Will the Pupil Premium incentivise you to draw funding?

[Simona]

The Pupil Premium for EY settings taking 3 year olds has been set at £300 per year...equivalent to 53p per hour per child
It is paid on top of the local funding set by your LA and it is the same nationwide
This is how it compares to children in school:

The 2014/15 pupil premium rate is £1,300 for primary aged pupils and £935 for those at secondary school....as quoted in this article


Former government adviser issues early years pupil premium warning | Children & Young People Now (http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1146184/government-adviser-issues-pupil-premium-warning?WT.rss_f=News)

Is this an incentive to draw funding if you have not ....as yet...done so?

[Koala]

NO! I cannot remain sustainable with business solely or predominantly from funded children - premium or not. Being paid below minimum wage (taking into consideration costs, expenses etc...) with funded children and being told that a pupil premium would be an advantage which may bring me up to the minimum wage does not 'float my boat'.

I have bills to pay 52 weeks a year and cannot survive on 38/39 weeks work with limited work and no guarantee. :thumbsup:

[Mouse]

I only do funded sessions for children who are already in my care and who come for more than the funded hours. An extra 53p will only just bring the hourly rate up to what I charge. Yet I'd still be expected to spend it on extra resources etc, rather than use it for my personal income.

I do think the people who decide these things are totally unaware of how little some LAs pay us. They seem to think we should be grateful for the extra money, when in fact it's only putting us where we should be.

I'll carry on offering funded places to help my current families, but I certainly won't be jumping to take on any purely funded children. It's not enough of a bonus to get me to do that.

[FussyElmo]

Will this encourage me to take funded children no - because I already take funded children on and just for their hours. It will be nice to get a little bit extra but makes no difference to me :D

[loocyloo]

i take funded children, but only if i happen to have a space/have one coming up when someone enquires AND it has to fit in. most of my funded children are current children who do a few funded hours within their normal hours.
the pupil premium won't encourage me to take funded children, but i'm not sure how i could spend it all on resources ... although ... someone once said ... in a childminder setting, the childminder is the biggest/best resource so ... it could just 'pay' us!

[FloraDora]

Pupil premium originally came into schools with no guidance on how to use it - HT's could use it in anyway they felt it would benefit the children, since it came at a time of reduced school budgets most heads used it to supplement within budgets to pay for support ( staff who would probably loose their jobs because of cutbacks in budgets). Within 2 years schools had to plan for its use and produce a statement of how it is used, supplementing staff wages was not an acceptable use. Within 3 years you had to show how pupil premium money had impacted on pupil progress, with justification if it had not had accelerated impact, i.e. More than average expected progress. Ofsted made important weighty judgements about the school based on the impact PP had had.

I am wary of PP being introduced to childminders - especially such a piddly amount, before long Ofsted will look at progress made and give a negative report if PP children have not accelerated through the outcomes because you have spent your £7.90 a week/53p an hour wisely and it has shown a big impact on the child's learning.
The reason for the PP being given is that the gov acknowledge/decided that children who are eligible for free school meals are at a significant disadvantage and research has shown that their home life/ background impacts negatively on their starting point at school and ability to make accelerated progress. Apparently research is now showing that the negative impact starts at a younger age, hence the need for PP in pre school age. But they will need us to come up with the ideas of how to use the money, measure the impact and then decide in a couple of years how to use PP to the best advantage when a child is at a childminders( the Sutton Trust did the research for schools) .
I can't understand why they can't invest this money in educating parents on how they can give their children the best chances in life in education. They started to through Surestart, but then withdrew their funding.
15 hours is not long in a child's week, the parents are with them for far longer, they need to be the ones supporting their child to learn, we then support them and the children in the 15 hours they are with us. Most parents try to do their best for their children, extra support would really benefit them.

Having said all this, if we have children who come with PP it might be a good idea to monitor its impact and share with each other the types of things that worked for us, pre - empting Ofsted making the decisions for us.

Sorry about the soap box, but been there, got the T shirt.

[Mouse]

That's very interesting and insightful, Floradora.

I have to be honest, much as it's a step forward that childminders are going to be able to access the additional funding, I have wondered whether it's going to be more of a hindrance than a help. I may have one child who qualifies. She has 3 hours funding per day. What am I supposed to do with an extra £1.59 a day that will have a clear and marked improvement on her learning and development? Once I've spent my £1.59 I will then have to spend time logging how this has helped her so that I can justify my spending to Ofsted at my next inspection. Are they going to expect a set level of improvement, or £1.59s worth?

[Simona]

Pupil premium originally came into schools with no guidance on how to use it - HT's could use it in anyway they felt it would benefit the children, since it came at a time of reduced school budgets most heads used it to supplement within budgets to pay for support ( staff who would probably loose their jobs because of cutbacks in budgets). Within 2 years schools had to plan for its use and produce a statement of how it is used, supplementing staff wages was not an acceptable use. Within 3 years you had to show how pupil premium money had impacted on pupil progress, with justification if it had not had accelerated impact, i.e. More than average expected progress. Ofsted made important weighty judgements about the school based on the impact PP had had.

I am wary of PP being introduced to childminders - especially such a piddly amount, before long Ofsted will look at progress made and give a negative report if PP children have not accelerated through the outcomes because you have spent your £7.90 a week/53p an hour wisely and it has shown a big impact on the child's learning.
The reason for the PP being given is that the gov acknowledge/decided that children who are eligible for free school meals are at a significant disadvantage and research has shown that their home life/ background impacts negatively on their starting point at school and ability to make accelerated progress. Apparently research is now showing that the negative impact starts at a younger age, hence the need for PP in pre school age. But they will need us to come up with the ideas of how to use the money, measure the impact and then decide in a couple of years how to use PP to the best advantage when a child is at a childminders( the Sutton Trust did the research for schools) .
I can't understand why they can't invest this money in educating parents on how they can give their children the best chances in life in education. They started to through Surestart, but then withdrew their funding.
15 hours is not long in a child's week, the parents are with them for far longer, they need to be the ones supporting their child to learn, we then support them and the children in the 15 hours they are with us. Most parents try to do their best for their children, extra support would really benefit them.

Having said all this, if we have children who come with PP it might be a good idea to monitor its impact and share with each other the types of things that worked for us, pre - empting Ofsted making the decisions for us.

Sorry about the soap box, but been there, got the T shirt.

I think...and that is my view...that Ofsted have already introduced measures to judge the impact on these children's progress via the PP we will be getting
I won't say more but allow you to look at the updated 'Conducting EY inspections' factsheet of 20 August.... and there it is in black and white...I am sure you will spot it so we can discuss further?

OFSTED will never question how we spend the PP.....not their remit.... but it will be required on paper evidence via progress evidence

I am concerned why this woman in the article stresses we need to invest the PP to have a graduate lead settings when the DfE ...in its response to the PP and 2 yo funding consultation.... stress the money can be spent anyway we like and no conditions attached?
Does she realise that 53p does not buy a graduate salary in CM settings? and neither will it do it for other settings...from what I read and hear no one is pleased at getting such a miserly sum...another slap in our face

It also ties up with the govt funded SEED research study...is their investment paying off? we won't know until it is finished in many years' time

Why are children attending EY settings worth £300 compared to what schools get?

This govt is failing in providing all the spaces promised for disadvantaged children so giving us 53p may make it easier to swallow the bitter pill...how wrong they are and LAs will pay the price for funding us such a pitiful amount over many years

Childcare policy is shambolic at the moment...not even the associations are able to drive the message across...despite all the Lords enquiries and other researches in the cost of childcare...the bottom line is we are well underfunded...and have been for years.... and judging by the replies here many cms not willing to join what they feel is a loss to their finances and quality of life for their families...no matter what is said about cms being 'underused'

Having achieved the equal opportunity in delivering funded hours CMs are proving to be much more resilient and able to say 'no thank you'

Interesting replies...keep them coming :thumbsup:

[Simona]

Has anyone seen this?...such a load of sweeping statements !

Underprivileged two-year-olds being declined by 'middle-class' nurseries | Money | The Observer (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/aug/23/middle-class-nurseries-avoid-poor-two-year-olds?CMP=twt_gu)

[gwm]

Thanks for the link Simona but, what a load of rubbish. Sir Michael is exceedingly good with his sweeping statements. Nothing that man says has any evidence whatsoever. Now he is going for the emotional attack....Small children are being excluded because they are poor. How low can that man go?

[Simona]

For those interested in the EY Pupil Premium debate this is interesting

Strengthening the impact of the EYPP...including making it the same as children get in primary school £1300 not £300
Would that be an incentive for providers?

Strengthening the impact of the EYPP | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/opinion/1146128/strengthening-impact-eypp)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have children at nursery so am taking on funded children to fill the space. They come either 9-3 or 9-12, where ever I can fill them in. One is starting next month and is dropping off to me at nursery and then picking up at the place, just as I drop off and collect another. it is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle but can supplement your income

[Simona]

Liberal Democrats pledge to triple pupil premium in early years | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1146210/liberal-democrats-pledge-triple-pupil-premium?utm_content=&utm_campaign=260814%20Nursery%20Management%20bulle tin&utm_source=Nursery%20World&utm_medium=adestra_email&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nurseryworld.co.uk%2Fnur sery-world%2Fnews%2F1146210%2Fliberal-democrats-pledge-triple-pupil-premium)

[FussyElmo]

Liberal Democrats pledge to triple pupil premium in early years | Nursery World (http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1146210/liberal-democrats-pledge-triple-pupil-premium?utm_content=&utm_campaign=260814%20Nursery%20Management%20bulle tin&utm_source=Nursery%20World&utm_medium=adestra_email&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nurseryworld.co.uk%2Fnur sery-world%2Fnews%2F1146210%2Fliberal-democrats-pledge-triple-pupil-premium)

Like they promised to scrap student tuition fees or am I being cynical?

[Simona]

If anyone can afford to attend the 4 Children conference on the EYPP...it's a bargain at £260 + VAT!!!!...that question can be put directly to David Laws who is the main speaker :thumbsup:

Getting ready for the Early Years Pupil Premium (http://www.4children.org.uk/Event/Detail/Getting-ready-for-the-Early-Years-Pupil-Premium)