Wiltshire Council provides free part-time nursery education places for all three and four year olds in Wiltshire whose parents want one. Free places can be provided by a variety of providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sector including accredited childminders.
For information about providers delivering the free entitlement contact 'ask', Wiltshire Council's Family Information Service.www.askwiltshire.org
What is Free Entitlement Funding?
Free nursery education can be claimed by parents for all three and four year olds up to a maximum of 15 hours per week accessed over a minimum of 38 weeks of the year; a total maximum entitlement of 570 hours each year. Parents do not contribute towards this entitlement but may be charged by providers for additional services such as snacks or specific activities or extra childcare that is additional to the free entitlement place.
In September 2010, the new extended offer of up to 15 hours per week of free entitlement, which can now be taken more flexibly, was made available at all providers which cater for three and four year olds. For example a parent may now choose to send their child to a provider for less than 15 hours a week but extend this over more than 38 weeks during the year. For more information about this, please see Extension to Free Entitlement Funding.
The following chart enables Early Years providers to determine which children they should be claiming for each funded period.
| Date of Birth | Summer funded period 2012 (terms 5 and 6) |
Autumn funded period 2012 (terms 1 and 2) |
Spring funded period 2013 (terms 3 and 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/04/07 - 31/08/07 | Eligible | Compulsory school age | Compulsory school age |
| 01/09/07 - 31/12/07 | Eligible | Eligible | Compulsory school age |
| 01/01/08 - 31/03/08 | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
| 01/04/08 - 31/08/08 | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
| 01/09/08 - 31/12/08 | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
| 01/01/09 - 31/03/09 | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
| 01/04/09 - 31/08/09 | Too young | Eligible | Eligible |
| 01/09/09 - 31/12/09 | Too young | Too young | Eligible |
It is the Early Years provider’s responsibility to check that children are eligible for funding. They should ask to see birth certificates if they are in any doubt.
Funding is allocated on the basis of where the child is educated, rather than where they live. This means that all children attending should be claimed for whether they live in or outside Wiltshire
What is the Code of Practice?
The Government’s Department for Education document entitled Code of Practice for Local Authorities on Delivery of Free Early Years Provision for 3 & 4 year olds’ September 2010 details the national conditions which providers must work to in order to qualify for Free Entitlement.
Over the last year, Wiltshire Council, in consultation with the Early Years’ Reference Group, has developed, through consultation, Wiltshire’s Local Code of Practice which summarizes the local conditions providers must comply with in order to take the Free Entitlement. It also provides information about the administrative processes involved in claiming it.
All existing providers
have been sent a copy of Wiltshire’s Local Code of Practice (provider agreement) and they are now required
to sign a declaration stating they will comply with the conditions of this code. The local code of practice
is available to download 
Early years childcare local provider agreement 2012-2013 Wiltshire Local Code of Practice 2012-2013 631kb.
From 1 April 2012, Appendix 2 within the Local Provider Agreement – Table of basic Free Entitlement funding basic hourly rates, is no longer applicable. These banded hourly rates have now been replaced by 3 set hourly rates for each provider type – Childminders, Maintained, and Private/Voluntary/Independent. The hourly rates will remain the same throughout the financial year and will not vary should a provider have more, or fewer, children than estimated. The Local Provider Agreement will be updated to reflect the changes in hourly rates in September 2012.
The 2012-2013 hourly rates are:
Provider Type |
2012/2013 hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Childminder | £6.50 |
| Maintained | £4.07 |
| Private/ Voluntary/ Independent | £3.71 |
Payment of Free Entitlement Funding
Since April 2010 Wiltshire’s providers have receive funding for eligible three and four year old children on a monthly basis. The amount a group receives is calculated using a Single Funding Formula . Initial payments are calculated and paid according to an annual Provisional Funding Estimate. This is revised throughout the year as the Early Years & Childcare Team is provided with more accurate information about the actual numbers of qualifying children attending a provider during three funding periods. The table below shows the maximum hours which can be claimed for a child in each funding period.
| Summer 2012 (Terms 5 and 6) |
Autumn 2012 (Terms 1 and 2) |
Spring 2012 (Terms 3 and 4) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Funded dates | 1 April – 31 August | 1 September - 31 December | 1 January – 31 March |
| Maximum number of funded weeks | Between 13 and 21 weeks | Between 14 and 18 weeks | Between 10 and 13 weeks* |
| Maximum number of funded hours | 195 hours | 210 hours |
150 hours (term time only)* 165 hours(stretched offer) |
Where children attend for fewer hours a week, or providers are unable to supply the maximum number of hours/funded weeks, the level of funding attracted will be pro-rated.
A letter dated 3 April 2012 was sent to all providers regarding 2012-2013 funded weeks and funding arrangements.
Free Entitlement Funding Consultation
The Early Years & Childcare team is committed to reviewing
the formula used to calculate free entitlement funding. Following comments and views received from providers
in the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) review in Autumn 2011, the Early Years
Reference Group recommended to Schools Forum that the EYSFF be amended to
provide for a single
hourly rate for each type of provider irrespective of size. Schools Forum met 1 March 2012 and
agreed the amendment which will take effect from 1 April 2012. Agendas
and minutes
of School Forum meetings are available. In the meantime, you can Early years consultation October 2011 Final Ssummary read a summary of the
consultation
results. 95kb
Contact Details (LiveLink)
Multiple Contacts:
eMail: earlyyears@wiltshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01225 757950
Out of hours:
Fax: 01225 785699
Postal Address: Early Years and Childcare Service
9
Ascot Court
White Horse Business Park
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14
0XA
In Person:
DX:
Related documents
- Early years childcare local provider agreement 2012-2013 Revised Local Provider Agreement 2012-2013 (April 2012) 631kb
- Annual funding statement 2012-2013 Annual
Funding Statement 2012-2013 Guidance Notes 30kb
Related links
Last updated: 16 May 2012
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