Early Education – 3 and 4 year old funding

What is free early years entitlement?

From April 2007, York is part of a pilot (pathfinder) project where all three and four year olds will have the opportunity to access 15 hours per week of free early years provision for 38 weeks of the year (instead of the previous 12.5 hours per week). 

You can choose to take this free entitlement at any registered

• pre-school playgroup
• private day nursery
• a childminder (who belongs to a registered childminder network)
• a maintained nursery school, nursery class or reception class in a primary or independent school.

Whilst providers are working towards delivering the 15 hour entitlement flexibly, not all will be delivering from April 2007, and some may be able to offer this later. Please ask your provider about the number of hours that they can offer.

The free entitlement can be taken flexibly to suit you and your family’s needs. However, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have recommended that the full entitlement of 15 hours per week is taken up over a minimum of three days. The current maximum hours that can be claimed are:

• A maximum of 10 hours can be taken in 1 day
• A maximum of 13 hours can be taken over 2 days
• A maximum of 15 hours can be taken over 3 days or over

Where a provider is not able to meet your exact requirements, we are encouraging them to work in partnership with other local settings to try and help meet your needs.

When can your child access a free place?

Children will receive the free provision from the term after their third birthday as follows:

A child born on or between	can access a free place from
1 April and 31 August	the beginning of the Autumn term
1 September and 31 December	the beginning of the Spring term
1 January and 31 March	the beginning of the Summer term

How do I get a place?

If your child is already attending a private, voluntary or independent setting which is registered to provide free early years provision, you should make sure the provider knows your child is entitled to claim their free place. Each term you must complete and sign a ‘Free Early Years Provision Declaration Form’ available from the provider. The provider will then be able to receive money directly from us, the
council, for your child’s free place. You will not need a voucher or certificate.

If your child does not have a place and you would like information or advice, please contact the York Family Information Service who can tell you about local providers.

It is very important that you have secured your child’s place with a provider before the ‘census date’, a date set each term by the DCSF. Providers have to include children attending their group on the ‘census date’ in order to claim funding from the council. We are not able to promise funding for a child who has not secured a place by the ‘census date’. The provider can claim a minimum of half a term’s funding. If a child leaves a provider mid way through a half term, the money does not ‘follow’ the child to another provider. It stays with the provider and can be given to other children who may be eligible for the rest of that term, eg: an eligible child who started with the provider after the ‘census date’.

Can sessions be mixed between providers?

Yes, you can choose to take up the free entitlement at more than one provider, regardless of whether they are in the private, voluntary or independent sector. So, for example, you could have five hours with one provider in the voluntary sector and ten hours with a private provider.

Schools are also beginning to offer a mix of sessions with different providers. So, for example, your child could have nine hours with a maintained nursery school or nursery class and six hours with a private, voluntary or independent provider. This is becoming more common as the local Shared Foundation partnerships continue to develop.

Please note that if you are offered a part-time place in a school nursery or nursery class then the place will be counted towards your child’s free entitlement.

Additional hours

If you choose to take up the full entitlement in a school and take up additional hours with another provider, you will be charged for all of these additional hours. If your child attends a setting in the private, voluntary and independent sector for more than the 15 hours free entitlement, you will only pay for the additional hours taken.

Please check with your provider how they will charge you for the additional hours.

Phased entry into school

If your child is to start school up to four weeks into the start of term under a ‘phased entry’ it is the maintained school that will claim for your place from the council. Therefore, if your child is to start school under ‘phased entry’ you must inform your provider. The provider is entitled to charge you for a place in those four weeks before your child moves across to the school.

Can the lunch hour be part of the free entitlement?

Yes, if the provider agrees, a child’s free entitlement can be taken up around a lunch hour. The provider may make an additional charge for the lunch or you may be given the option of providing a packed lunch for your child.