FUNDING

 

Three and Four Year Olds

Currently, all three- and four-year-olds can access 15 hours per week of funded care and education for 38 weeks of the year, regardless of the income or working status of their parent or carer. This is often described as a ‘universal offer’.

In addition, eligible working families of three- and four-year-olds can currently access 30 hours a week of funded care and education for 38 weeks of the year.

Families have to meet certain income requirements to be eligible for the current 30-hour offer for three- and four-year-olds.​

 

 

Eligibility

This eligibility criteria applies to each parent or carer in dual-parent households and the lone parent or carer in lone-parent households.

To be eligible, each parent or carer must:

·         Earn more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the national living wage or minimum wage per week. This means that over the next three months, you expect to earn at least £1,976 - the National Living Wage if you are 23 or older.

·         There is no requirement to work a certain number of hours per week – it is all about how much you earn. This means that, for example, if you only work 10 hours a week but earn £20 per hour, you will meet the minimum earning threshold. Apprentices are also eligible as long as they earn the equivalent to 16 hours at the apprentice minimum wage.

AND

·         Earn less than £100,000 per year. Again this applies to each parent and carer in a dual-parent household. This means that if one parent earned £101,000 and the other earned £20,000, a family would not be eligible, but if both parents earned £99,000, the family would be eligible.

​

Information from:
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/free-childcare-offers-what-parents-and-carers-need-know

 

 

Are you eligible for 'tax free childcare'?

You could save £1000s

You can get up to £2,000 a year for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider. You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

Tax free childcare can be used to pay for breakfast/tea and after school clubs for children under the age of 11 years old. The setting you use them at has to be registered. We are registered and many of our families are currently benefiting from this provision. Do you know anyone who this could help?

Why not check it out and see if you are eligible!
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-tax-free-childcare

Please note: You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as claiming Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers. Which scheme you’re better off with depends on your situation.

Use the childcare calculator to work out which type of support is best for you.

Admission

Children normally come to nursery school for the full academic year before they start primary school. If places are available, children are eligible for a place from the term after their third birthday – allocated on an oldest first basis.

 

Universal 15 hrs offer

With regard to the universal free 15hrs parents can choose whether they would prefer a morning session, afternoon session or two and a half days and we do our best to accommodate their wishes. Places are offered for 5 sessions each week and from experience we find that the most benefit is received by children who attend the full 5 sessions but we would like you to take at least 3 full sessions in order to provide some continuity of experience for your child.                  

 

Extended 30 hrs entitlement

From April 2017, some working parents in North Yorkshire have been entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and education each week of term time or 1140 hours stretched across the year. This is made up of the universal free 15 hours plus an additional 15 hours for parents who meet the following criteria:-

  • Both parents are working (or sole parent in a lone parent family)
  • Each parent must have a weekly income equivalent to 16 hours pay at national minimum wage or national living wage rates and
  • Each parent must have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

 

 We are usually able to accommodate all the children on the waiting list but in the event of too many children for too few places the following would apply in accordance with Education Authority Policy.

 Criteria for Admission to Community and Voluntary Controlled Nursery Schools and Classes.

    • First priority, Looked after children and all previously looked after children for whom the school has been expressed as a preference

     

    • Second priority, children whom the Authority considers to have a social or medical reason for admission, supported by an appropriate professional report.

     

    • Third priority, children living within the normal area of the school, giving priority to the eldest children first.

     

    • Fourth priority, children living outside the school’s normal area, giving priority to those whose home is nearest to the school first.

     

Parents are encouraged to bring their children for at least one visit to nursery before their admission in September. Towards the end of the Summer term you will have an opportunity to ‘drop in’ to a session or two for a visit. We also hold a Parents Evening in June so that you can meet the staff informally and find out more about what your child will experience when they attend. During the first week of the term in September you will receive a home visit by 2 members of staff. This allows your child to meet the staff and for you to tell us about them so that we can begin to build a picture of them and how they choose to play and learn at home. It also allows you to ask any individual questions or raise any personal concerns that you may have.

 When your child starts nursery he/she will be based in one of the two classroom bases for arrival, group times and collections but will move freely throughout the indoor and outdoor environment during the session. The intake is staggered over the first two weeks to allow children to settle with support from adults where necessary. A key adult will also be allocated to you and your child. Depending on their previous experience children may stay for a shorter time initially and gradually build up to the full session. All children are different, some settle quickly and some take longer. We will work with you to help your child through this period.

 All children are usually in and settled by the end of September.

During their time with us the children follow a well-planned Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that is suited to their individual needs. Our aim is to develop self-confident and independent children who are able to make the transition from nursery to primary school easily and happily and are ready to learn. Children who enter Nursery in January or April will follow the same process of parents evenings; visits to sessions and home visits.

 

 We send children to all Skipton primary schools and many village schools.

We feel it is important to have good liaison between us and the primary schools. Reception teachers are invited to the nursery in the summer term to meet their prospective pupils and nursery and reception staff share information about each child and their progress.

NB – It is your responsibility to place your child’s name on the waiting

 

 Where parents wish, a child may be admitted to primary school at a later date in the school year e.g. January. They have the right to keep a nursery place for their child for an additional term without prejudicing their place at the primary school of their choice. Parents are advised to consider the needs of their child and consult with nursery staff prior to making this decision.