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FULL TIME FUNDING FOR RECEPTION
YEAR 4 YEAR OLDS
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q.
Which children will be eligible for the full time place?
A. Children will be eligible for
full time funding for the whole of the academic year in which they
become five. All children born between 1st January 2004 and 31st
August 2004* will be eligible for full time funding (10 funded
sessions) from the beginning of the Spring term 2009 onwards. From
thereafter, full time funding will be available for the whole
academic year for those children whose 5th birthday falls within
that year.
* In the Summer Term
09 the eligibility dates will be on
and between: 01/04/2004 and
31/08/2004
Q. Are all 4 year aids entitled
to 10 sessions a week?
A. No, only those who were 4 at the
start of the academic year. So children turning 4 from 1 September
onwards will not be entitled to a 10 session/full time place until
the following September.
Q. Is the full time offer only
for County Council schools?
A. No. If a parent decides to defer
accepting their child's place at a primary school, that child will
be eligible for up to 10 funded sessions in a private, voluntary or
independent setting.
Q. Will parents be able to split
their 10 funded sessions between two or more providers?
A. Yes, this will still be possible
unless one of the providers is a school. As now, once a child
registers at a school the funding can no longer be split. This is
due to the formula funding and admissions policies currently being
operated. However all funding formulas are currently under review.
Q. Will parents be able to accept
fewer than 10 sessions?
A. Yes, it is up to parents to
decide how many sessions their child should attend, and agree with
the setting which are to be funded via NEF.
Q. Can the 10 sessions be taken
flexibly e.g. 3 sessions in one day?
A. At the present time providers may
claim for a maximum of 2 sessions per day. More flexible models are
being considered as we move towards the introduction of the 15 hour
free entitlement. It is likely that from September 2009, the free
entitlement will be claimed in hours rather than sessions and this
will facilitate more flexibility.
Q. Will the pvi settings be
obliged to offer an eligible child 10 sessions?
A. No, this will depend on what the
setting is able to offer. Some pvi settings will not be able to
accommodate children for 10 sessions, e.g. those open for less than
5 days or with restrictions on availability of accommodation.
However, parents will be entitled to access any short fall with
another pvi provider.
Q. We already offer more than 5
sessions a week and charge parents for the additional time. This is
a significant part of our income. Can we continue to do this?
A. Yes, but if you decide to
continue to offer only 5 free sessions, you must only claim this
number on your NEF returns. You will need to ensure that parents of
eligible children are fully aware that you are not offering the
increased free entitlement.
Q. Can lunchtime be counted as
part of the funded entitlement?
A. Yes. You can decide on the free
session times - providing each session lasts at least 2.5 hours.
However, you must make it clear to parents when they are considering
taking a place for their child which hours are part of the free
entitlement, and which they are agreeing to pay for. Remember also
that if you choose to include lunchtime within the 2.5 hrs funded
entitlement, you must ensure this session continues to support
children's overall learning and development and you cannot insist
that parents pay for lunch. ie. They must have the option of
providing a packed lunch.
Q. If we are affected by falling
rolls when the admission policy changes in January 2009, will there
be any funding to help us with sustainability?
A. Yes you will receive details of
how to apply for an Impact Grant in Autumn 2008. This grant will be
available in Autumn 2008, Spring and Summer 2009. Settings will be
required to show evidence of loss of income as well as ways they
will be planning for long term sustainability after the first year
of change. It is likely that grants will be available for up to 50%
of any demonstrated financial loss. Settings will be able to make a
maximum of 2 claims.
Q. Will there be an increase in
nursery funding from April?
A. The current rate of £8.50 per 2.5
hour session will be increased from the Summer Term 2009 to £8.70
per session (£3.48 per hour).
Q. When a child is offered a
staggered start to school will he/she continue to be eligible for
funding in a PVI setting for a proportion of the term?
A. No once a child is registered at
a school the funding for all sessions will be given to that school
for the whole term. (Staggered starts should not continue over more
than a few days.) Therefore it will not be possible for PVI settings
to claim sessions for such children.
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