Information for Parents and Carers regarding Funded 10 hours Provision for 3 and 4-Year-Olds

The schools service is only responsible for admissions for 3 and 4-year-old funded provision (pre school) hence the following information is only in regards to the funded 10 hours provision provided for 3 and 4-year-olds.  For information on the 20 hours child care visit  www.powys.gov.uk/fis

Welsh Government funds the Local Authority to ensure that all children in Wales have access to free part time Early Years Education from the beginning of the term following the child's third birthday. Each qualifying child can receive a maximum of 10.0 hours per week of funded Early Years Education if they attend an approved, funded pre-school education setting.

Children eligible for free part time education will only receive the funded place if they are attending an approved funded pre-school education setting.

The information below shows when your child will become eligible for up to 5 terms of funded part time pre-school provision: 

• 1 April and 31 August - The beginning of term on or after 1 September
• 1 September and 31 December - The beginning of term on or after 1 January
• 1 January and 31 March - The beginning of term on or after 1 April

Funded early years education can only be accessed in settings that are approved and funded as providers by Powys County Council. Providers include playgroups, Cylch Meithrin, Day nurseries and school based settings.

Activities are based on Foundation Phase principles and offer good quality experiential learning. Learning will be informal and appropriate to the age and stage of the child.

All settings approved as providers of funded early years education will be monitored by the Powys Foundation Phase Team, Care Inspectorate for Wales (CIW) and by HMI Inspectorate (Estyn).

Parent/carers can apply for a part-time place, morning or afternoon, (whichever is available), in a registered, approved funded pre-school education setting for a child born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022. There are 3 intakes during the school year - January, April and September. The actual dates for intake are linked to school term dates. . These dates can be viewed here: School Term Dates

The timetable for the Pre-School Admissions Round for the Spring Term 2025, Summer Term 2025 and Autumn Term 2025 is:

• Pre School Admission Round Opens - Friday 1 March 2024
• Pre School Admission Round Closing Date - Sunday 31 March 2024
• Pre School Admission Round Offer Date - Monday 30 September 2024

Parents/Carers can apply for sessions for their child in 2 settings if they wish, however the child is only entitled to 10 hours funded education a week, so be mindful that some settings offer 5 x 2-hour sessions a week and others offer 4 x 2.5-hour sessions a week.  The 2^nd preference section on the application form should only be completed if the parent/carer wishes their child to attend sessions at a second setting.

An application form should be completed online by Sunday 31 March 2024, following the allocation of places, you will be sent an email asking you to upload an electronic copy of the child's birth certificate.

Forms received after Sunday 31 March 2024, will be a 'Late Application' and could result in your child not being allocated the setting/s or sessions you require. 

The Parental Preference for Early Years Funded Education form is available to download from the 'Applying for a School Place' page.

For details of Powys Pre-School settings visit Early Years Funded Education

Places will be allocated up to the funded setting number and if more applications are received than places available the following oversubscription criteria will be used to allocate the places:

Pupils with a statement of special education needs, which names a specific pre-school setting which the child should attend because their needs can be best met by that particular pre-school setting and its facilities, will be automatically allocated a place.

• Looked after or previously looked after children (Evidence of a previously looked after child will be required to accompany the application form)
• The nearest setting to child's ordinary place of residence (ordinary place of residence is the residence of the parent/carer who receives the Child Benefit for the pupil. (This is also the case where a child lives with parent/carers with shared responsibility for part of a week))., with a sibling attending the setting at the time the child will commence at the setting. If a setting is sited within a school campus, consideration will be given, if possible, if a sibling is attending the school when the child commences at the setting, provided the *ordinary place or residence is in the catchment area of the school.  (Sibling includes half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted and looked after, or previously looked after children living in the same household)
• The nearest setting to the child's *ordinary place of residence.
• Residing outside the catchment area of the setting with a **sibling attending the setting at the time the child will commence at the setting.  If a setting is sited within a school campus, consideration will be given, if possible, if a sibling is attending the school when the child commences at the setting. 
• Residing outside the catchment area of the setting

Whilst consideration will be given to children who attend full-day care at a setting, or attend a Flying Start Setting at the time of application, there is no guarantee that those children will secure a place at that setting for Early Years Funded Education Provision.  If the authority is unable to offer a child session/s in their preferred setting/s, an alternative provision will be offered.

Settings must be mindful that when they allocate childcare places to babies and toddlers they take into account their funded setting number (the number set by the Local Authority not the CIW registration number), as the Authority will only allocate places up to that number.

Late Applications

Late applications, received after the closing date, will only be considered if there are exceptional reasons why the applicant could not apply on time. This can be where the family moved into the LA between the closing date and the offer date (in which case evidence of the change of address will be required) or there are other exceptional reasons which prevented the family from applying on time. Reasons for late applications must be included in writing with the application incorporating any appropriate supporting documents/statements.

All late applications that are not deemed as exceptions will be dealt with after those who made their application at the correct time.  This could result in a child not being offered a place, or all the sessions requested, in their choice of setting/s.  The Authority will, however, allocate the child a place/sessions at an alternative setting.

If a parent/carer wants to change the sessions they wish their child to attend at a setting, they can discuss it with the setting, in the first instance, to see if it may be possible to have an alternative/additional session/s, however, a prescribed form will need to be completed outlining the changes.  A copy of the form is available from either the setting or the Admissions Team, and should be returned to preschooladmissions@powys.gov.uk  in order that the request can be considered.  A child cannot change their sessions until confirmation has been received from the Admissions Team.

Parents/carers, may where possible, pay for a place for their child to attend a setting, provided there is one available, however, the child would be required to give up this place if it is ever required for a child requesting a funded place at the setting.

If a child does not commence at a setting, or does not attend the setting for 10 consecutive days and the parent/carer has not contacted the Setting Leader with a reason for the absence, the Authority will withdraw the place.  Places are not held for more than one month unless the place has not been taken up due to a bereavement, or serious illness/accident to the child or parent/carer. (Evidence may need to be provided to support your case.)

If a child's place is withdrawn by the Authority and the parent/carer wishes the child to attend an Early Years Funded Education Setting at any time in the future, a Parental Preference for Early Years Funded Education (3 and 4-year-old provision) must be completed and returned to the Admission Team at Powys County Hall.

Welsh Government regulations relating to pre-school provision are specific that if a child is unsuccessful in gaining a place in a pre-school setting there is no right of appeal against the decision.  Also, by gaining a place in a pre-school setting does not guarantee a place in a reception class at a primary school.