Funding handbook for Coventry Schools: Early Education Entitlement Funding

This guidance has been created by Coventry Business, Sufficiency and Funding Team to support Schools in meeting the terms and conditions of Early Education Entitlement Funding delivery, as set out in the following Government and Local Authority documentation:

• early education and childcare: Statutory guidance for local authorities
• early years entitlements: local authority funding operational guide
• annual Coventry Provider Funding Agreement
• annual Memorandum of Understanding for Maintained, Voluntary Aided / Controlled Schools

Please note the following:

• the term parent is used throughout this guidance to refer to the person who has parental responsibility for a child
• this document assumes that schools are delivering Early Education Entitlement places over no more than 38 weeks per year

Admissions policy

All parents should have the same rights to access a funded entitlement place regardless of whether they choose to pay for additional hours, food consumables, non-food consumables and activities.

Schools should publish admissions information, which is clear and can be easily understood by parents. This is to support parents to make an informed decision about where they wish to use their child’s funded entitlement.

The admissions information should clearly identify which hours/sessions can be taken as funded provision.

Termly Census and/or Headcount date

All children in receipt of early education entitlement funding must be registered and attending, no later than the termly census date or headcount date where a Community Powers Section 27 model is in operation. These dates are included on the early years Funded Weeks and Payment Schedule which is published on the Council website.

There are some occasions when the local authority will authorise a child to begin a funded place after the termly census / headcount date has passed. To see if the child meets the criteria for funding via the exceptional circumstances route, schools should visit the Early Years Website pages.