The Early Years Entitlement (EYE) is funding provided by the Government to enable children to access Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) education opportunities at an Ofsted registered provision.
The EYE is designed to be flexible so parents can choose a setting where they want their child to attend and what hours they will attend (subject to Nursery sessions and availability). The entitlement is for regular attendance agreed between the parent/carer and provider.
Prior to each subsequent term the provider will ask the parents to reconfirm the funding they are claiming, along with a signed confirmation for any changes to the funding.
There are three main types of Early Years Entitlement provided by the Government according to child age and family situation:
Funding eligibility is determined by the child’s age. It begins in the term following their birthday, or, for children entitled to 9‑month funding, in the term after the child turns 9 months. In every case, applications must be submitted in the term prior to when the funding is due to start.
Each year is divided into the traditional three academic periods (September-December, January-March, April-August). These are detailed in the tables below along with the term when children can access their funding depending on their date of birth.
| Child’s birthday between these dates (for children aged 9+ months) | Can receive Early Years Entitlement from |
|---|---|
| 1st July and 30th November | Autumn term the following year (September-December) |
| 1st December and 31st March | Spring term the following year (January-March) |
| 1st April and 30th June | Summer term the following year (April-August) |
| Child’s birthday between these dates (for children aged 1, 2, 3 and 4-year-olds) | Can receive Early Years Entitlement from |
|---|---|
| 1st April and 31st August | Autumn term (September-December) |
| 1st September and 31st December | Spring term (January-March) |
| 1st January and 31st March | Summer term (April-August) |
EYE funding is paid for each hour a child regularly attends a setting up to the maximum available for the funding type and age of child.
The funding is generally referred to as ‘15 Hours’ or ’30 Hours’. This refers to the maximum hours available over a term time pattern of 38 weeks each year. The hours can also be spread over less hours per week and more weeks of the year to the same total hours as follows:
| ’15 Hours’ | This means a total of 570 hours over a year so can be taken as a maximum of 15 hours each week. For childcare providers open all year this is typically reduced to 11 or 12 hours over the whole year, depending on how many weeks the provider is open. |
| ’30 Hours’ | This means a total of 1140 hours over a year so can be taken as a maximum of 30 hours each week. For childcare providers open all year this is typically reduced to 22 or 24 hours over the whole year, depending on how many weeks the provider is open. |
For simplicity in this Factsheet, funding will be referred to as ‘15 hour’ or ’30 hour’.
A summary of funding hours available, whether a code is required and where to obtain the code is shown below:
| Funding provided | Code needed | Where do I get the code |
|---|---|---|
| 3- and 4-year-old Universal Funding. All 3- to 4-year-olds in England can get ’15 hour’ funding. | NO | No code is required. Apply to a childcare provider for a place with evidence of child’s date of birth. |
| 3- and 4-year-old Working Families Funding. Some 3- and 4-year-old children in working families may be eligible to get ’30 hour’ funding. | YES | Code for additional hours from HMRC via: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/ Tel: 0300 123 4097 |
| 9-month to 2-year-old Working Families Funding. Some children aged 9-months to 2-years-old in working families may be eligible to get ’15 hour’ funding. This will be increasing to ’30 hours’ from September 2025. | YES | Code for additional hours from HMRC via: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/ Tel: 0300 123 4097 |
| 2-year-old Universal Entitlement for families in receipt of additional Government support. Some 2-year-olds may be eligible to get ’15 hour’ funding if the family is in receipt of a government benefit such as: Income Support and Universal Credit. | YES | Code for 2-year funding from the Local Authority: Combe Down Nursery, Guinea Lane Nursery: https://parent.bathnes.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/home/earlyyears Tel: 01225 395505 Bryanston Nursery: https://tri-borough.cloud.servelec-synergy.com/Bi-Borough/Synergy/Parents/default.aspx |
• No code is required for universal ‘15 hour’ children aged 3 and 4-years-old.
• All other types of funding require a code.
• Once a code is obtained, the code should be given to the chosen childcare provider/s, along with your National Insurance Number, who will then apply to B&NES or Westminster for the child’s funding.
There is a minimum of 2.5 hours and maximum of 10 hours which can be claimed in any one day. There is a minimum 4 week claim during one term.
Children can claim the funding at a maximum of two providers in any one day and up to three providers in total during the one term.
Parents must declare to their provider if they are claiming with another provider either in B&NES, Westminster or another local authority. Parents must state how they want the hours to be split between providers. If inaccurate information is provided and hours are over-claimed, parents will be liable for repayment of over-claimed hours at any point during the funding year.
The EYE is paid to provide early education opportunities at Ofsted registered provision. It does not cover all the services which the provider may offer. For example, meals and snacks, consumables, additional services, and additional hours.
The EYE is intended to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of high quality, flexible childcare. The 15 or 30 hours must be able to be accessed free of charge to parents.
Providers can charge a refundable deposit in relation to the entitlement hours. Deposits are refunded onto your final invoice at Nursery, provided the relevant notice has been given to terminate your child’s place as detailed in our Terms and Conditions.
Parents can pay for extras which the EYE funding is not intended to cover during the funded hours e.g., meals, snacks, consumables, extra activities. Parents should speak with the setting to understand the additional options available to them and the cost of each item.
If a child attends more than the maximum entitlement per week, the provider will charge the parents for the extra hours at their own private rate.
If the provider’s term is longer than 38 weeks, they are entitled to charge parents for the extra weeks, provided these extra weeks are not a condition of accessing a funded place.
The provider’s fee policy should clearly state the charge for all additional hours offered.
The provider will define term dates when EYE funding is available. Whilst the provider is expected to close for bank holidays, the place is still funded during this closure as the provider still has staff and premise costs so is not expected to offer the hours at another time.
Download our Early Years Entitlement Charging Policy and Fees below.