Query - Pre-school attendance for the funded hours.

[summerlovingvibes]

Is there an attendance percentage that my child needs to attend in order for the funded hours to continue?

Reason I ask - starting DD at a pre-school in September. Splitting the funding between pre-school and a child minder for the 3 days a week I work, but have also booked her in for 1 additional morning a week to the pre-school in order to build her up a bit more as she gets closer to school age.

As this will be new for her, I intended to start her on the 3 days a week and build up to the fourth. So for the first few weeks / months will not use the fourth morning.

Following that on occasion I may take her out of the setting for the morning to do something - for example end of October I have booked her flu vaccine which they only had appointments for on a working day where I'd have to take A/L or on the morning she's booked at pre-school but I'm not working. Therefore booked for this day.

This is just an example of when she'd miss pre-school.

Is there a percentage she has to attend before funding would be pulled?

It depends on the local authority. Some will claw back the funding from the setting if you dont attend "regularly" (and "regularly"seems to change depending on which LA).

If you read your contract it may be written in there that if the LA clawed back the funding for non attendance that you will have to pay the setting for any hours you have used and they have not been paid for. If you can afford this, then take her out as much as you want! If you cant then read your contract very very carefully, or else you may get stung with a big bill!

Thanks @LuckysDadsHat
With regards to the contract, what do you mean?
I haven't seen or signed a contract anywhere with regards to the funding - just applied online and gave the pre-school my code.

Your pre school will normally give you a contract or t&cs to sign. Speak to your pre school and see what they say. Are they aware you wont be attending for a few months on one of the days?

Our LA would try to claw back funding if your child was regularly absent for a day I had claimed. Which means I’d be billing you for my losses - and you might also lose your right to funding. Funding is great but as the state is paying, you have less flexibility.

Here they send a warning letter if you drop below 95% without a medical reason or other explanation

Thanks all, I'll make sure she's in on the extra morning as much as possible in that case as don't want to risk losing it etc.
I'll chat to the pre-school when she starts tomorrow and see what their policy is x

Hi I’m a childminder and in my contract I state that if LA tries to claw back funding due to regular absence you will be liable to pay fees privately if your funding is withdrawn. Different LA’s have different opinions on it. For example our LA says you could lose funding if you take your child out for a 3 week holiday. Funding is great but unfortunately parents do lose flexibility. If someone came to me saying that they’d be regularly taking their child out, I probably wouldn’t take them on as can’t be bothered explaining to funding auditors who come and look at our books that parent time with children is important. They just see money (and I guess it’s taxpayers’ money) and don’t like it wasted.

Have you discussed this with the nursery? Ours wouldn’t let me do this (attached to a primary school), it was 5 days or nothing due to the issues around funding being withdrawn for low attendance.

They only offered 5 half days though (it’s only 15 hours here) and you couldn’t swap for 3 whole days so may be different where you are