: that's April??!

 

Sue