Implementing 15hours Flexible EarlyEducation and Childcare

Support Documents for Schools

Contents

  • Background

Key principals

  • Croydon experience

15 hour pilots

Case studies

Crosfield’s experience

  • Planning your offer

Have you thought about?

Staffing issues

Possible options for extending to15 hours with flexibilitySample survey

Sample presentation for Staff and Governors

Sample presentation for parents and carers

Planning sheet

  • Communicating your offer

Target audiences

Poster

Sample offer options letter

Contracts and fair processing notice

  • Questions and answers
  • Background

Background to the Free and Flexible Early Learning andChildcare Offer for 3 and 4 Year Olds

Since April 2006 parents have been entitled to access 12.5 hours of free early learning andchildcare per week across a minimum of 3 days over 38 weeks a year. From September 2010,every local authority is required to extend this offer to 15 hours of free early learning and childcareto all 3and 4 year olds who wish to access it, over a minimum of 38 weeks.

A maximum of 570hours funding per year can be spread over a minimum of 38 weeks and a maximum of 50 weeks.This offer must be made available flexibly to meet parental demand over a minimum of three daysper week.

As a step towards achieving this, from September 2009 all local authorities were required to makethe offer available to the 25% most disadvantaged 3 and 4 year olds in their area. This wasmade available through a range of settings registered with Ofsted and delivering the Early YearsFoundation Stage (EYFS) including:

  • maintained nursery schools and classes (a school or setting funded by the local authority or central government)
  • private, voluntary and independent providers (PVI - a range of providers not directlyfunded by local authority, including charities and for profit organisations):

pre-schools

day nurseries

networked childminders

Independent schools

From September 2010, this offer must be made to all 3 and 4 year olds.

Why is the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) extending theentitlement?

There is clear evidence that high quality early learning and childcare:

  • Can lead to better education and social outcomes for all children
  • Has benefits which can last through primary school
  • Has particular benefits for children from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Can act as an enabler for parents, allowing them to work or train

Key principles

The key principles underpinning the flexible offer are:

  • Ensuring parents have the option to access more than just sessional provision
  • Ensuring that provision reflects what parents really need
  • Creating a range of provision and options in the childcare market for families
  • Better outcomes for children.

Basic Principles of Funding

- The minimum number of funded hours in any one day is 2 hours

- The maximum number of funded hours in any one day is 10 hours

- The maximum number of funded hours in any two days is 13 hours

- The full 15 hours cannot be taken in less than three separate days

- The hours cannot be split between more than two different settings(These can be split between maintained and PVI)

.