Government Funding and Fees

Working parents funding

We are part of the government's funding scheme for working parents. Eligible parents and carers can use up to 30 funding hours with us from 2 years old.

In order to be eligible, both parents in a two parent family or one parent in a one parent family must be working at least 16 hours a week at at least minimum wage up to a maximum income of £100,000 per parent.

There are strict cut of periods for applications for the 30 hours funding as follows:

Spring Term: parents much have applied for an eligibility code by 31st December

Summer Term: parents must have applied for an eligibility code by 31st March

Autumn Term: parents must have applied for an eligibility code by August 31st

Parents need to complete a Parent Declaration Form (available to download below) and we'll need to see their child's passport or birth certificate and take a copy.

Once the Parent Declaration and ID are received by us, the child's Eligibility code will then be checked to ensure eligibility before a funded place is confirmed.

Parents must re-confirm their eligibility every 3 months on the Childcare Choices website.

To apply or re-confirm eligibility, please see

https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/

Supported families funding

Families may be entitled to up to 15 hours a week funded early years eduction for two years olds if they are receiving some government support, such as Universal Credit. Please see your local council's website for more details and to apply.

Funding & fees

If your child is receiving funding as above then there will be no fees to pay for the hours that you have entered on your Parent Declaration. The only times that you will be charged fees are:

• If you book extra ad-hoc sessions in addition to the sessions you entered on the Parent Declaration form (NB. this still applies even if your child does not do the full 15 hours).
• Your booked sessions exceed 30 hours a week (or 15 hours a week if your child attends Nursery as schools claim the first 15 hours).
• Any meals your child has with us. Lunch is usually provided by you - if we provide a lunch then this will be charged for (eg. in the event that your child's packed lunch has been forgotten). Breakfast and Tea are optional meals that we would charge for @ £1.80 per meal.
• Nappies and wipes. We ask that you provide nappies and wipes for your child. In the even that we use our own for your child, then a fee of £3.00 per nappy change is chargeable.

If your child misses any funded sessions we will do our best to swap sessions within the same week. Funded hours cannot be carried over to subsequent weeks.

You can make up to three permanent changes per term to your child's funded hours as entered on the Parent Declaration. This does not include extra, ad hoc sessions, which cannot be claimed for.