Government Funding

 

Early Learning funding is available for three and four year olds.  Your child is entitled to up to a maximum to up to 570 hours of free early learning per year. This can be taken as 15 hours over 38 weeks.

Child entitlements

Children who are three years old between:

• 1 April and 31 August will have a free place from the following: September

• 1 September and 31 December will have a free place from the following: January

• 1 January and 31 March will have a free place from the following April.

 

These free places can be offered until a child reaches statutory school age.

 

ME2 Funding

Free 15 hours of childcare for 2 year olds.

 

Early learning is good for children. Its fun, safe and can help with children's talking and listening skills

 

How do I qualify?

 

Families earning less than £16,190 with a two year old could get up to 15 hours of free childcare.

 

Two year olds with an education and health care plan, can also benefit.

 

Criteria for entitlement

 

• Guarantee element of Pension Credit

• Income Support

• Income based Job Seekers Allowance

• Working Tax Credit with an annual household income not exceeding £16,190

• Child Tax Credit with an annual household income not exceeding £16,190

• Income related Employment & Support Allowance

• Support under Part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act

• Looked After Children

• Children that attract Disability Living Allowance

• Children with a current statement of SEN or an Education and Health Care plan

• Children who have left care through special guardianship or an adoption or residence order

• Referred by a professional such as a health visitor or local children’s centre.

 

Additional sessions

If your 15 hours funding is in use, and additional sessions are required, these will be charged at £10.00 per 2.5 hour session. This price is applicable to 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

 

Lunch Club

 

The lunch club operates from 11.30a.m until 12.15p.m. The time can be included as part of the funded hours, or added on at £3.00 per day.

 

Payments

A payment contract is issued for each term. In this contract it will state the number of free hours, from Government funding, if applicable and  any additional charges for lunch, additional sessions and for the snack food. (£5.00 or £10.00 per term depending on the number of sessions attended). The contract will advise 3 dates; dates for 25% of term fee to be paid; a date for 50% and a date for all payments to have been made by. Payments can be cash, cheque, online or with childcare

 

Early Years Pupil Premium:

Recent studies show that there is a 19 month gap in school readiness between the most and least advantaged children. The Early Years Pupil Premium has the potential to greatly reduce this inequality.

The introduction of the Early Years Pupil Premium for three and four year olds from April 2015 aims to support providers to bridge this gap with additional funding, approximately £300 for each eligible child.  It will be a system in which money follows the child from the new two year old free entitlement right through to the school-age Pupil Premium.  Early years providers have a key opportunity to maximise this additional funding to improve children’s outcomes and to boost disadvantaged children’s achievement.

 

The government will provide additional monies, to Nutkins Pre-School, for children falling within a certain criteria. The purpose of the money is to be able to expand on lifes experiences and learning opportunities; the aim is to bridge the gap.

 

For additional information please go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-pupil-premium-guide-for-local-authorities.

 

Early years providers are responsible for:

 

• identifying which of the children in their care may be eligible for the early years pupil premium (EYPP)

• passing that information on to their local authority

 

The form will help providers identify which of the children in their care are eligible for the EYPP. DfE recommends that providers ask all parents and guardians, regardless of family income or circumstances, to complete the form when they enroll their child.

 

To claim government funding, a form has to be completed, each term, stating the number of hours to be attended (up to the maximum of 15 hours). Each parent will be asked to looked at the Pupil Premium letter and complete, if they think that they are eligible. The local authority will then check the eligibility and release the additional monies to Nutkins Pre-School.

 

The money will be utilised to support the learning of the child to which it has been allocated.