08
September
2015
|
12:01
Europe/London

Funding for 2, 3 and 4 years olds

There is now one team administering payment of nursery education funding (NEF) and the early education entitlement for two year olds.  This is part of a long term plan to combine 2, 3 and 4 year old funding payments.

New contact details

We have a new email address, phone number and postal address.

Stretched offer

As early education and childcare providers you are currently required to make the free entitlement available for 570 hours per year over no fewer than 38 weeks.

We welcomes different approaches taken by providers in delivering these free hours.

Many providers make the offer available over the 38 weeks of the typical school term. Some providers, particularly childminders and day nurseries, may wish to make the free entitlement available over more than 38 weeks i.e. offer a ‘stretched offer’.

The stretched offer enables parents to take up patterns of hours that ‘stretch’ their child’s entitlement by taking fewer free hours a week over more weeks per year. For some families this may better suit their needs.

If you would like more information about this please contact Sue Brown at sue.brown@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Other changes

All funded early education and childcare providers have recently been sent a count pack with NEF guidance notes. This outlines the payment processes for claiming funding for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

Changes to be aware of are:

  • You have been allocated a new provider number to include on your claims. This can be found at the top of the covering letter in your count pack.
  • From the autumn term 2015, copies of the parental declarations must be obtained for funded two year olds as well as all funded three and four year olds.
  • Codes for children that are eligible for the early years pupil premium (EYPP) should be included in the space provided on the updated parental declaration form.
  • Your final statements will include a summary of all early education (2, 3 and 4 year olds) payments for the autumn term. These will be sent during the week commencing 23 November, later than you would usually receive it.

 

Visit our early education and childcare provider homepage for a lots of useful information on training, best practice, funding, resources, and much more.