What is Early Education Funding (EEF)?
Early Education Funding is offered by the government. You can be eligible for the funding in three different ways:

 

• Extended Funding (means tested funding) - This is available for children the term after they turn 9 months old up to when they go to school. We call this 'Extended Funding' although sometimes it is referred to as '30 hours'. Parents/Carers must apply for this funding.

 

• Universal Funding - This is available for all children the term after they turn 3 years old. This is sometimes called '15 hours' funding. Parents/Carers do not need to apply for this funding, but they will be asked to sign a funding agreement.

 

• ​2 Year 'Golden Ticket' Funding - This is available to some two year olds, the term after their second birthday. In order to qualify for this funding parents/carers must meet certain criteria and applications must be made directly through the council. You can apply for this funding here.

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When do I apply for the Early Education Funding?

All funding applications must be made and you must have been allocated a funding code before beginning of each term you wish to claim the funding.

For example, if you are hoping to receive '30 hours' funding for the Autumn Term (1st September - 31st December) then you must have applied for the funding on received the code by the 31st August. If you receive your code after 1st September, your funding code will not be eligible, and we would not be able to claim the funding for your child until the Spring term, which starts on the 1st January.

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How is the Early Education Funding (EEF) allocated?

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We. as your chosen childcare provider, can make a claim for the EEF three times a year. We claim the funding in September (for the Autumn term, 1st September-31st December), January (for the Spring Term, 1st January-31st March) and April (for the Summer term, 1st April-31st August).

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For children in receipt of extended funding, there are allocated 1140 funded hours per academic year. For children in receipt of universal or 2 year 'golden ticket' funding, they are allocated 570 funded hours per academic year. The amounts we can claim per term are listed below.

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Autumn Term - 210 hours (Universal or 2 Year Golden Ticket Funding) / 420 hours (Extended Funding)

Spring Term - 165 hours (Universal or 2 Year Golden Ticket Funding) / 330 hours (Extended Funding)

Summer Term - 195 hours (Universal or 2 Year Golden Ticket Funding) / 390 hours (Extended Funding)

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Is the Early Education Funding free?

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By offering the funding, we as a setting are agreeing to provide your child with a certain level of resources and education, however extras, known as 'consumables' can be charged form (these are things such as food, nappies, wipes etc). If these are charged for, it should be clearly stated within a fees schedule. Not all settings charge consumables, and some settings might charge more than others, so it is worth checking with individual providers prior to agreeing to taking up a place. You should be provided the opportunity to opt-out, however you may be bound to providing specific items. 

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Things such as trips can also be charged for as extras; it would not be expected that the early education funding would cover this. Similarly, external companies coming into the setting to provide enrichment such as dance, music or language lessons could be invoiced to parents or carers.

 

Can my child attend whenever I want?

 

No. We offer all our spaces in line with our sessions, further details of our individual sessions can be seen on the fees schedule.

 

If you wish for your child to attend without paying anything additional in terms of fees, for a child attending for '15 hour funding' they can usually attend for 3, 3.5 sessions a week totalling around 10.5 hours a week, and for a child in receipt of '30 hour funding' this is doubled to around 21 hours a week.

 

We only claim the funding for the hours the child attends.

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