Your Guide to Primary Education in Leicestershire

All three and four year olds in Leicestershire are entitled to 15 hours of free early learning and childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. From April 2008 to March 2009 this equates to 570 hours.  

The early learning entitlement is often referred to as ‘Nursery Education Funding’or ‘NEF’.  

You can access your 15 hours across a minimum of three days .This can be requested in a minimum of two hour blocks, but for no more than 10 hours in one day, and if you want to access your entitlement over two days only, the maximum allowance is 13 hours.  

Your 15 hours can be accessed from up to two different childcare providers.  Please be aware that not every childcare provider in Leicestershire is currently able to offer the full 15 hours entitlement. Your childcare provider will be working with Leicestershire County Council’s Early Learning and Childcare Service to ensure they are able to offer you the full entitlement as fl exibly as possible. You should discuss your personal needs with your childcare provider.

 

 

In order to access Nursery Education Funding (NEF) your child has to be registered and in attendance at a provision before the dates shown in the table below. If your child is not in attendance (due to holidays/sickness etc) but is registered and is able to take the place up within two weeks of this date then you can still receive funding.

 

You are able to access free early learning in a range of places. Four year olds can attend a reception or nursery class; whilst three and four year olds can attend maintained or private nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups, special schools or a childminder within an accredited network.

 

If your childcare provider is a validated nursery education provider they will receive funding direct. If the provision would normally charge more than this funded amount, they are not allowed to recoup their losses by charging you extra.

If you require childcare beyond the funded amount you will have to pay for the extra time. The local authority would advise you to agree the amount charged per hour, in writing, before the child takes up the place. If you are unable to pay for the additional period of childcare, you may, with the provider’s consent, withdraw your child after the entitlement period. It is important that you are aware that your child must be in attendance for all of the funded time claimed for by your early years provider. You may be liable to pay any losses incurred by the provider if a child is consistently not in attendance for funded time.

 

Usually your childcare provider will have ‘NEF sessions’ within their daily plan.  The local authority is currently working with all childcare providers to ensure they are able to offer a fl exible approach to nursery education. Each provider will be able to discuss what they can offer and how they administer NEF.

You can often arrange hours to suit your child, but this is dependent on the availability of places at the provision you have chosen. You cannot claim funding for more than 10 hours on any one day or 13 hours over two days - the 15 hour entitlement must be taken over a minimum period of three days. If you need more childcare, you may wish to pay for more hours. You could also pay for a childminder to drop off and pick up your child.

 

Yes, if they are not yet admitted to school. If they have been admitted to school, then all 15 hours will be paid to the school and the parent cannot claim free places anywhere else. Otherwise you can access NEF entitlement from no more than two different childcare providers.

 

If your child has Special Educational Needs and attends an identifi ed specialist provision, (Wigston Menphys Centre and Sketchley Hill Menphys Nursery Unit), you can access up to an extra six hours per week. This will automatically be added to the hours that your provider has claimed for. For more information please contact the Family Information Service on 0116 305 6545.

 

As a parent or carer, you will be required to complete a Parental Statement of Undertaking Form which providers will hold at the beginning of each term.

This form will make it clear to you what will be paid for, and what, you, the parent will pay for.

Remember if there are any changes to your child’s attendance at a provision you will be asked to update these details on the PSOU.

 

You may be offered a place for your child in a nursery or reception class at primary school, when he or she is four years old. This place will be free except for meals and trips.

Legally, your child does not have to start school until he or she is of compulsory school age. You may delay your child starting school by up to one term after the normal school admission date. However, the place may be offered to another child.

Leicestershire has undergone a review of admissions into primary schools to ensure there is a common approach. From September 2005 to 2009 all primary schools will be moving to the same system of children starting school in the September after the child’s 4th birthday. For further information and to find out when individual schools admit children please call the Family Information Service on 0116 305 6545.

You should be aware that once your child is attending school, either on a full time or part time basis your childcare provider will no longer be eligible to claim funding on your behalf. The only exception to this rule is if your child is attending a Maintained Nursery Unit. In such instances your NEF entitlement could be split between the school and the nursery setting.

We can provide a tailored package of support for parents considering childcare and early education. From quality standards to location, we can help you make informed choices.

Tel: 0116 305 6545
Email: childcare@leics.gov.uk
Website: www.leics.gov.uk/earlyyears