Nursery Funding for 3 year olds

[iarebaboon]

Am I missing something or is this specially designed to not be at all helpful to working parents?

So, you get 15 hrs

This is divided into 5 x 3 hr sessions

If I wish to use two sessions in one day there must be an hours break in between them

How does this work for anyone, and surely most peole do, work 8.5 Hr days some distance from the nursery? Does your child attend nursery for the full day and you pay separately for the hour in between the two sessions and for the additional time required each day? And the funding covers 6 of these hours?

My god it's confusiing and doesn't seem to be designed to help really

The way you are describing is a very old-fashioned way of accessing the funding.

Settings shouldn't be working in 'sessions' anymore, and there certainly isn't any need for the hours break - it is continuous provision.

In our LA you can claim a minimum of 3 hrs a day and a maximum of 10, a maximum of 12.5 hrs over 2 days and 15hrs over 3 days.

I would advise you to contact you LA and ask them for further advice.

Ok thanks. That's really helpful. Hadn't realised it was the LA I needed to speak to, I've been really floundering for information

You would normally pay for any hours in excess of those covered by the scheme. Exactly how LAs and nurseries implement this varies by region, so you will need to check locally.

But the scheme runs to provide nursery education, not daycare for working parents, so you are right to say it isn't always friendly towards the working day.

in my pre-school we offer sessions so you could have 5 mornings, 5 afternoons or two full days plus a morning or afternoon session. The morning sessions are 30 minutes longer than the afternoons, so parents are then offered lunch club as part of the entitlement if their child is doing afternoon sessions. If parents decide to access the entitlement over 5 mornings, they would have to pay for lunch club if required.

I suppose it depends on the demand in your area. Most families who access our provision are SAHMs, with only the odd parent working. We only have 4 families who pay extra (because they have exceeded their entitlement) because of work commitments.

Day nurseries on the other hand tend to charge their normal fees and then deduct the 15 hours. An hour in my LA equates to something like £3.50 so parents would be deducted £52.50 at the end of the term.

It is a confusing system. I think we get the balance just right for our area and for the families who choose to use us. It's worth looking around and seeing who offers what and what your LA says.

The nursery should be able to give you all the advice you need tbh, but as they are individual businesses, they often don't give the wider picture and just tell you the way they operate.

It would be up to you then to vote with your feet, as it were, if the provision doesn't meet your needs and find a nursery that does.

The LA will be able to clarify to you what you're entitled to and should (via FIS) be able to give you a list of provision in you area.

The point is that it is designed to give free nursery education not free childcare. Which does seem to contradict the aims of the EYFS to end the distinction between care and education.
It is not designed to allow parents free childcare while they work- there are other benefits that aim to do that.
But you are right, it is very confusing.

Sorry to hijack the op, but we are really struggling to find DD a place at a pre-school so we cannot access our funding. Does anyone know if childminders can accept this funding?

Some childminders accept the funding, but they have to be accredited (I'm not a cm and don't know what this entails).

Family Information Service at your LA should be able to give you a list of registered providers and accredited childminders.

Thanks Jamandposterpaint, I will look into it.

I must say that you should contact your local FIS as they are very helpful and friendly. I was also scratching my head until two days ago, but now am fine.