The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) requires local authorities to develop a single formula to allocate free early education funding to schools and the PVI sector. This will be known as the single formula.
Currently the allocation of free early education grant to PVI settings is allocated as a lump sum according to the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) 3 and 4 year olds at the setting, paid at £533 per term per child.
Waltham Forest must ensure that from September 2009, 25% of all children aged 3 and 4 who live in Waltham Forest and reside in the most deprived areas have access to 15 hours a week of free early education. From September 2010, all 3 and 4 years old in Waltham Forest will have access to 15 hours a week of free early education.
We also need to implement a single formula for free early education by April 2010. Schools Forum, which provides advice and guidance on financial matters affecting schools and early years settings, has determined that this should start from April 2009. Therefore we are consulting with colleagues from the nursery and primary schools, and the private, independent and voluntary (PVI) sector to consult on our proposals to make these changes.
In partnership with the schools forum we established a working group with membership from schools and the PVI sector to help us draw up our proposals and decide on the consultation process with our partners on these changes.
The evaluation findings from this work will influence how schools and settings are able to meet the full implementation of extended hours for all 3 and 4 years olds by 2010.
Download the consultation on the extension of the free early education hours and implementation of the single formula (96KB, word file)
Please note that the consultation closes on Friday 15 August 2008.
Contact us:
Waltham Forest Family Information Service
PO Box 416
Silver Birch House
Uplands Business Park
Blackhorse Lane
Walthamstow, E17 5SD
Tel 020 8496 3000
Fax 020 8496 3599
