What is my child entitled to?
3 and 4 year old funding
All children aged between 3 and 4 are entitled to 15 hours a week of free early education for 38 weeks per academic year starting from the term following the child’s third birthday.
This entitlement applies until the child reaches compulsory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
Free early Entitlement is available for all three and four year old's regardless of parent’s financial circumstances or nationality.
The details when your child becomes eligible to take up their entitlement are shown below, however places are dependent on availability.
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For a child born between 1st April and 31st August they will be eligible for a free place from 1st Sept or beginning of autumn term following their 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
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For a child born between 1st Sept and 31st Dec they will be eligible for a free place from 1st Jan or beginning of spring term following their 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
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For a child born between 1st Jan and 31st March they will be eligible for a free place from 1st April or beginning of summer term following their 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
2 YEAR OLD FUNDING
Who is eligible?
Children who are looked after by the local authority, have an adoption order, a special guardianship order, a residence order, a current statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan, a child who is entitled to disability living allowance as well as parents who are in receipt of Income Support, Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support allowance, Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, The Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and have an gross annual household income of no more than £16,190 are all eligible for 2 year old funding.
If your child is eligible, they will be able to attend an approved childcare setting for 15 hours a week for the 38 weeks in an academic year, dependent on availability.
30 HOURS FUNDING
30 hours funding is currently available to single working parents and parents that are both employed for more than 16 hours a week earning at least £113 a week. You must be living in England and have an annual income of less than £100,000 each year. You need to apply for the funding on the www.childcarechoices.gov.uk website.
If you qualify for the funding you will need to provide us with your letter of confirmation which includes the code/ DERN number and the eligibility date so that we are able to claim the funding on your child's behalf.
Please note that this funding needs to be reapplied for each term and you need to provide us with confirmation of continued eligibility.
TAX-FREE CHILD CARE
If you are a working parent with children under 12 (or under 17 for disabled children), you can open an online account to pay for registered childcare. The government will top-up the money you pay into the account. For every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2. You can receive up to £2,000 per child. Please ask Acorn for the unique reference number to enable you to pay in this way.
EARLY YEARS PUPIL PREMIUM (EYPP)
Early Years Pupil Premium is additional funding that is given to the pre-school, nursery or childminder. This funding is used to improve the learning and development outcomes of eligible children.
Children aged 3 and 4 years old who are currently receiving free early education are eligible if their parents or carers meet one of the following criteria:
Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit Child Tax Credit (provided they’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190), Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit, They have been in local authority care for one day or more in England and Wales, They have been adopted from care in England or Wales, They have left care under a special guardianship order or residence order in England or Wales
Further information on funded childcare can be found by visiting: