We offer a range of Government-funded childcare places for eligible families. Funding can help reduce the cost of childcare and may be available from the term after your child becomes eligible.
If you are unsure which funding option may apply to your family, you can explore the available childcare support through Best Start for Life and the Government's Help with Childcare Costs service.
How Funding Works at Our Nursery
We operate on a term-time basis, with funded hours delivered across approximately 38 to 39 weeks each year.
Your funded entitlement can be used towards your agreed nursery sessions. If you choose to take up more session hours than your funded hours will cover, these additional sessions will be charged at our standard nursery rates.
The Government's funding schemes are designed to cover costs related to your child's early education and childcare. "It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services”. You would be responsible for bringing with your child any clothing or personal care items they need, a snack for the session, and provide for lunch (if they are due to attend lunch club).
Applying for a Funded Place
If you are applying for a nursery place using a funding scheme other than Universal Funding, an application for funding should normally be completed during the term before your child is due to start. Funding eligibility must be validated before funded sessions can begin.
Step 1: Check Childcare Funding Options And Eligibility
Visit Best Start for Life to explore your childcare funding options and submit an application if required.
Step 2: Secure Your Nursery Place
Once your child's place has been offered, you will receive a confirmation letter outlining:
- Your child's agreed sessions
- Their start date
- Any settling-in arrangements
- Any funding paperwork that needs to be completed
Step 3: Complete Your Funding Paperwork
For funded places other than Universal Funding, parents will be required to complete a Department for Education Parental Declaration form. You will need to provide:
- Your HMRC eligibility code (where applicable)
- Your National Insurance number
- A copy of your child's birth certificate or passport
- Any additional information required for funding validation
Step 4: Funding Validation
Once we have received your completed paperwork, we will validate your eligibility through the local authority funding portal.
Funding approval must be confirmed before your child can attend funded sessions.
Step 5: Reconfirm Your Eligibility
If your child's nursery sessions use Working Parent Funding, you must continue to reconfirm your eligibility with HMRC when requested. Failure to reconfirm your eligibility before the required deadline may result in funded hours ending.
Tax-free childcare vouchers
As an Ofsted-registered nursery, we are approved to accept Tax-Free Childcare payments and existing employer childcare vouchers.
If you are a working parent, you could be eligible for the government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme. For every £8 you pay into your online childcare account, the government will add a £2 top-up. You can receive up to £2,000 per year, per child (or up to £4,000 if your child is disabled) to help pay for our nursery fees.
Useful Links
Working Parent Funding from 9 months
Eligible families may receive up to 1,140 funded hours per year, which is equivalent to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.
Parents must apply for this funding through HMRC, obtain an eligibility code and regularly reconfirm their eligibility when requested.
2 year old Funding
Some families receiving additional forms of support may qualify for this funding.
Eligible children can receive up to 570 funded hours per year, which is equivalent to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.
Families will generally remain eligible even if their circumstances change.
Universal Funding
for 3 & 4 year olds
All children become eligible for Government-funded childcare from the term after their third birthday.
This funding provides up to 570 funded hours per year, which is equivalent to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.