Free Entitlement Funding

Places in Tameside for 3 and 4 year olds

(Spring Term 2011)

Ashton-under-Lyne | Audenshaw | Denton | Droylsden | Dukinfield | Hyde | Hattersley | Longdendale | Mossley | Stalybridge | Childminders

Introduction

Now that your child is three, he/she is entitled to take up to 15 hours of free flexible early years education. This webpage will help you decide which type of provider is best suited to your child’s and family’s needs.

Currently all three and four year olds are eligible to receive free early years provision for up to 38 weeks a year and these sessions are a minimum of two and a half hours long. From September 2010 all families with eligible 3 or 4 year olds will be entitled to 15 hours per week of free early years provision which can be delivered more flexibly. However each childcare setting will determine how they are able to deliver the 15 hours and it could vary from setting to setting.

You may choose to access your child’s free early years provision in a nursery class that is part of a local authority school or from one of the providers on Tameside’s directory of free entitlement providers. All of the schools and ‘providers’ listed on this webpage are inspected by OFSTED and are eligible to deliver free early years provision. They are all supported by Tameside’s Early Years Quality Team who are a team of experienced early years professionals providing advice, support and training across the local authority thus ensuring consistency and promoting inclusive care, learning and play.

Early Years Provision in Local Authority Schools

Admissions to nursery classes in schools are usually each September. To start in September your child needs to be three years old before September 1st, if the nursery has vacancies they will also admit children the following January. Children currently attend Monday to Friday either in the morning or the afternoon during the school term. From September 2010 each school will determine how they will deliver the 15 hours and it could vary from school to school.

If you would like a part-time early years place for your child in a school nursery class please contact the school directly, admissions to nursery class are managed by the Headteacher of the school.

More information for parents on Admissions to Nursery Classes.

Key

• RC = Roman Catholic
• VC = Voluntary Controlled
• CE = Church of England
• VA = Voluntary Aided

Voluntary aided (church) schools have denominational criteria for admission into school. However the nursery classes at these schools may have places for children of other denominations.

Early Years Education in Other Settings

• Pre-schools/playgroups
• Independent schools
• Childminders
• Private day nurseries

The settings listed on this webpage are known as the ‘Tameside Directory of Providers’. This means that they have been approved by the Council to receive free entitlement funding and have made a commitment to the Council's terms and conditions of funding.

If your child takes up a place at one of these settings, the funding will be paid directly to the setting.

Ensuring Quality and Consistency

Tameside Council has an Early Years Quality Team whose role is to provide support, guidance, advice and training for all childcare providers and settings providing Early Years Foundation Stage education. Whether you opt for a Tameside school nursery class or a provider from ‘Tameside’s Directory of Providers’, the work of the Quality Team promotes consistency across the borough in the quality of care and education your child will receive. The team can be contacted at:

Tameside Early Years Quality Development Centre,
Manchester Road,
Audenshaw,
M34 5GJ
Tel: 0161 342 5427

Benefits of Taking up the Free Offer of Early Years Provision

Research has shown that children who receive good quality pre-school education acquire the skills they need to make good progress at school. They gain the social and communication skills required to become confident and happy learners.

Early years provision is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage of education. It is an exciting time for children as they learn through play based activities to become more independent and develop their own identity. Your child will enjoy a curriculum that is organised around six areas of learning:

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, language and literacy
• Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development
• Creative development

Things to Consider

The most important decision is to choose the type of setting that will best meet the particular needs of your child and your family. When choosing a setting consider the following:

• What type of setting is best suited to your child’s personality?
• If required, is there any additional childcare offered by the provider?

What is the quality of the setting/provider? Use the check list below to help you make your decision when you visit a setting or childminder:

• Are adults interacting/playing with children?
• Does the setting/childminder have awards displayed for healthy eating?
• Are the toys clean and well maintained?
• Are children settled and occupied?
• Is there an outdoor play area?
• Are you greeted and made to feel welcome?
• Is your child greeted and made to feel welcome?
• Are you given a welcome pack or other information about the setting?
• Does the setting/childminder have any quality assurance awards?

Many of the settings listed below provide or have access to additional services which enable children to receive care for longer periods of time. Examples of this are:

• A childminder could collect your child from a group setting and provide extended care during the day.
• A day nursery could provide care all day or for a full morning or afternoon session.
• Some pre-schools and nursery classes offer extended sessions which sometimes include lunch.

Many parents benefit from this combination of education and care as it enables them to work, study or train knowing that their children are being cared for in a suitable environment.

If you are working or considering taking up work and would like to know more about the settings that can offer additional services contact Tameside Families Information Service who can:

• Discuss the childcare options available.
• Provide information about the cost of additional care.
• Look at any funding you may be entitled to, to pay for any additional costs.
• Provide tax credit estimates and advice on flexible working
• Answer any questions you have about this information

Ashton-under-Lyne | Audenshaw | Denton | Droylsden | Dukinfield | Hyde | Hattersley | Longdendale | Mossley | Stalybridge | Childminders

Ashton-Under-Lyne

Audenshaw

Denton

Droylsden

Dukinfield

Hyde

Hattersley

Longdendale

Mossley

Stalybridge

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Tameside Families Information Service Tameside Early Years Quality Development Centre Manchester Road Audenshaw M34 5GJ  View local map
0161 342 5434
0161 342 5448