Wednesday 27 March 2019

Newsletter - March 2019

Important Dates for your Diary
w/c 25th March - ‘Parents Evening’ Week
w/c 8th April - Easter Fun Week
Friday 12th April - End of Term
Monday 29th April - Start of Summer Term

Please note that the dates for our Easter break are different to those of Nottinghamshire schools.

Planning for September!
It may only be March but we will be starting our planning for September very soon. Letters will be coming home after Easter asking parents which sessions they would like for their child in September and it is imperative that these are returned quickly so we can help everyone to get the sessions they would like.

If you’re child turns 3 between 1st April and 31st August then they will be eligible for a government funded place. More details will be in the letter but parents will need to start thinking about the number of hours they require and whether they will be eligible for the Extended Entitlement funding (often referred to as 30 Hours Free Childcare). Parents are advised to visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to find out what they are entitled to and how to claim it. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that parents find out this information and action it promptly. Without correct codes, obtained within specified deadlines, parents may find they miss out on their full entitlement. Please speak to Jayne should you have any questions.

30 Hours Funded Childcare
If you think you maybe eligible for 30 hours funded childcare and would like to claim for the first time after Easter you MUST apply for your code before 31st March 2019. Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for more information.

Parents are reminded that when claiming the extended hours they must re-confirm their code every 3 months. Failure to do this will mean that pre-school will be unable to claim the funding on your behalf and parents will then be charged for those hours instead. So for example if you receive your code on the 1st May it must be re-confirmed before 1st August, then again 1st November and again before 1st February.

Changes From September
Following numerous changes over the last couple of years to the way we receive the government funding, along with the continued high increases to the living wage, we are forced once again to make some changes in September.

Fees - All fees will now be charged at a new standard rate of £4.35 per hour. The contribution towards ‘Essential Supplies’ will be remain unchanged and continue to be requested at 50p per session, per week, per half term.

Lunch Time - As from September only those children who attend for a full day will be able to have their lunch at pre-school. Parents will still be required to provide a packed lunch and follow our Lunch Time Policy; there will still be no charge for this.

Sponsored Bounce
We would just like to say a big thank you to all those who took part in our Sponsored Bounce we had great fun and the amount pledged has exceeded our expectations. Please get any money into pre-school as quickly as possible so that we can start spending on our outside area. We have some lovely plans to enhance and brighten up the outside space that we are eager to get on with.