From April 2015, the Government introduced the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).  This gives providers of early years education extra funding to support disadvantaged 3 and 4 year-olds.

Settings such as Busy Bees will be entitled to claim funding equivalent to an extra £1 per hour should parents of 3 and 4 year-olds meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

 

The family is in receipt of one of the following:

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

• Child Tax Credit (provided they’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

• Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

• Universal Credit

 

Or children.....

• have been in local authority care for 1 day or more in England or Wales

• have been adopted from care in England or Wales

• have left care under a special guardianship order or residence order in England or Wales

 

Children must receive free early education in order to attract EYPP funding. They do not have to take up the full 570 hours of early education they are entitled to in order to get EYPP.

 

Identifying eligible children
To identify eligible children, it is recommended that settings issue an eligibility form to all parents in order to identify those children who are eligible.  We will be issuing a letter and form to all parents of 3 and 4-year-olds from the beginning of the Summer term.  Once we have received completed forms, the Manager will enter the details on a secure database through Herefordshire Council.  This information will remain confidential and will not affect parent's benefits in any way.  Should children be eligible, we will begin to receive funding every term for the duration of that child's time with us.  

 

Early years providers will have to use this extra funding to improve the quality of education for disadvantaged children.  Ofsted inspections will report on whether providers spend their EYPP funding effectively.

 

As a parent committee run provision and registered charity, we welcome the opportunity to claim any extra funding in order to improve the experiences of children in our care.  We are sure that parents will also welcome any extra money which is available to us in order to support their child and therefore appreciate their cooperation in completing the necessary paperwork.