Can anyone remind me please how the free entitlement to Early Years funding is worked out?

[FrayedKnot]

Please?

[TellusMater]

Term after third birthday. Up to 5 2.5 hour sessions per week. Settings reimbursed at a flat rate per session.

[Dropdeadfred]

Do you mean the free nursery places? For children aged 3?

[TellusMater]

Can be split between different settings if necessary.

[TellusMater]

Anything else? Am up to my eyes in forms ATM in fact

[TigerFeet]

If your dc is already at a nursery you get the money off your bill and the nursery claims it back

Is there something specific you need to know? I have never been much good at "tell me everything you know about x"

[SlightlyMadShrek]

I thouhgt that the nursery was obliged to give you a minimum 2.5hrs care for the grant. I may be wrong on that though as my nursery simply deducts the grant from the final bill and it certainly doesn't cover 2.5hrs care (i.e. we still pay for more than half a 5hrs session). Still I shall argue that one when I start recieving the grant again.

YOu shouldn't have to fill in forms. Your nursery/playschool should do that for you

Which LEA are in in? In some areas the entitlement is increased to 6 (I think) sessions per week.

You can only have 1 session per morning or afternoon

[SlightlyMadShrek]

quite a torough description.

Also it is term time only

[SlightlyMadShrek]

And paid direct to nursery provider

And you can't claim tax credits on the value

[TellusMater]

All providers receive the same amount per session, no matter what they would normally charge. Are they allowed to charge a top up if that amount doesn't cover their full fees? It doesn't apply to our preschool, so it isn't something I know...

[LIZS]

There is a maximum amount per 2 1/2 hour session but it is pretty generous iirc.

[TellusMater]

7.95 for us.

[FrayedKnot]

Sorry was rushing to do DS' stories.

It's the flat rate per session that I am after.

DS' nursery have changed the way that they manage it and I have a cheque today which I think may be for the full term but I need to know the amount per session...

Last term we were paid in two installments.

[goingfor3]

I have to pay a top up as grant is around £8 and preschool just over £11 per session but in my area children born after september 2004 get 2 1/2 hours without having to pay the top up or at least they should though I don't think dd's nursery are doing that

[SlightlyMadShrek]

My undertansing is that they could request a top up if they were providing 3hrs care, but if for example

Fees= £20 for a 5hr session
Grant = £8 per session

They are not allowed to charge £12 for the 'other' 2.5hrs of the day. The max they can charge is £10. Does that make sense?

However, I need to clarify that, it may be something I read on here. Although I have just read a link which says that a minimum of 2.5hrs care must be provided, which implies they can't charge any extra for the 2.5hrs which the government pays for if it doesn't cover there published costs.

[SlightlyMadShrek]

Frayed knot, 2 things

1. amount varies by LEA, so check your LEA website, some publish hte figures
2. the nursery are not supposed to make you pay full fees and receive a "refund". Ours got told off by LEA for that i think and info on that here.

[FrayedKnot]

Sorry I should add DS attends a daycare nursery for 5 hours a day and I pay his monthly fees upfront and then receive a cheque back from nursery for the funding.

[SlightlyMadShrek]

Xposts..

[TellusMater]

Well, our LEA are planning on changing the whole formula so that the number of children and sessions is only one factor in the grant.

Just to confuse things...

[moominsmummy]

am very fortunate that DS goes to an "early excellence centre" (sure start nursery) so we get 6 sessions paid for - and no forms to complete

he goes for 4 full days a week as they provide full day care as well as pre-school nursery stuff

[FrayedKnot]

Hmm. It didn;t start off like that, but last Sept they changed to giving a cheque back. I find it easier, actually, as before his fees varied month on month.

[FrayedKnot]

Ok someone help me with the maths.

Cheque is for £427.50.

I need to divide this by number of weeks in the term, is that right? How many weeks are there? Is it 11? And then divide by 5, obviously, to get the session rate.

This amount must be for the whole term, mustn't it.

God I am feeling with it this evening

[LIZS]

That sounds roughly what we had for a full term 2 years back. You may have up to 11, possibly 12, weeks this term.

[SlightlyMadShrek]

That sounds about right,

If you assume £8 per session as a ball park
= £40 per week for 5 sessions
=£400 per 10 week term

[bossybritches]

usually 14 weeks for winter term & 12 for spring & summer.

But if your nursery is open for longer than the 38 weeks (as ours is) they may spread it over the total year to give you some off every month.

You have to be sending you child 5 sessions a week (morning OR afternoon) or 2.5 days pw if full day care.

[bossybritches]

Don't forget that each LEA sets it's own rate per session & each setting is ALLOWED to take a bit towards the costs of administering the vouchers & providing extra resources.

I would ask your setting what they allow per voucher/session first & work it out from there!!