Maureen's Blog For Ask Askew








Are you planning to deliver 30 Hours free entitlement?

Concerned about impact of delivering the Free 30 hours on the sustainability of your setting?

If you are in early years you can’t have failed to see and read all the hype about the 30 hours and the possible, negative impact on the sustainability of the nursery sector.
Whether this will actually be the case has yet to be seen, we are all hoping the pilots due to start in September will be able prove or disprove this theory.
Does that mean you have to wait until the result of the pilot are publish before you do anything? I would say no.
You can start looking at the potential impact on your setting now, start by looking at your current families, and those on your waiting list. How many are likely to meet the criteria and may therefore be requesting the additional hours.
Don’t wait for them to come to you, have a discussion with them, if there are likely to be a few, why not arrange an informal information evening and explain how the scheme is proposing to work; while the criteria may well change following the results of the pilots; parents will welcome some early input and it will provide you with some valuable information to help you start to plan for the number of parents likely to be eligible and whether they would be taking up the option and increasing their hours and what these might be.