Early Education Funding

Early Education Funding is available for all three- and four-year olds and some two-year olds.

The Government funding covers up to 15 hours of childcare.

We claim the funding directly from the government on your behalf, when you enrol your child, we will give you a ‘Parent Declaration Form’ to complete and return to us.

You can claim 570 hours of early education per year, this equates to 15 hours of funding per week, with a maximum of 10 hours in any single day.

Funding can start from the term following the child’s 3^rd birthday.

Some two-year olds have a similar annual entitlement and those families who meet the new '30 hour' childcare offer can increase this entitlement for their three- and four-year olds to 1140 hours.

To see if you are eligible for the extended 30 hours childcare for 3 and 4 year olds please apply using the  https://www.gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account link.

If you are eligible, you will be given an 11-digit code by HMRC via the Childcare Service. This code needs to be given to us and added to you Parent Declaration Form. You can start claiming the extra hours the term after you received it. See table above.

You will be invoiced for any hours your child attends over and above the number of funded hours per week.

Additional services such as meals, snacks, drinks and trips, and extra activities such as music and dance etc are not covered by early education funding. Any new charges will be notified as soon as possible.

If children don't attend their early education places regularly, funding may be withdrawn.

Two-year-olds are eligible for 15 hours of early education funding, if you claim one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit and an annual net earned income equivalent to and not exceeding £15,400, assessed on up to three of your most recent Universal Credit assessment periods
• Tax credits and an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
• The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

A child can also get Two-Year Old funding if any of the following apply:

• They are looked after by a local council
• They have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• They get Disability Living Allowance
• They have left care under a special guardianship order child arrangements order or adoption order

See if you can claim by using the https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/oeye/bcpcouncil/  link. You will need the following information:

• Your own name and date of birth
• Contact details
• National Insurance number or national Asylum Seekers Number
• Child's name and date of birth

If your application is successful you will be sent a unique reference number which you will need to note on the Parent Declaration Form. You will be able to start claiming the term after you receive your code.