Funding handbook for Coventry Schools: Early Education Entitlement Funding

Fee information checklist for schools delivering early education entitlement funding

Does the school's fee information:

• include the schools name, address, telephone, and email contact details?
• state opening hours?
• make clear to parents that funded entitlement hours are completely free of charge during specified hours/sessions/days?
• tell parents which times and days funded hours will be delivered?
• tell parents about the maximum number of funded weeks/hours in each term and academic year, and which weeks/dates are covered in each funding period?
• highlight to parents that all children in receipt of funding must have taken up a place before the termly census/headcount date?
• make clear to parents, the policy the school will follow, where parents choose to relocate their child to a new provision/school, following the school’s submission of termly census/headcount data to Coventry City Council?
• highlight to parents who are in receipt of a 30-hour funded place, that they must re-confirm their eligibility every 3 months, as prompted by HMRC and the consequences, should the parent fail to do so?
• include charges for ‘privately paid for’ hours?
• set out contractual expectations relating to ‘privately paid hours and optional items and services?
• clearly outline eligibility requirements for each of the funding entitlements offered and tell parents how they can apply?
• highlight to parents that the provision of items and services, including food consumables, non-food consumables, activities and additional hours will be offered as an optional extra which parents may purchase? Costs for each item/service should be stated, for example;
  •  additional hours £?
  • food charges £?
  • non-food consumables charges £?
  • activities charges £?
• a comprehensive breakdown of all items and services that are covered by the optional extras policy, under each of the following headings:
  • food charges e.g. snacks, breakfast, lunch and tea
  • non-food consumables charges e.g. nappies and sun cream
  • activities charges e.g. weekly gym tots session
• highlight to parents the school’s policy on how they will respond if parents choose to opt out of the additional charges
• state the terms, conditions and costs incurred for late collection?
• enable parents to easily reconcile fee information against their invoice, so that they can clearly identify what they have been charged for and why? Headings must include but may not be limited to:
  • the number of free entitlements hours
  • the number and cost of additional private paid hours
  • food charges
  • non-food consumables charges
  • activity charges
• state how parents can apply for and use a Tax-Free childcare account? Inform parents about additional funding payments such as Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and Disability Access Funding (DAF)?

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

Schools can claim (EYPP) for eligible children who are in receipt of early education funding. Funding provided through EYPP is intended for use enhancing the environment, purchasing additional resources or staff training.

The payment covers the first 15 hours of each eligible child’s entitlement. The hourly rate for EYPP is subject to annual change and can be found on the Early Years website in a document called ‘Funded Weeks and Payment Schedule’

Making a claim for EYPP:

• schools must use the Coventry Schools and Early Years Portal to make and validate EYPP claims
• parents must complete the relevant section of the Coventry Early Years Annual Parent Funding Agreement, prior to any information being uploaded to Coventry Schools and Early Years Portal

Disability Access funding (DAF)

DAF is an additional annual payment made to schools or providers for eligible children who are accessing a funded place and are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

• the funding provided through DAF is intended for use in supporting the school to make reasonable adjustments, which help to remove barriers to attendance for children with SEND

Making a claim for DAF:

• claims must be made via the Coventry Schools and Early Years Portal. Parents will need to provide evidence that their child is in receipt of DLA. This evidence will need to be uploaded to the portal
• parents must complete the relevant section of the Coventry Early Years Annual Parent Funding Agreement, prior to any information being uploaded to Coventry Schools and Early Years Portal

Invoices and receipts

Schools should ensure they have clear invoice/receipt structures in place which enable parents to easily reconcile invoices with charges detailed in the school’s fee information.

Invoices must be itemised to show a break-down of all aspects of the overall cost including, additional ‘paid for’ hours items and services. Invoices must show:

• the number of free entitlements hours
• the number and cost of additional privately paid for hours
• food consumable charges
• non-food consumables charges
• activity charges

Please note, funded hours must not be presented as a monetary value and therefore must be shown as zero cost. This is to ensure that parents can see that their children have received funded hours completely free of charge at the point of delivery.

Invoices will not be required where parents access funded hours only and do not pay for any additional hours, items or services.

Checklist for invoices and receipts

Is the following information clearly detailed on the invoice/receipt issued to parents?

• School name
• School address
• School contact
• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• School telephone number and/or email
• Parent name and contact details
• Child’s name
• itemised pricing information which is clearly reconcilable with the information you have provided on the fee information, such as:
  • the total number of funded hours and weeks allocated for the term
  • the total number of hours contracted to attend in this invoice period (Both privately paid for and funded hours)
  • the total number of funded hours claimed
  • these must be shown as hours and are not represented as a monetary value. E.g. 60 funded entitlement hours = £0.00
  • additionally purchased ‘privately paid for’ hours are clearly itemised E.g. 10 hours @ £? (School rate) Food charges
  • non-food consumable charges
  • activity charges

Early Education Funding Delivery - Compliant Invoice Examples

Please see examples of invoices that would be considered compliant with government and Coventry City Council requirements. Schools should use these examples to ensure compliance against the requirements.