All
four year olds and three year olds are entitled to government funded nursery
education place. These places can be in:
- A private or voluntary run
pre-school, playgroup, day nursery or independent school (i.e. Raunds
Rainbow Nursery School)
- A county council nursery
school or unit
- A reception class (from
September after the a child's fourth birthday)
- An accredited childminder
registered to provide early education
All Providers must be
registered with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership before
they can offer a funded place. Raunds Rainbow Nursery School is registered.
Headcount Day
A setting can only claim for a
child attending or registered to attend the Setting on the Headcount Day and
the number of sessions that the child is attending per week as at that date
is the number that can be claimed. The Setting that your child attends
will be advised of the Headcount dates each term.
What is the child
entitled to?
- A child can be funded for
up to 15 hours per week, over 38 weeks per year, or 11 hours per week over
52 weeks. For 38 weeks, there is usually a break of one week for
half term. Spring, Summer and Autumn terms vary in number of weeks each
year. Therefore, the 38 weeks are split into different numbers each year
depending on the term dates (largely when Easter falls). The nursery
grants term will not always fully coincide with school terms, though it
will be very close.
- Sessions can be flexible,
but must cover at least 3 days per week.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Can I register my child at more than one nursery/pre-school?
If one of the places is a
Local Authority Nursery, you will not be able to claim any funding for
another place. If both providers are either private, voluntary or
independent, then you can split the funded places between the providers,
based on a number of hours up to 15 or 11 per week..
What if I need to move my child from one nursery to another during
the term?
The new setting will not be
able to make a new claim for a funded place if your child starts after the
headcount date.
My child attends more than five sessions per week - will the other
sessions be funded?
The maximum number of funded
sessions is five, if your child does any more sessions, then the provider
will charge the normal rates minus the free sessions. This will be clearly
marked on the invoice.
Outside the eleven week
sessions, during half terms and general holidays, the children are invoiced
for the normal fees for any time taken.
How do I make a claim
a funded Nursery Education place for my child?
The claim is made by the
Provider, the nursery/pre-school will ask you to complete a parent/carer
declaration form at the start of each term. You will need to sign to
confirm the number of hours that you child is attending at that
Nursery/Pre-School, and also disclose how many hours (if any) they are
attending at another Nursery/Pre-School.