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The local authority continues to receive queries from parents of children accessing the early years’ entitlements, regarding additional charges.
Providers should ensure parents are informed of any additional charges prior to their child starting a funded place, and ensure all charges are fair and transparent. To avoid challenge, providers may consider new parents being informed of all charges in writing, to enable them to make an informed choice of provider.
To support with long term sustainability, providers may at times consider increasing their fees, implement additional charges or review their model of delivery. However, in all circumstances, providers must continue to adhere to the following:
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must not charge the parents/carers of funded children, higher rates for additional hours or meals that result in them not benefitting from the early years’ entitlement funding. All parents/carers of funded children must see a reduction in their monthly childcare costs.
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cannot charge parents/carers “top-up” fees (the difference between a provider’s normal charge to parents/carers and the funding they receive from the local authority to deliver funded places).
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cannot charge a registration fee to parents/carers who are only accessing a funded place.
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must not charge parents/carers of children accessing the early years’ entitlements a service/administration charge to cover business costs e.g., on-line registers, accommodation, qualified teaching staff, staff training, learning journals, heating, lighting, hand wash, toilet roll, paper towels, cleaning products, laundering of bedding etc.
- Independent Schools must be mindful of the impact of additional charges on parents/carers. This may result in waiving the registration fee and uniform charges for funded children in nursery, pre-prep, and reception classes.
- Independent Schools offering the early years’ entitlements to eligible children in Reception Classes must show the funded hours as free on parent invoices.
The provider portal will be open from 19 November – 1 December 2024 for the submission of funding data for December ‘actuals’ and November ‘adjustments’.
You will now have received the revised Provider Agreement which commences from 1 January 2025.
If you have not already done so, could you please ensure that the declaration pages are signed correctly and returned by no later than 25 November 2024.
Although the duration of this Agreement is open ended, please be assured that it will continue to be updated as and when changes to government legislation / local authority specifications occur. Providers will be notified of these updates as and when they occur.
To help make the Agreement more accessible, work is currently being undertaken to move it on to the main Derbyshire County Council website. We will update you further once this has been completed.
Important: Where changes occur within the setting for example, change to the provision name, childminder name, address, telephone number, email address, business structure and changes to committee members and / or manager, please remember to notify Ofsted and the local authority using the following email addresses as any of these changes may require a new Provider Agreement:
Ofsted: enquiries@Ofsted.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk
It has come to light that some providers are sharing provider portal log-in details to submit funding data. Can we please remind everybody of the importance of complying to GDPR regulations, passwords are unique to each specific user and must be kept safe and not shared with anybody.
To ensure that funding claims are submitted within the published timescales, the local authority recommends that more than one person (where possible), working in the setting is nominated to have access to the provider portal. This will help to prevent missed submissions due to sickness or leave.
Where there is a change to the nominated person who has access to the portal, please ensure you notify us as soon as possible to ensure their access can be removed and a new nominee reallocated.
Therefore, please access the following link: SchoolsNet - Funding and contracts where you will find a copy of the Provider Portal User Access Form. Providers should complete Section 2 – ‘Staff Leavers and Starters’ and return the form to the following relevant email address:
cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk
Locked out of the portal?
If you find yourself locked out of the provider portal or have forgotten your password, contact the Families Information Service by emailing: info.fis@derbyshire.gov.uk where you will be sent a password re-set via email.
Could we please remind providers to ensure HMRC codes are regularly checked for both new and existing children ensuring the start date is relevant to the term in which the child will be commencing their funded place.
Please ensure that all code start and end dates are checked for existing children, as well as children new to the setting, before offering a place to a child.
For new children wishing to access a funded place, please be reminded that where parents have not applied for an HMRC code before the deadline date, for example: 31 December 2024, they will not be able to access the entitlement funding for the following term - in this case spring term 2025.
Eligibility start dates:
31 December to take up a place during the term beginning 1 January
31 March to take up a place during the term beginning 1 April
31 August to take up a place during the term beginning 1 September
Whilst undertaking funding claim audits, it has been recognised that some providers are continuing to use old FE1 forms for new children attending their setting. Could we please remind providers to use the most recent FE1 form for new children accessing a funded place at your setting. The most up-to-date version can be downloaded from SchoolsNet, dated August 2024, please see the following link: FE1 form (August 2024) This version has been updated to enable providers to include all eligible children with an 11-digit code issued by HMRC.
Where changes occur to a child’s funded hours, please ensure the FE1 form amendment sheet is updated accordingly.
Proof of date of birth (DOB) on FE1 Form
Can we please remind providers to check original copies of documentation (e.g. passport, birth certificate, NHS Red Book) on initial registration of a child accessing a place at your setting as this will confirm a child has reached the eligible age for all early years’ entitlements. Providers should record and sign for the document seen on the FE1 form.
Early years’ pupil premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years’ providers to improve outcomes for children, by providing them with enhanced learning and development support.
If a child is eligible for this additional supplement and a signed FE1 form is in place for the child, ticking the EYPP consent box on the provider portal, will ensure that checks for eligibility can be undertaken.
Children in care who are accessing early years’ entitlement funding are also eligible for EYPP. To make a claim, providers should contact the local authority having legal responsibility for the child. Support for Derbyshire children in care is available via the Virtual School Team e-mail: virtualschool@derbyshire.gov.uk. Where EYPP is being claimed via the Virtual School team, please ensure an EYPP claim is not also submitted via the provider portal.
Children who have left care through adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order, please ensure a copy of the relevant order is requested from the family. Forward a copy along with the setting’s details to the Early Years Finance Team via the relevant inbox (below) highlighting that this is evidence for claiming the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).
Providers will not be required to re-submit evidence provided in previous periods.
CS.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
CS.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk
CS.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk
Guidance for providers interested in applying for the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant can be accessed here. To support the application process, the Department for Education (DfE) has also produced non-statutory guidance on Establishing school-based nursery provision.
Schools and responsible bodies that are interested but not currently ready to apply or do not meet the current eligibility criteria will be able to register an interest for any potential future phases of the programme. This will help the DfE to assess demand in different parts of the country and, alongside continued sector engagement, support the development of the most appropriate model to expand the programme for future years.
If you have any queries on this grant or about the application process, please sign up for the final DfE webinar to be held on Thursday 28 November 2pm. This event is for schools, LAs and other responsible bodies and will offer a chance to ask further questions before the closure of the application window. Alternatively, queries can be raised through the department’s customer help portal
The application window is open until 19 December 2024.
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If you are a contracted provider and would like to receive text reminders when the provider portal is open / closed, please ensure you notify us (and Ofsted of course!) of your mobile number.
Where the local authority has received a mobile number from your setting, this will automatically be included in the ‘Texting’ notifications.
Please let us know via email if you wish to be removed from this Service.
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