Some providers 'could delay 15 hours free entitlement'

Local authorities are due to implement the 15-hour flexible offer for all three- and four-year-olds by September.

However, in one London borough, private and voluntary nurseries may be able to opt out of extending the free places to 15 hours if they are able to give a valid reason for not being able to extend the offer.

In Harrow, which is one of the pathfinder boroughs for the Early Years Single Funding Formula, private and voluntary providers that do not think they will be able to offer the flexible 15 hours will have their situation considered on 'a case by case basis'.

Wendy Beeton, head of early years at Harrow Council, said there would be no 'blanket' option to defer extending the free entitlement, but acknowledged that some providers were not able to offer the 15 hours.

She said, 'Most settings in Harrow already offer 15 hours. Some settings are not able to extend to 15 hours. If they are not going to do it, we will have to agree why not. It's about having a conversation with us.'

The reason for not extending may be, for example, because some settings have limited opening hours because of the premises they rent, or that they do not have facilities to enable them to extend their hours.

Some nurseries have told Nursery World that they would welcome the option to defer extending the entitlement.

Up to 1,000 funded places for three and four-year-olds are at risk in Buckinghamshire, with pre-schools threatening to pull out of the funding scheme altogether amid concerns that they have no option or risk having to close down completely, because they say funding does not cover the costs of providing the free entitlement.

The Buckinghamshire pre-schools are awaiting more clarification about whether they will be able to charge more for extra services for parents who use less than the 15 hours, as well as more details of what constitutes an additional service (News, 11 February and 4 March.)

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has said that early years settings are able to charge for extra lessons and visits, but some nurseries say that they want more clarity about what they are actually able to charge parents.

Rosie Roberts, who runs Rosewood Montessori Nursery School in Harrow, which was graded 'outstanding' by Ofsted, said, 'The extension to the free entitlement from two-and-a-half hours to three hours, delivered flexibly, is a real issue for some private providers, as the funding from the local authorities will not cover the true costs of running a business.

'Many settings are struggling to find a solution to this very difficult issue. A number of nurseries have now decided to pull out of the funding system altogether after months and months of "battle" with local authorities and representatives of the Government over the funding level and the right to run a private business as a private business. I envisage that many more will opt out of the system should a suitable solution not be found.'

However, a DCSF spokesman said, 'It is quite wrong if any local authorities are suggesting to nurseries that they can defer introducing the 15-hour flexible free entitlement until April 2011, as this is being introduced in September 2010 as planned.

'The statutory Code of Practice on the extended free entitlement will be published later this month and comes into force in September,' he said.

Daycare Trust chief executive Alison Garnham, said,  ‘While there may be some settings who cannot offer the free places because they are not open for sufficient hours, there is no excuse for local authorities to delay implementation of this entitlement for children.

Rather than merely granting permission to delay implementation, local authorities should instead be doing everything in their powers to ensure providers are properly supported and equipped to deliver the free entitlement on time. It is a shame to hear the same arguments warmed up again when so much has been done to resolve this issue. The real issue is the need to deliver high quality places for the children who need them.’

• What do you think about the extension to the flexible 15-hours? Whether you a pre-school, nursery or local authority, Nursery World would like to hear your views. Email us at news.nw@haymarket.com or call the news desk on 020 8267 8404.