4 year old nursery provision

[jadavi]

Is anyone doing only 4 year olds? I've been told i can do this (after the course) and I volunteered at a nursery yesterday and think i'd really enjoy it.
Would I be able to have a number of 4 year olds, run school terms and charge more? Is anyone doing this? My house has been approved for the full quota acc to my regional manager.

cheers
jac

[pinkbutterfly]

Do you mean provide the Early Years free entitlement (15 hours a week)? If that's what you mean it's not that easy ... you have to be an accredited childminder to be able to do that. And no you don't charge anything you like ... you get the funding from local authority (I think) and they have their set price. In my area it's less than what I charge so I wouldn't consider it as you can't charge a top up and there is more paperwork.

[guest4]

Do you mean provide the Early Years free entitlement (15 hours a week)? If that's what you mean it's not that easy ... you have to be an accredited childminder to be able to do that. And no you don't charge anything you like ... you get the funding from local authority (I think) and they have their set price. In my area it's less than what I charge so I wouldn't consider it as you can't charge a top up and there is more paperwork.

Hiya,
Completely agree!!
I completed my accreditation a year ago and have been working only with 3 and 4 year olds since..
It's alot more paperwork and you get paid 3 times an academic year. (directly from the local authority) I get paid alot less than my normal hourly rate and NO, you cant charge a top up!!

Good luck if thats what you want to do, some areas are very lacking in Good Nursery Education Settings!

Tracey x

[jadavi]

Thanks that's exactly what I needed to know. Yes I am doing accredited child minding too. So nursery rate is less than child minding rates? Don't people ever do it privately though - surely you can charge more then? Similar to people's different rates on child minding. Can anyone tel me what the payment is from the local dept for these 15 hours a week per child?

thanks for the help.

[Cammie Doodle]

It varies area to area, are you already accredited?

[jadavi]

Hi and thanks
No June I am going through the process now just about to sign up for the accredited Early years course at the EYs manager suggestion and doing the pre reg child minding this summer.

Tracey do you do child minding in the holidays ? You obviously prefer to do the nursery age only - even if it is less money. Can you give me a ball park idea of the salary?

I used to be a special needs teacher and am also considering offering special needs nursery provision in my home. Does anyone do that?
Yes nursery provision is much needed around here.
Any tips / tboughts very much apprec!

cheers
jac

[Pipsqueak]

i know different areas have varying criteria but I thought it was standard to have gotten a good or outstanding in Ofsted grading. Are you on a network - again I thought this was fairly standard.

each LA sets their own amount of funding allocated to each child - in my area its LESS that what my normal hourly charge is


As to the special needs provision that is great, however it should not be to the exclusion of those not with special needs - that in itsself could be considered discrimination but do remember and keep in mind that you are a home based carer - a childminder and I feel you should not be offering 'nursery' provision but instead offering a homebased provision based around homely learning. Early years is not (or should not) be about the formal educational side!

[jadavi]

Sorry Pippa I was using the term nursery to mean the 4 year old provision that is gmt funded - not as in a nursery in my home. I agree totally with you and in fact not wanting that formal learning setting was the main reason I home educated all mine.

[Pipsqueak]

No need to apologise. . I just get a bit 'brrrr' when I see such institionalised jargon applied to what we do.
A CM'r I know insists she is a nursery setting... she is an very old school nursery provider and she has carried on the regimental 'learning' in the cm'g.

Don;t forget the free entitlement is applied to 3yr olds as well.

[jadavi]

I agree! Thanks - now I'm confused as at the nursery I was volunteering at yesterday, the teacher said the kids only get a year funded nursery so how come it can be 3 year olds too?

Do you know if people who do the 3 and 4 year old provision at home also child mind in the hols?

cheers

[Kes]

I'm accredited but don't have any children drawing funding at the moment. They are entitled to the funded spaces the term after their 3rd birthday. Then usually they would start school the september after their 4th birthday.
The funding is set by the local council so varies round here its about £3.50 hour I think did'nt pay much attention as not currently getting it.
As someone said earlier you get the payments in lump sums and so usually work for quite a bit before getting the money so would have to keep this in mind when working out a wage.
I work all year and have some children that do holidays only which means I'm full in the hols and make most of my money during this time as obviously you can have your 6 kids under 8 in then.

[jadavi]

Thanks kes

[karensmart4]

I'm accredited and offer 3 & 4 year old funded places, as others have said the fee's are paid at certain times of the year, there is quite a bit of paperwork that goes along with the funding but thats not too bad. Our area has just sent out financial statement requests as they are changing the way they pay so I may be paid more (I doubt) or less from Sept

I thought that the criteria was more or less the same: Ofsted Registered Childminder, Min 'Good', been running for at least 12mths and hold a level 3 in EY's.

I have a mix of ages from 3mths to 10yrs so run all year, the 3 & 4 yr olds are charged for any holiday places they take and any hours over their entitled 15 a week.

Karen

[guest4]

Hi Jac,
The current NUrsery Education hourly rate for Oxfordshire has just been reduced to £3.70 !!!!
I do work in the holidays and have some of the children that claim funding with me for the other 38 weeks. Then I revert back to my normal hourly rate. IYSWIM???
As others have said, we can only be Accredited in this area if we have Level 3 in Early Years, got Good or better Ofsted report, been working for minimum of 12 months. As you can probably tell, its completely different depending on your postcode!!!!!

Hope you get on well, we have an Enable Network for Childminders specialising in offering childcare places to children with additional needs. A very good network and well supported by Trio Childcare Connections. Again, only in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Devon I think.

Good luck with whatever you decide,
Tracey x

[jadavi]

Thanks Karen and Tracey, that's exactly what I was trying to find out.

cheers,
jac

[jadavi]

Just one thought re the rate being lower for nursery education at home...

If you have 5 or 6 three to four year olds in the morning and different ones in the afternoon 30 weeks of the year that is still quite a good salary and would make up for the gaps in the day that you might have had with mindees.

Does anyone do this and take the school holidays off?

jac

[debratina]

hi
nursery funding is 39 weeks a year. so its 3.70 x 15 x 39 = £2164.50 per child. hope that helps
Debra

[teacake2]

Don't forget though the number of children you are allowed with OFSTED, you would need to work with another CM or an assistant to have more than 3 at anyone time in the EYFS.
Teacake2

[tulip0803]

You can run morning & afternoon sessions and you can run term time only it is your business and you can run it however you like. You will need to see whether their is enough demand for you to do this. In my area their are times when the local nurseries that provide the free sessions have problems filling their spaces.

You will however only be registered for 3 children under 5 years and this will include any children of your own in this age group. As teacake said before you will need to work with an assistant if you want more than 3 under 5s.