Stretched funding within Synergy is operated at child level not provider, which means that the total claim for your setting can have both stretched and term-time only funded children.
It is possible for a child to move between stretched and term-time only offers (from term to term), as long as a child does not exceed their 570 (1,140) hour annual entitlement.
If a child is receiving any of the entitlements at more than one provider (either term-time or year round or a mixture of both) funding must be claimed (by each provider) on a term-time only basis, and ‘self-stretched’.
The following information is a summary of different patterns of provision that are typical within settings in Brighton & Hove.
Providers who are open all year round can offer to stretch the total 570 (1,140) hours to a maximum of 52 weeks.
For example:
- 51 weeks x 11 (22) hours (approximately)
- 50 weeks x 11.5 (23) hours (approximately)
- 47 weeks x 12 (24) hours (approximately)
This enables children to access their EYFE during school holidays.
When claiming ‘stretched’ funding via Synergy, you should enter the total number of weeks you stretch the entitlements each term and total number of stretched hours each week up to the maximum as described in your core offer submitted each academic year.
The funding details tab in your child records gives information about “maximum allowances” each term. These maximum allowances are overall parameters within the system to accommodate all types of stretches/offers and may not reflect your setting’s own specific offer.
Below is a table showing the number of stretched weeks each term according to each typical stretched offer.
| Term | 52 Stretch week | 51 Stretch week | 50 week stretch - this will vary according to when ‘non EYFE’ weeks are taken – the example shows 2 weeks at Christmas | 47.5 or 48 week stretch - this will vary according to when ‘non EYFE’ weeks are taken – the example shows 1.5 weeks in autumn and 3 weeks in summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15.5 |
| Spring | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Sumer | 22 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
Providers should enter their weeks x hours as described to us in their core offer. This is part of the annual agreement between us and providers of EYFE.
To ensure you do not exceed the maximum 570 (1,140) hours per child per year, enter the correct number of weeks each term for your offer so you do not exceed your total annual stretch.
Find more information in sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and the appendices of the Early Years Free Entitlements provider agreement.