Flexible Hours For 3-4's In School?

[Guest]

Could anyone tell me where I can find infomation about the flexible hours that parents can have for children attending nursery.Its something to do parents choise. Hope there is a link somewhere and this makes sense to someone.

[mundia]

You mention schools in your title, but certainly in my LEAS, there aren't any flexible hours in the school nurseries, perhaps there is more in the Childrens Centres that are springing up everywhere now? We and most nursery classes in school have similar hours to the rest of the school. Perhaps other LEAS do things differently?

[JacquieL]

I have done a search to try and find something on this but not come up with anything yet.

Last term I did some part time in a Children's Centre. There some of the over three's did do flexible sessions, for example one child came for two full days and a half each week, rather than 5 am or pm. His parents paid for lunchtime and the wrap around as in effect he had funding for 5 x 2 1/2 hours. Some children only did a few sessions each week but not all 5. Some came in some mornings and some afternoons. So it was very flexible. I think this would be harder to acheive in a school setting though. Hope that helps a bit.

[Guest]

Hi

 

I think some LEAs are taking this on but not all due to the effect it may have on playgroups etc.

 

We offer up to 2 neg sessions a day - they run between 9-11.30 and 1-3.30 - parents will pay for lunch in between or just pay for lunch so children will access for example 5 mornings 9-1 or afternoons 11.30-3.30 (or 1-4.30 and have tea instead. )

 

It just means that if parents are working 2 days they can use 4 sessions, I can't see this working in a school setting though??

 

Hope this helps but think I may have lost my point somewhere!!

[Marion]

Last year we had one child in the unit who attended 3 afternoons per week and attended a private day nursery run by his mother's employer the other sessions.

We did wonder once our Children's centre is open if we will have the logistic nightmare of flexible sessions

[Inge]

had this for a while here, parents choose when to take session with a max of 2 a day usually in day nurseries, children centres or extended hour pre-schools, they can also do it for sessional if they remove the child for a break between sessions, which rather defeats the object but in our case if they collected at end of lunch club and returned 15 mins later for pm session this would be OK!

 

The sessions in our area can run concurrently when available ie 9-11.30 and 11.30 to 2pm giving 5 hours continual care, no need for break over lunch time, Rules are set by local LEA, sessions till have to be of 2.5 hour blocks for funding and only claim for 5 in a week. we get them sent to us at beginning of each funding year as they can change year to year.

 

Not done in schools though , still set times there for sessions and all funding goes to them so unable to split between school and pre-school as in private/vol sector.

 

Inge