Fledglings News January 2024

Happy New Year!  We hope that all our families had a wonderful festive period and wish everyone a happy and healthy 2024.

In light of the additional support for working families coming into effect from April 2024, this newsletter is mainly about FUNDING.

Funded childcare from April 2024: In addition to the universal and extended funding available for children the term after they are 3, below are some key dates for when your child will become eligible for funding.  At the moment, UNIVERSAL funding is still only for ALL children the term after they are 3.  The extended funding for 3&4, funding for 2y from April and 9m from September is for working families who meet the criteria set out on childcarechoices.gov.uk

The way we invoice will be changing to termly billing (still payable monthly) as the amount payable by you will be changing more frequently and the possibility that you may drop in and out of eligibility for funding. Example as follows:

Autumn term (Sep-Dec) 17 weeks payable over 4 months, 14w funding available

Spring term (Jan-Mar) 13 weeks payable over 3 months, 12w funding available

Summer term (Apr-Aug) 22 weeks, payable over 5 months, 12w funding available.  This affects the amount in the monthly payment between terms.  Please ensure you read and understand the table below regarding the monthly amounts.

We have introduced a ‘policy of the month’.  This month is ‘THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT’ – The Nursery is organised to allow children to explore and learn securely and safely through areas of continuous provision, which encourage children to become independent learners. There are areas where the children can be active, be quiet and rest. The rooms are arranged in provision areas, where children are able to find and locate equipment and resources independently. The nursery has a high quality outdoor area and a nature garden for Forest School activities. Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors. It offers the children opportunities to explore, use their senses and be physically active and exuberant.  We offer activities and supply resources for the children to access outdoors that help the children to develop in all 7 areas of learning.