30 Free Hours for kids with covid19 delayed Sept 2020 Reception start date

[Koneko]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone else has come across this problem. My son does 3 7 hour days a week at preschool (he is not currently attending but due to start back in July). He has just turned 4 and is starting school in September and the school have advised us that his school start date is delayed until 14th September and he will only be attending 1 morning or 1 full day per week for the first 6 weeks (taking us to October half term). Nursery have told me that his funding will stop on August 28th so if I want him to stay in, we will have to pay full fees. I already have a 2 year old paying full fees and it won't really be worth me working at all (I work 3 days a week) if I'm paying in full for both. Does anyone know if that is correct that funding will stop even though he isn't 5 until next year and his school are doing such limited attendence for the first half term? Feeling rather stressed right now!

It’s correct because the school will be claiming the school funding for him even if they aren’t providing full time they’ll be being paid for it. If he wasn’t starting at all then you could claim it.

Why are they doing limited until half term? Is it corona related or is it their normal settling in?

If it's their normal settling in they can only do this with your agreement, they should be offering full time from the first day.

Georgie is spot on.

That’s ridiculous. Is it Covid related or is it how they normally start the reception groups?

Waits for the “school isn’t childcare” brigade to arrive...

Its covid related - normal start date would be 3rd Sept with first week mornings only, which I'd anticipated and taken the week as holiday. I don't have enough holiday to cover an entire half term and my work obviously wouldn't be happy about this either. Apparently its partly relating to social distancing and partly because the kids have had no transition period/meeting teacher/settling sessions that would normally happen in July.

Its correct yes re funding. In truth most schools have no idea what September will look like, but have to start making some plans, I think a lot of reception starters will be delayed at least a week while they get back the rest of the school population I'm whatever way they can. What are you doing with him at the moment as he is not at nursery - you might need to carry that on in September.

I'm on furlough thankfully so it hasn't been a problem, but starting back at work at the beginning of August, he starts back at nursery mid-July.

You can defer the start and continue to be funded in nursery.
You just notify the school and decide if you want him to start in January or later. His place will be held for him and it gets you through an unpredictable time.

We are in the same position, not starting til 14th and having to pay full fees. It's a pain but we are looking at it that it's only for two weeks. The school want to have all the existing pupils back first for a week before the new ones start.

Sorry OP totally misread your post about the limited attendance - my apologies. That's obviously much more of a financial burden.