Health, Well-being and Care

Free nursery education is available for all 4 year olds and all 3 year olds living in the Bradford Metropolitan District area. All children should have access to a free nursery place from the start of the school term after their 3rd birthday. As a provider you need to be aware of the Fund.

• Every 3 and 4 year old child is eligible for a free part time nursery place, if they want one, in a Local Authority nursery school or nursery class or in a registered NEF setting.

The DCSF is clear that it is not possible to claim for more than one grant per child. In Bradford certain settings must be given priority for the claim, for example, if a child attends a maintained setting (primary school) for a number of sessions and a private nursery for a number of sessions, then the maintained session will attract the grant.

What providers need to know about the Nursery Education Fund (NEF)

Nursery Schools and Nursery Classes in Primary Schools

Nursery education places are provided in the following LEA (Local Education Authority) settings:

• Nursery schools
• Nursery classes or units attached to primary schools
• Special schools, including community nurseries

LEA nursery provision is community provision and the available places are open to all children. Each school will have an admissions policy for the nursery class, usually based on a waiting list.

Nursery places in registered settings

As well as nursery places in schools, many playgroups, most day nurseries, some independent schools and some childminders, are registered to provide free or subsidised part-time nursery education sessions to 3 and 4 year olds, through the Nursery Education Fund.

Settings that are registered to receive the Nursery Education Fund work towards the Early Learning Goals, follow the Code of Practice for special educational needs and are inspected by an Ofsted nursery inspector.

The Nursery Education Fund will fund up to five free 2½ hour sessions per week up to 38 weeks per year for children from the start of the term after their third birthday.

The NEF is a fixed amount paid for every session a setting provides. For this amount the setting must provide a free 2½ hour session. The setting must provide the sessions free and must not charge and then reimburse the fund. If the cost of a session is less than the NEF amount paid, the setting may keep the extra money and use it to improve the provision for 3 and 4 year olds. If the cost of the session is more than the NEF amount paid, the NEF session must still be free.

After registration is complete (this could take up to a term):

• an estimate form is sent out for settings to estimate how many children will be claiming the following term
• a payment of 80% of the fund due for the estimated number of children is paid the first week of term
• claim forms are sent out to complete with names and information of all children claiming the fund
• after claim forms are received back and all checks made the remaining 20% of the fund is paid the week after half term

Children joining the setting during the term can claim a proportion of the fund but any money claimed for a child leaving the setting must be repaid. Any overpayment made must also be returned at the earliest opportunity.

Money for funded places is paid to the provider to enable them to offer free places at the point of delivery. The fund is not paid directly to parents.

The important dates for 2008/2009 are:

This is the basic information about Nursery Education Fund for prospective settings wishing to register to receive NEF. It is correct as at 1 April 2008. However, the Government is looking to implement a new code of practice which will take precedence when it is issued.

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