Nursery Education Funding (NEF) / Early Education Entitlement (EEE)
Sentinel provides a comprehensive solution for managing funding for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds, including eligibility checks for Free School Meals (FSM) and Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).
Flexible data-capture forms support solutions for both the termly, provider-centred model and the more recent DfE-led approach whereby parents input key information. The latter enables parents to register children and to find and book available nursery places. Instant feedback is provided on their entitlement to funding.
After data is submitted, the system calculates funding payments based on age and funding parameters that are controlled and adjusted by local authority teams. Integrating with existing finance systems, it sends early years payments and accounts statements online via each provider’s individual portal.
The breadth, detail and accuracy of the data held by the Hub also allows reports to be generated quickly and easily, including all Sufficiency Data and the collection, validation and submission of Early Years Census to DfE.
Assessment Data Collection
This solution enables providers to record and share assessments for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Every Child a Talker (ECaT).
It can also store and share information with council’s children's centres, include provider staff qualifications, and integrate with NHS health assessment (ASQ-3) data.
The result is a single view of pre-school children across an entire local authority area, with aggregated data for single and multiple settings visible to advisers and children centre managers via specially designed dashboards.
Offering an effective means of monitoring progress and increasing school readiness, the system enhances both local authorities’ and providers’ understanding, leading to improved provider performance and better outcomes for children.