Wiltshire Free Time Grant

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What is Free Time?

Free Time is a national scheme being implemented in all maintained schools in the country. It is specific, ringfenced funding, designed to subsidise access to Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL) clubs & activities for economically disadvantaged children and young people and children in care, who might not otherwise be able to pay some or all of the charges associated with taking part.  

Who is eligible to receive Free Time funding?

There are four main criteria for children and young people who are school aged, on roll and in full time education in a maintained school in Wiltshire or home educated and known the Wiltshire Council. These are as follows:

• 1. Claiming Free School Meals
• 2. Looked After (Children in Care)
• 3. Children from families claiming means tested benefits
• 4. School’s own subjective knowledge of family circumstances in direct relation to economic hardship

Benefits

1. Job seekers allowance (income based)
2. Income support
3. Working Tax Credit (WTC) excludes Child Tax Credit (CTC)
4. Disability element of WTC
5. Employment and support allowance
6. Pension credits
7. Housing benefit
8. Local housing allowance

Who holds the funding?

The funding is passed from Wiltshire Council to the lead school in each Extended Services Cluster (usually the secondary school). In most cases the funding is then passed directly to individual schools to manage.  

How long is the funding available for?

The scheme has been running since September 2008 in Trowbridge and Marlborough. Since then it has rolled out to other areas as the funding from central government has increased. The final year of funding is 2010 -2011.

How much will each eligible pupil get?

Schools identify how many eligible pupils they have and funding is allocated across each cluster accordingly. Therefore the amount per pupil is uncertain until the final number is confirmed for each cluster.  It is estimated however in the final year of funding that each pupil will have access to approximately £80 - £100.

Who is managing the scheme across the county?

Extended Services Network Co-ordinators are managing and co-ordinating the scheme in each cluster across Wiltshire with support from Wiltshire Council. The day to day tasks are conducted by designated staff in each school.

What can the funding be used for?

Funding can be spent on any learning activity, taken part in voluntarily, outside of school lesson times. This includes clubs and activities such as sports, arts, hobbies, voluntary groups, special interest clubs, and volunteering. Activities can take place in school or anywhere else.  

How do schools and pupils know what activities are on offer?

Schools already use external activity providers to run clubs. Extended Services Network Co-ordinators are asking schools to share information about their best activity providers to help them create a list of activities. This list will be made up of a variety of providers, sources from a variety of places, offering their services to schools in each Extended Services cluster. Schools will be able to use this list to bring more providers in to meet the needs and interests of their pupils.

The ‘ask’ family information service ask Wiltshire will house details of activity clubs already running in Wiltshire on their website. Schools can direct pupils and parents to ‘ask’ for detailed information.

What are the expectations on schools?

Extended Services Network Co-ordinators recognise the additional work required of schools to implement the scheme. Although the work significantly reduces as the scheme becomes embedded, a regular commitment is required to keep the scheme moving in each school. In most cases, a few extra hours are being funding to support the additional work. The types of things schools will be doing are monitoring the participation and budget, encouraging pupils in to activities, booking children onto external activities and paying invoices.

I’ve heard of a similar scheme in other counties but it has a different name. Is it the same thing?

In Wiltshire we call the scheme Free Time. Nationally it is known as the disadvantage subsidy scheme. Each local authority in the country has the option to rename the scheme locally. For instance, counties bordering Wiltshire use names like, ‘Your Time’, ‘Step Up’, ‘Give it a Go’, and ‘Go for It’.

If children live in Wiltshire and go to school in another county are they eligible for funding?

Only pupils of Wiltshire schools are eligible for Wiltshire Free Time funding. If children go to school in other counties they may be eligible for the equivalent of Free Time funding through their own school. The criteria might be slightly different though.

How are special schools involved?

Pupils in special schools who meet the eligibility criteria will receive Free Time funding. Due to the additional costs involved for disabled pupils to access activities, in Wiltshire the six special schools will also receive Aiming High funding from Wiltshire Council to support all pupils.

Can the funding be used for Childcare?

Childcare should not be funded through the Free Time scheme where the primary purpose is to enable parents to work or access training. The childcare element of the Working Tax Credit system and the Social Inclusion fund is more appropriate for this. However, some activities and clubs can act as childcare if they are reliable and could therefore be funded as long as the target group and their parents/carers have full involvement in choosing and designing the range of activities they participate in. The Free Time scheme is to enable pupils to develop interests in activities, hobbies, volunteering, etc. and not to support the cost of childcare

Can the cost of transport to or from an activity be paid for if it is a barrier to participation?

Yes. Funding can be used to overcome barriers to participation, including transport. However, incorporating transport costs will result in the funds being spent much quicker. Schools should find lo or no cost alternatives first.

Can schools add a pupil to the target group list during the year?

Schools can choose to add pupils to their list. However, it is unlikely that there is any additional funding to support more pupils unless special provision has been made by the Extended Services Network Co-ordinator. Adding children is therefore likely to lower the amount per pupil.   

What clubs can schools make ‘free for all’?

Any new activities created and delivered as part of the Free Time scheme should be available to all, and should be paid for by those who can afford them. However, in some cases, clubs that have attendance of at least 50% of the target group and are not expensive can in some circumstances be paid for in full using Free Time funding.

Can schools pay for a residential trip with the funding?

Free Time funding is not designed to replace another source of funding. If this were to happen no increase in participation would be seen. Historically schools often find ways of funding pupils to take part in residential trips. It is feasible however that a residential trip could be paid for in part using Free Time funding if the pupil and family are able to make an informed decision about the use of their funding. The school and pupil must consider the likelihood of other activity opportunities throughout the year that may not be possible once the funding has been spent.

If a family does not engage with the scheme can the funds be transferred to another child?

If a family is not engaging they may need some additional support to help them access the activities and funding. Parent Support Advisors are ideally placed to assist by offering practical support and guidance. For some families accessing clubs and activities may be a culture change and will take some time before they are ready to engage fully.  It is important that the funding is there for when they need it. If the funding is not accessed close to the end of the year, the school can make a decision to reallocate a proportion of funding.

What guidance is there to help schools decide how to spend the funding?

There are six guiding principles to help schools make decisions about the appropriate use of funding.  

GP1: Access:
The funding should enable the target group to access activities from which they would otherwise be excluded due to their inability to pay.  

GP2: Additionality:
The funding should be used to make existing activities more accessible to the target group, and/or to commission new activities that better meet their needs.  

GP3: Involvement:
The target group and their parents/carers should be fully involved in choosing, designing and continuously improving a range of activities that are attractive and relevant. This should help to establish genuine control of the funding identified for them, in the same way as children and young people whose participation is not excluded by inability to pay.

GP4: Open to all:
Any new activities created and delivered as part of the subsidy work should be available to all, and should be paid for by those who can afford them.

GP5: Creativity and personalisation:
For many of the target group there are barriers to participation other than purely financial; especially in these cases, school and other staff should be creative in developing personalised approaches that support individuals.

GP6: Sustainability and ongoing participation:
The funding arrangements for activities should be sustainable over time and be attractive to the target group to secure their ongoing participation. There is also a comprehensive national FAQ document and support from Extended Services Network Co-ordinators and the Wiltshire Council Extended Services Team.  

What role could a Parent Support Advisor have in relation to the Free Time scheme?

Parent Support Advisors (PSA) can support and encourage parents to help their children to choose and access activities. If PSAs know which families are eligible they can bring the topic up in conversation and offer advice and ideas. Schools may wish to ask PSAs to undertake specific tasks like contacting parents whose children have not participated to clarify their understanding of what is being offered.

For further information contact your local Extended Services Network Co-ordinator,

Or

Jonothan Hope, Study Support Officer, Wiltshire Council.

Last updated: 2 December 2010