15hr funding for nursery for deferred 4yo

[sourcherriesonmytree]

We applied to defer DD's entry into Reception by a year. So instead of starting Sept '19 at age 4, she is set to start the following year at age 5. Our LA approved this and were happy to continue to fund her 15hr nursery place for another year.

We are now moving to a new LA area and I am really struggling to get any clear info from them, I am being passed from one team to another, and now inexplicably the 'Pupil Premium' team are meant to be getting back to me to answer my questions.

Can anyone help? I need to know if DD is still automatically entitled to 15hr funding for nursery as she's not yet of compulsory school age, or if this is something that's decided at a local authority level? Is there anything else I can do other than bounce around the various teams and hearing "sorry, this is nothing to do with us" over and over again?

It's decided at LA level. Your previous local authority agreed to defer the reception start date but another LA does not have to honour that decision. Deferring reception is still quite a new concept for many LAs (although entry dates have been deferred - children have typically started reception Jan or April, depending on birth month) but if children deferred a whole year they were often put into Yr 1 not reception.

Your child should be eligible for funding until at least Easter. I'm not 100% on whether funding would be given for the summer term due to it being a different authority.

Thanks so much.
I'm not particularly concerned about them agreeing to a deferral - we've got a strong case but if they do refuse she can start at compulsory school age regardless.

Any idea WHO within the LA would be able to give me a definitive answer?!

Example from an LA
www.togetherforchildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-01/FAQs%20for%20providers%20-%2030Hrs.pdf

I don't see why not, my dd has been 4 since Jan and has classmates who were 4 in Sept still getting funding to the end of term so I don't see the difference?

@raspberryk the difference is it's 'normal' to start school the September after you turn 4 so if children are older and 4 in September or younger and not 4 until 31st August they are funded for 30 hours until the end of the summer term. As deferring a reception place is still quite a new concept for lots of LAs, there are still lots of questions about funding and which 'pot' the funding should come from.

Yep. You are entitled. We got the 30hrs funded for my son when he was deferred for a year.
Funding is paid until a child reaches CSA or starts full time education

It shouldn’t make a difference. The 15hrs/30hrs funding is until she reaches compulsory school age, which will be the September just after she’s turned five for the OP’s DD.

And while delaying entry for a year is more recent, deferring entry to the start of spring or summer term isn’t. And those children will be funded for the term or two they are still in nursery.

You’re entitled to the funding.

Yes, you should be entitled to the full funding. We got the funding for the full extra year of nursery with our deferred DS.

Definitely entitled!! We deferred and claimed the 30 hours with no issues. Our ds is starting school this September he will be 5 and 2 weeks old

Thanks all very much. This is really helpful. I've been assuming that the normal requirements (in terms of my earning) would continue to apply to determine whether she's entitled to 15 or 30 hours, is that correct?

Yes thats right