Early Education Funding

The Government provides early education funding to all local authorities so that a child can attend up to five free 2 ½ hour sessions of early years education per week for up to 38 weeks a year at a registered setting from the term after their third birthday.

If your child is turning three in the 2007/08 academic year, the following shows when your child will become eligible i.e. if their birth date falls between:

01/01/2004 and 31/03/2004 - Summer Term 2007

01/04/2004 and 31/08/2004 - Autumn Term 2007

01/09/2004 and 31/12/2004 - Spring Term 2008

If a provider offers two sessions in a day then these sessions should be separated by a break of at least one hour. The setting must be registered with OfSTED and must follow the early years curriculum.

The funding will continue until the term after a child’s fifth birthday or until the child takes up a nursery place at a maintained school. The funding provided during 2007-2008 covers up to 38 weeks of the year split between the summer, autumn and spring terms. Some providers may not be able to offer the full 38 weeks during 2007-2008. It is advisable to ask them for their term dates should this be an issue.

For more information see Early Education Funding Information sheet.