Full Time Places

Dear Mums, Dads and Carers,


We are asked many times about whether children can have full time places and we thought it might be useful to explain how decisions are made about which children are given a full time place. Greenwich have also made lots of changes to the nursery places.


Up until Easter 2009 we had:


  • 20 full time places in each shelter – 80 altogether.
  • 10 part time places in the morning in each shelter – 40 altogether.

We cannot have more than these numbers of full time children or we would not have enough room for the children to sit down for lunch. We also would not have enough staff to look after the children at lunchtime. All the children used to start part time but they all became full time eventually.


Greenwich have reorganised the nursery places right across the borough – partly due to government funding. The full time place will now be 15 hours per week and what we used to call full time, will be called an ‘Additional Hours’ place.


As from April 2009 we now have:
  • 10 Additional Hours places per shelter – 40 altogether.
  • 30 Full time (15 hours per week) places per shelter – 120 altogether.

THIS MEANS THAT MOST CHILDREN WILL COME TO NURSERY FOR 15 HOURS PER WEEK FOR THE WHOLE TIME THEY ARE WITH US – this is now called a full time place.


This will not affect any children that have the old full time places right now.


There are very strict criteria for how we choose the children who can have the additional hours places.


Children who could be considered under this category include:


  1. Those who have been assessed as ‘in need’ under the Children Act 1989.

  2. Those likely to be assessed as having special needs under the Education Act 1996 (but who do not yet have a formal statement).

  3. Those who have already benefited from specialised provision such as that provided by the ‘ICAN’ Speech and Language Centre based at Mulgrave Primary School and Early Years Centre, the Wensley Close Day Centre in Eltham, and the Greenwich Portage Service.

  4. Those already attending full time childcare provision on the same site (Shelter 6 children).

The changes mean that we will have lots more children in the nursery. We will also have to change back to having afternoon places for some children. We will do our best to make sure that the changes do not affect your children and their time at nursery.


We hope this helps to explain how we will have to make decisions about full time (additional hours) places from now on. If you have any questions or comments please come and talk to me.



Theresa Lane


Headteacher

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