Funding
There are an unlimited amount of funding types available on Blossom. These are listed below. A few examples are listed below:
15 & 30 Hours (Stretched & Non stretched).
EYPP Funding (Stretched & Non stretched)
Inclusion funding (Stretched & Non stretched)
Other
The platform allows for both non stretched funding & stretched funding.
Stretched & non-stretched funding
Stretched funding is available for those children who attend all year round. This means instead of allowing children 15 or 30 hours per week you will apply the stretched amount. Your local authority will be able to advise you on what the stretched amount of hours should be.
Non-stretched funding is for children that apply term time only or alternatively children that attend all year round who are happy to be invoiced for the weeks that are not included in the funding period. The platform allows you to set up term time funding, this will run parallel to your local authority dates.
Early Years Pupil Premium funding (EYPP) is an additional funding type for early years settings. It allows settings to improve the education in which they provide for disadvantaged children aged 3 & 4 years.
Inclusion funding is funding which helps early years providers to deliver extra support to children that display emerging additional needs.
Other funding is any other funding the nursery may apply for to provide support to the children in their settings.
How do I add funding to my nursery?
Click more > Settings > Finance > Funding > Create.
Manual Allocation
The funded hours can be manually allocated to specific sessions/hours for each child in their profile. Children > Child > Booking pattern > Funding. You will be able to see a bar chart showing you exactly which hours are funded and which are paid.
Subtract Funding Amount from Invoice
The system will deduct the amount allocated for funding, rather than the hours.
This video will teach you more about subtracting funding:
Allocate Funded Hours to Monthly Cheapest Sessions
The system will automatically select the cheapest hours in aan invoice period and allocate the funding to these hours.
FAQ’S
How do I add funding to an individual child?
Children > Child > Booking pattern > Funding > Create > Funding type > Save.
How do I manually allocate my funding to a child?
Children > Child > Booking pattern > Funding > Funding type > Allocation to sessions >Edit pencil > Click onto the day you wish to apply funding > Add funding time > Save > Repeat for the week > Save > Apply to future weeks.
What should my hourly rate be?
The hourly rate is the amount paid by your local authority.
What is the difference between actuals and averages?
Actuals: This option proportionally allocates funding for your selected invoice period, based upon the number of days the nursery is open for the time period of the funding. Nursery closure dates are taken into account for this calculation.
Averages: This option will equally divide out the funded hours/funding amount across the different months covered by the funding period. You must select full months for this option to be applicable; partial months being selected will mean that funding reverts to being calculated on ‘actuals’ (the option above). For the manual allocation option, average cannot be selected.
What should my term time funding period be?
Your term time funding period should be your exact term dates.
What is an exclusion period?
Your exclusion period is a day you would like to exclude funding from.
Stretched Funding
What should my stretched funding period be?
The stretched funding period will be from the 1st of the month until the last day of the term month with no exclusion periods.
How do I know how many hours a week the child should get if it is stretched funding?
Typically, this is 11 hours for 15 hours stretched & 22 hours for 30 hours stretched. This should be double-checked with your local authority.
How is manual funding calculated?
Session cost divided by session hours = nursery hourly rate.
Hours not funded in the funded day x nursery hourly rate = Total charged for the day.
How is Subtract funding amount from the invoice calculated?
Actual calculation
Total funded hours divided by total days in funding period = funded hours per day.
Funded hours per day x days in the invoice period = total funded hours.
Total funded hours x funded hourly rate = funded amount invoiced.
Average calculation
Total hours divided by months within funding period = total funded hours.
Total funded hours x funding hourly rate = funded amount invoiced.
Please note: If the average funding calculation has been applied the months need to be full months. For example, 01/04/2020 to 31/04/2020.
Top tip: The session hourly rate needs to be more than the funded hourly rate for the cost to calculate as expected. If it does not we have to reverse the formula to understand the calculation. For example:
Funding hourly rate - session hourly rate = Difference between the hourly rate.
Difference between the hourly rate x hours invoiced = difference between expected amount subtracted & the amount subtracted.