There can be multiple reasons why you are unable to add extended hours. Check through each of the sections below to find the one that matches your issue.
Incorrect override days
This issue can occur if the start date of the eligibility code is after the start date of the term, but within the margin allowed by the Department for Education (DfE).
You need to check that the correct number of days is set in the override days settings:
Open FIS.
Click Admin.
Click Funding.
Click Funding Year/Term.
Check the 30h Override (days) field.
The child is in their grace period
If the child is in their grace period, check that the child was taking extended hours last term.
The grace period is only to be used for extending an existing attendance. Under DFE rules, the parent is not allowed to start claiming extended hours for the first time if the child is in their grace period.
If the child did have attendance, check the following information:
The provider is the same as last term.
Extended hours were claimed last term, not just Universal hours.
Provider Portal
If the child is being added via the Provider Portal, the child must be carried forward from the previous term. If the child wasn't carried forward, they will need to be re-added to the provider in FIS, so they can be edited on the Provider Portal as an existing child.
This is because in the provider headcount, in - provider the 'Offers Extended Hours' button is not ticked.
You will need to go to:
Registration record.
Click on the Provider Record.
Provider Headcount, the hand button.
Select the term.
Tick the Offers Extended Hours button.
The start date of the term is within 30 hours of the code eligibility dates
This issue can occur if the provider is getting the following error:
Eligibility for extended hours was not obtained. You will only be able to claim for universal hours.
The first thing to check is that there are no mistakes in the child's date of birth, 30h code and parents' National Insurance number.
If these are fine, then check the details for the parents. The main parent details must match those used when applying to the Department for Education.
If the parent has recently re-applied, make sure a new ECS check has been run since then, so that the new eligibility dates are saved to the Synergy database. This can be done either in FIS or by the provider when they edit the child's actuals.
The grace period end date falls before the start of the term
If the grace period ends before the start of the term, the child is not eligible to receive extended hours this term. The parent will need to reapply. If found eligible, the child starts taking up extended hours from the start of the following term.
The start date of the eligibility code is after the start of the term
If the parent has applied too late, and under DfE rules is not eligible to claim extended hours during this term, they will be able to start claiming extended hours from the beginning of the next term.
Children may be eligible with a start date after the start of term, if they have a previous ECS check which puts the current term in the grace period. If this is the case, the child must have attended with the same provider in the previous term and must have claimed extended hours in the previous term.