Foundation 1 Free Places -  15 hour entitlement

All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours of Funded Entitlement, each week, over 38 weeks of the year. These 15 hours of Funded Entitlement are known as your UNIVERSAL HOURS

• If your child attends any school or academy nursery, including regular visits before starting school full time, then these sessions count as part of your Funded Entitlement
• You can claim less than the 15 hours if you do not wish to access your full Funded Entitlement
• A maximum of 10 hours can be claimed in any one day. There is no minimum session time
• A child can attend a maximum of two sites in a single day

Web link for on-line applications: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/care/early-years-and-childcare/find-childcare/free-nursery-places/free-early-years-places-for-two-year-olds

Phone number for Customer Service Centre: 0800 500 8080

Foundation 1 Enhanced Provision  -  30 hour entitlement

Some 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to an ADDITIONAL 15 hours of Funded Entitlement. These hours are known as 30 Hours Funded Entitlement.

Sparken Hill Academy intends to offer this entitlement from September 2021. This will be in term time only (8.30am – 3.30pm, Monday to Friday). We would NOT be able to offer this provision if (for example) you required the provision across a school holiday period or after school. Where this is the case, you  may need to consider a blended offer whereby you access 15 hours free with Sparken Hill Academy and the remaining allocation with another PVI setting who have the flexibility to offer non-term time support.

We have initially trialled this method of working during the lockdown and as a result we feel that this:

• Is achievable as an Academy on a longer term basis
• Offers pupils within F1 more opportunities to forge friendship groups and consolidate learning within our unit
• Provides more flexibility and choice for working parents.

Important:

The 30 hour provision is an APPLICATION process and certain criteria need to be met to qualify for a place (see below). In addition, 30 hour places within our Academy are limited to 13 pupils maximum.

A child will be eligible to claim the 30 Hours Funded Entitlement if the parent/carer have applied via the government website: https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/applynow  and received an eligibility code.

Any claim for Funded Entitlement which EXCEEDS 15 hours per week MUST be accompanied by a valid eligibility code. This needs to be completed in Section 3 of the Parent Declaration in order to receive 30 Hours Funded Entitlement.

All forms are available to download from our website: https://www.sparkenhillacademy.com/early-years-including-30-hour-provision/  including:

• Parental Declaration Form
• General Information for Parents

Parents may receive eligibility codes before their child is 3 but they can only start claiming their 30 hours place in the term following the child’s 3rd birthday or the term following the date when the eligibility code was issued (whichever is the later – see table below).

Some 3 and 4 year olds may also be entitled to other pupil benefits as follows:

1. The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is an additional sum of money paid to childcare providers for children of families in receipt of certain benefits including:

1. Income Support/income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance/income-related Employment and Support Allowance Working/Child tax-credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
2. Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
3. Universal Credit- if you and your partner are on a low income from work (this usually means a combined income of less than £7,400 a year after tax)
4. The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
5. Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 Child is ‘looked after’ by a local authority in England or Wales, or
6. Child has left care in England or Wales through an adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangement order

The funding will be used to enhance the quality of their early years’ experience by improving the teaching and learning and facilities and resources, with the aim of impacting positively on your child’s progress and development. For more information, please speak to your childcare provider. In order for us to check your eligibility for EYPP, the personal details of the main benefit holder need to be completed in the ‘Parent’ section of the form.

1. Disability Access Fund: 3 and 4 year old children who are in receipt of child Disability Living Allowance and are receiving Funded Entitlement are eligible for the Disability Access Fund (DAF). DAF is paid to the child’s early years setting as a fixed annual rate of £615 per eligible child. You should nominate the main provider where the local authority should pay the DAF on this form in section 4.

1. Special Educational Needs:

If your child has special educational needs (SEN), please let us know – we may be able to access some additional funding to support your child in their Early Years setting.

Financial support for your childcare costs:

For further information about 15 hours or 30 hours free childcare, Tax Free Childcare, Tax Credits, Universal Credit for Childcare, Childcare Vouchers and Support while you study, go to: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/