Agenda item

This report aims to provide an update on progress with the planning for the implementation of the extended entitlement including updates on communication and marketing, administration processes and sufficiency of places.

Sue Gates introduced this report. Brent was on track to have enough places available when the entitlement came into force. Brent Council had worked with settings to communicate information on the entitlement to parents. A marketing campaign consisting of outreach events, publications in the Brent Magazine and social media posts, would take place over the summer. Ms Gates estimated a low initial take-up due to the fact that families had to apply the term before their child was eligible for the entitlement. The estimated number of places expected to be available in September 2017 was 1,313, with a number of providers yet to confirm the numbers they could offer. In contrast, the Department for Education’s (DfE) estimate was that the number of children likely to be eligible for the extended entitlement was 1,550. Ms Gates informed the Schools Forum that capital funding of approximately £1.6 million had been approved as three childcare providers had been successful in the Early Years Capital Funding bidding rounds launched by the DfE in the summer of 2016 and 2017.     

There had been a few IT challenges to resolve. Brent had been able to secure £8,800 from the DfE to purchase the 30 hours Synergy module. Ms Gates said that training sessions would be organised at the end of June and throughout July 2017 for settings on the module.

Brent Council staffing implications would not be known until the additional entitlement came into force but existing staffing capacity was currently being used to manage additional administration which the entitlement required the Council to undertake. Future funding would be calculated based on take-up of the additional entitlement and therefore it was important to meet the estimations so funding could be secured. The Early Years Service would need to continue to plan so that 95% of funding could be passed through directly to providers from 2018/2019 (at the moment this percentage was 93%).

Andrew Ward explained that the payment mechanism for schools would change to be brought in line with all providers, meaning that schools would get their usual funding up until August when a final reconciling adjustment would be made. He stressed that the amount of funding each school received would not change, but this could have implications for schools cash flow.

Members of the Schools Forum commented that providers had to supply information using more than one channel and multiple databases. They enquired what progress had been made on linking databases to eliminate the duplication of administrative work. Ms Gates said that the Early Years Service was actively looking into this.

A Member of the Schools Forum asked whether the funding available across all provisions for each child was equal. In response, SG replied that core funding was the same, but there was an addition for deprivation. 

In relation to auditing the funding, Ms Gates informed the Schools Forum a Memorandum of Understanding would be circulated by the end of June 2017.

Melissa Loosemore entered the meeting during discussion of the above item at 6:20 pm.

Rose Ashton entered the meeting during discussion of the above item at 6:30 pm.

RESOLVED that:

(i)    The contents of the ‘Update on implementation of the 30 hours entitlement in Brent’ paper be noted, taking account of the comments made during the meeting; and  

(ii)  An update on the implementation of the 30 hours entitlement be provided at the next meeting of the Schools Forum on 4 October 2017.