15 & 30 Hours Funding

3-year-olds will be able to start a funded nursery place in the September, January or April following their third birthday. Your child’s birthday must be before:

31 March will be eligible for funded nursery education from the Summer Term (April) 31 August will be eligible for funded nursery education from the Autumn Term (September)31 December will be eligible for funded nursery education from the Spring term (January)
These are the cut off dates. If your child’s birthday is for example on the 1st or 2nd January and the term starts on the 5th January, unfortunately their funding will not start until the Summer term after Easter because they have passed the cut-off date of 31st December.

All 3 and 4-year-olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of funded early education or childcare a year. Your child is entitled to a maximum of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. Parents can choose which provider they would like their child to go to, as long as they have places available.

Working parents may be entitled to 960 hours of funded early education or childcare a year. Your child is entitled to a maximum of 30 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.

No, they do not have to be used with the same provider. You cannot have more than 15 funded hours per week and you do not have to use all 30 hours if you do not want to.

It is up to you to decide what kind of early education, if any, is right for your child. By law, children are not required to attend any educational setting until the term after their fifth birthday. The grant is only available until your child starts school.