Nursery Grants

• A private or voluntary run pre-school, playgroup, day nursery or independent school (i.e. Raunds Rainbow Nursery School)
• A county council nursery school or unit
• A reception class (from September after the a child's fourth birthday)
• An accredited childminder registered to provide early education

All Providers must be registered with the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership before they can offer a funded place.

Headcount Day

A setting can only claim for a child attending or registered to attend the Setting on the Headcount Day and the number of sessions that the child is attending per week as at that date is the number that can be claimed.  The Setting that your child attends will be advised of the Headcount dates each term.

What is the child entitled to?

• A child can be funded for up to five sessions per week,  over an eleven week term. There is usually a break of one week for half term. The 11 week grant sessions do not always coincide with school term dates: often the school term can be slightly longer than 11 weeks.
• Sessions will be two and a half hours in length.
• Parents can claim two sessions in one day, providing that the two sessions are separated by a break of one hour. The child can still be cared for at the setting, but they must have a break from the nursery education.

Eligibility

Three and Four Year Olds

All three and four year olds are entitled to a funded nursery education place for the six terms before they reach statutory school age.  Statutory school age is the age at which parents are required by law to educate their child, and is the term following the term in which the child turns five, although many parents send their child to school from the September following the child's fourth birthday.

Eligible Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I register my child at more than one nursery/pre-school?

If one of the places is a Local Authority Nursery, you will not be able to claim any funding for another place.  If both providers are either private, voluntary or independent, then you can split the funded places between the providers - eg,  two sessions with one provider and three sessions with another. 

What if I need to move my child from one nursery to another during the term?

The new setting will not be able to make a new claim for a funded place if your child starts after the headcount date.

My child attends more than five sessions per week - will the other sessions be funded?

The maximum number of funded sessions is five, if your child does any more sessions, then the provider will charge the normal rates minus the free sessions. This will be clearly marked on the invoice.

Outside the eleven week sessions, during half terms and general holidays, the children are invoiced for the normal fees for any time taken.

How do I make a claim a funded Nursery Education place for my child?

The claim is made by the Provider, the nursery/pre-school will ask you to complete a Form F - A parent/carer declaration form at the start of each term.  You will need to sign to confirm the number of sessions that you child is attending at that Nursery/Pre-School, and also disclose how many sessions (if any) they are attending at another Nursery/Pre-School.