Early Education Funding

Early Education Funding Rates and Grants

Two Year Olds Early Education Funding

The base rate for children accessing a 2 year old place is £7.44 per hour

A child may be able to access 15 hours free early education funding for 38 weeks per year from the term after their second birthday if they meet certain criteria. More information on eligibility criteria is available on the Families Information Service website.

Parents/carers should apply to Rotherham Families Information Service to be eligibility checked for the 2 year funding. If successful, Rotherham Families Information Service will confirm eligibility by issuing an RMBC headed letter with an eligibility code. This eligibility letter should be presented to you before a child starts in their free place to ensure a child is eligible for the funding. Only RMBC headed letters should be accepted.

For more information about the funding and to check eligibility:

Families Information Service

Or call 0800 073 0230 or Tel: 01709 822429

Three and Four Year Old Early Education Funding Universal Entitlement

Three and Four Year Old Early Education Funding (EEF) Eligibility

All children are able to access 15 hours of universal early education funding per week for 38 weeks per year from the term after their third birthday.

Child’s Date of Birth (Dates Inclusive) All 3Yr Olds (15 hours and those eligible for 30 hours- HMRC code)
1 April – 31 August From start of term following 1st September after their 3rd Birthday
1 Sept – 31 Dec From start of term following 1st January after their 3rd Birthday
1 Jan – 31 March From start of term following 1st April after their 3rd Birthday

Hourly Rate

The base rate paid to providers for a 3 and 4 year old early education place is £4.87 per hour.

The deprivation supplement is calculated based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation score (based on postcode of children accessing setting).  A provider’s deprivation supplement is reviewed and calculated annually. High deprivation (10% most deprived) is an additional 17 pence per hour. Medium deprivation (30% most deprived) is additional 12 pence per hour and low deprivation is no supplement.

A provider’s total hourly rate for funded three and four year olds in that setting is the base rate plus any deprivation supplement and Early Years Pupil Premium.

Further Information

Detailed information about delivering early education funding is available in the Early Education Funding Agreement

30 Hours Extended Early Education Funding for 3 and 4 Year Olds

30 Hours Extended Entitlement Eligibility

Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds can apply to HMRC for 15 extended funded hours per week (30 hours in total for 38 weeks per year). If parents are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or are unable to work because of disability or having caring responsibilities, they could still be eligible.

More information about the 30 hours extended entitlement, the eligibility criteria and how to apply is available at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Foster Carers may also be eligible for 30 hours free childcare for any 3 & 4 year old looked after children in their care if they are also in paid work outside of their fostering role. For more information please contact the Families Information Service on 0800 0730230 or 01709 822429 for more information and how to apply.

Hourly Rate

The hourly rate for the extended hours for working parents is £4.87 plus any deprivation supplement. For details of the deprivation supplements please see the 3 & 4 year old universal entitlement section above.

Early Years Pupil Premium is only paid on the universal 15 hours for eligible children not on the extended 15 hours for working parents.

30 Hour Eligibility Codes

After a parent applies for their extended hours through HMRC, if they are eligible they are issued with a 30 hour eligibility code.

A parent will need to renew their eligibility every 3 months through HMRC in order to not lose their extended entitlement Renew your eligibility to free childcare

Ensure you obtain the 30 hour eligibility code from parents the term before the child will access their entitlement. This should be collected using the Parent Declaration form to ensure the parent has signed the correct permissions for the eligibility code to be checked.

Use the Provider Portal eligibility checker to check the eligibility dates of the code

Each code has a start date, an end date and a grace period end date. The period between the end date and the grace period end date is known as the ‘Grace Period’ You should ensure:

Before a child starts their 30 Hour free childcare:

  • The start date of the code is before the start of the term the child will access their 30 hour funding
  • The end date is after the start of the term that the child will access their 30 hour funding (i.e a child cannot start a new place in their grace period)

When a child is accessing their 30 hours free childcare:

  • The Early Years and Childcare Service will contact you towards the end of each term to notify you if any of your 30 hour children are about to fall out of eligibility for the next term. Please contact these parents to ensure they are aware they need to renew their eligibility in order to keep their 30 hours funding.
  • Check the Provider Portal for any children with a red or yellow exclamation mark, these children’s 30 hour eligibility codes have gone past their end date without renewal and the parent needs to renew their eligibility.

If you do not check 30 hour code eligibility dates before a child starts in their free place and monitor this via the provider portal on an ongoing basis, you risk providing 30 hours free childcare to a child who you cannot claim the extended hours for.

Please refer parents to their childcare service account to renew their eligibility or the Childcare Choices helpline 0300 1234097 Childcare Service account.

If a parent starts new paid employment or commences a self employed business mid-term they can apply to use their new 30 hour eligibility code within the same term. Please contact the Early Years and Childcare Service on 01709 822549 for more information and how to apply.

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) gives early education providers extra funding to support eligible 3 and 4 year olds in their setting.

Early Education providers will be entitled to an additional 66p per hour per eligible child, which equates to £376.20 annually for a child attending for their full universal entitlement.

The funding is payable to the childcare provider to enable them to work towards making a difference to the child’s progress over time and support readiness for school.

Eligibility

Early Years Pupil Premium eligibility criteria is available in Schedule 4 of the Early Education Funding Agreement

How to apply

Childcare providers must apply for EYPP for children in their setting for the funding to be awarded.

Parent/carer’s details and consent for an EYPP eligibility check are collected via the Parent Declaration form.

Childcare providers should use the Provider Portal to apply for EYPP, further instructions are available in the Provider Portal User Guide.

Disability Access Fund

Childcare providers who offer Free Early Education places for 3 and 4 year old’s can apply for Disability Access Funding (DAF) to support children with a disability to access their free entitlement. A payment of £615 is available each financial year to childcare providers for each eligible child in a free early education place at their setting.

Disability Access Fund provides additional funding to support the setting make reasonable adjustments and/or help with building capacity to enable children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) access their funded early education place.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Disability Access Fund a child must be accessing their 3 and 4 year old early education place and be in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. Further information is available in Schedule 5 of the Early Education Funding Agreement

How to apply

Childcare providers should send a copy of the completed Parent Declaration Form and a copy of the child’s Disability Living Allowance award to the Early Years and Childcare Service, 1st Floor Wing C, Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham S60 1AE

For a limited time only, providers with two year olds in an Early Education Place and in receipt of Disability Living Allowance could also access a one off annual grant of £615. Please contact Early Years and Childcare Service to find out if this is available.

 Tel: 01709 822549

Email: earlyeducation@rotherham.gov.uk