As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills in consultation with Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, I agree to:
I. approve acceptance of:
a. the new revenue grant to support to the roll out of the wraparound childcare programme, and
b. the capital grant to support the delivery of extended early years funded entitlement and wraparound childcare;
II. authorise the Director of Education and SEND to take the actions required to deliver the new funded early years entitlements and wraparound childcare aspirations, in line with the relevant grant conditions, including but not limited to entering into relevant contracts, to be authorised to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts and making payments to early providers;
III. approve changes to the Council’s Early Years Local Funding Formula for early years providers that is used to calculate the early years funding rates for funded entitlements from 1st April 2024 as set out below:
a. the basic rate for all free entitlements for 2024-25:
|
Basic Rate |
£ per hour (2024-25) |
|
Universal base rate for 3- & 4-year-olds (equivalent to up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks) |
£5.16 per hour |
|
Extended base rate for 3- & 4-year-olds (additional 15 hours per week for 38 weeks for eligible working parents) |
£5.16 per hour |
|
Base rate for 2-year-olds (for disadvantaged & eligible working parents equivalent to up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks) |
£7.55 per hour |
|
Base rate for 9-month to 2-year-olds (for eligible working parents equivalent to up to 15 hours per week from September 2024) |
£10.26 per hour |
b. Additional supplementary rates for 3- & 4- year-olds free entitlements:
- Deprivation: based on a children’s eligibility against the Index of Deprivation Affecting Children Index – providers with children residing in the top 25% most deprived areas will receive an additional rate of between £0.54 per hour and £0.13 per hour per eligible child.
- Qualified leader (for those employed on Statutory Teachers’ terms & conditions): £1.20 per hour;
- Qualified leader (for Early Years Professionals & Teachers’ who are not employed on statutory terms & conditions): £0.30 per hour;
- System Leadership (Quality): fixed budget of £250,000
c. there will be no additional supplementary rates for either 2-year-olds and 9 months to 2 years (with all funding passed through the base rate only).
d. to budget for the Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund to be jointly funded from the High Needs Block and Early Years Block from 2024-25;
e. to budget for a 1% contingency to mitigate against the financial risk of implementing the new funded entitlement offer for working parents for 2-year-olds from April 2024; and for children from 9 months in September 2025.
f. use of up to 5% of the Early Years Block to fund centrally retained early years services provided by the Council.
g. The Disability Access Fund and Early Years Pupil Premium payments will be set at nationally prescribed rates and eligibility criteria.
h. implement a monthly payment process for childminders during 2024-25.
IV. and, Authorise the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to make any necessary changes to the Funding Formula rates once final affordability is known and implement payment process to early years providers.