Early Years Funding

From September 2011

(until further notice)

All children must, by law, start their education in the school term after their fifth birthday (at the latest). Before that time, the local authority offers funding to help with the cost of early years education. At present, all eligible children are entitled to up to fifteen hours of early years education and childcare funding per week free of charge (for 38 weeks of the year).

37 Parkside Cambridge CB1 1JE 01223 357181 www.ace-nurseryschool.org.uk ace_nursery@tiscali.co.uk

In Cambridgeshire, most children are currently entitled to Early Years Funding (EYF) from the term after their third birthday (although specific dates apply please check with the Nursery School). This means that the funding is available for up to 6 terms. Session times at ACE are as follows: Early Morning*: Part Morning: Morning**: Lunch*: Afternoon: After-School Club*: 8.30am-8.45am (15 minutes) 8.45am-11.15am (2.5 hours) 8.45am-12.30pm (3.75 hours) 12.30pm 1.30pm (1 hour) 1.30pm 4.00pm (2.5 hours) 4.00pm 4.30pm (0.5 hours Short) 4.00pm 5.30pm (1.5 hours Long)

* session not covered by funding ** session not fully covered by funding

The funding can be used to subsidise nursery fees for up to 15 hours per week spread over a minimum of 3 days. The minimum claim for EYF is 2.5 hours in any one day. The maximum claim is 5 hours per day. The cost of the afternoon and part-morning sessions is covered by EYF. Full morning sessions include 2.5 hours of funded time. EYF cannot be used to pay for the Early Morning Sessions, Lunch, Afterschool club, Holiday Playschemes or extra sessions. To access the full 15 hours of EYF per week, a child would need to take six part-morning, full morning or afternoon sessions per week (or a combination of these). ACE is required to provide the part morning session to comply with current funding regulations. However, children attending the short, part morning session will not have the opportunity to participate in the full range of planned morning activities. Moreover, if parents opt out of the full morning sessions to save money, this would undermine ACEs financial position as the rate at which ACE is funded by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) is not sufficient to cover our costs. Claiming Early Years Funding At the start of the term that your child becomes eligible to receive funding (and every term thereafter that your child is eligible) you will be asked to complete a parental contract with CCC in

A parent co-operative founded in 1966 by the Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) Member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance Registered in England No. 1170191. Registered Charity No. 271233

order to claim your childs free sessions for that term. If it is the first time you are claiming, we need to see proof of date of birth e.g. your childs birth certificate or passport. This will enable us to claim the funding on your behalf. The money is then paid direct to ACE Nursery School and will reduce your childs fees. ACE will invoice you at the beginning of each term showing you how many hours of funding you are entitled to claim and the net fees payable for your child for that term. At the start of each term parents must commit to a pattern of funded hours for the whole term. Increases in hours of attendance cannot be funded part way through the term. Fees will be charged for any additional hours taken. There is no requirement to transfer the funding between childcare providers once the parental contract has been agreed. If you know that you will be moving providers mid-term, this should be reflected in the contracts with each provider. Extra sessions booked will need to be paid for on or before the day as normal. What to do next: (and until further notice) At the beginning of EVERY term, fill in the parental contract with CCC to claim your Early Years Funding. This will be attached to the invoice you receive at the start of each term. You must do this by the deadline given, or you will receive no funding. When you are applying for funding for the first time, we will need to see your childs birth certificate or passport. We will then apply for the funding on your behalf. ACE will invoice you at the beginning of every term setting out the net fees due. Please pay by the end of the first week that your child attends ACE after each holiday period.

A parent co-operative founded in 1966 by the Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) Member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance Registered in England No. 1170191. Registered Charity No. 271233