Free Nursery Entitlement
Funded Nursery Entitlement (FNE) For children aged 9 months to 4 year olds.
Guidelines For Parents.
Funded Nursery Entitlement (FNE). What is it?
Some children aged from 9 months are entitled to receive funded nursery sessions. These can be taken in a school nursery or with an approved day nursery or childminder.
Your child may be entitled to receive 570 hours of funded nursery education per year. This equates to a maximum of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year (term time only) or 11.4 hours over 50 weeks. You do not have to take up the full entitlement however you are encouraged to do so.
Do I have to attend a session every day?
No. Settings and schools have been required to offer the funded nursery entitlement more flexibly. The offer of 570 hours can be stretched over a longer period of time but less hours will be available. For an example of how this may be taken for more information contact Early Years Team 01429 523523 or email Early [email protected].
When will my child become eligible for a funded place?
National guidelines dictate the following:
For a child aged 9 months, the child can start their place the term after they turn 9 months.
A child born between 1st of April and the 31st of August will be eligible for a funded place from the start of the Autumn term in September following their 2nd or 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
A child born between the 1st of September and the 31st of December will be eligible for a funded place from the start of the spring term in January following their 2nd or 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
A child born between 1st of January and the 31st of March will be eligible for a funded place from the start of the summer term in April following their 2nd or 3rd birthday until statutory school age.
Can my child attend more than one setting?
Yes. Two setting can be used , however we would encourage that your child stays with one provider as far as possible as it is important for the child to have consistency and stability.
How will the places be funded?
The places will be funded by the local authority with payment made directly to the provider. If your child takes less than 15 hours per week, the payment will be adjusted pro-rata.
A parent is not expected to contribute towards the costs of their funded entitlement, it should be funded at the point of delivery. A child's funded entitlement however does not cover any additional services that the setting may offer for example, extra hours or transport, additional activities or food. You will need to speak with your provider to discuss any charges for this.
Will the nursery sessions my child receive be of good quality?
Yes, providers offering the funded nursery entitlement must be registered with Ofsted. Being registered means that the provider must comply with the requirements of the department of Educations Code of Practice of the early education and childcare. The provider will be subject to an inspection by OFSTED, the organisation which also inspects schools to make sure that the child is being educated appropriately. Local authority staff work closely with settings to develop and enhance the learning environment and experience for your child.
Children aged 9 months
From September 2024 the 15 hours childcare offer will be expanded to eligible working parents in England with children between 9 – 24 months old.
This entitlement will increase to 30 hours per week from September 2025.
To apply for your child’s place visit the childcarechoices.gov.uk website to check eligibility.
2 year old children – Working parent entitlement
From April 2024 the 15 hours childcare offer will be expanded to eligible working parents in England with children 2 year old.
To apply for your child’s place visit the childcarechoices.gov.uk website to check eligibility.
2 year old children – Non working parents / low income families. (Households with income of less than £16,190.00 per year)
Some 2 year old children of families in England may be entitled to funded 15 hours childcare
To apply for your child’s place visit the https://eyes-par-portal.hartlepool.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/home website to check eligibility.
3 and 4 year old children – Universal entitlement
All 3 and 4 year old children are entitled to 15 hours funded childcare per week .
To apply for your child’s 3 and 4 year old universal funded nursery entitlement contact the school/nursery/childminder you are interested in your child attending. They will let you know if they are a registered provider and if so, when your child can take advantage of this entitlement.
If you do not have a provider in mind, contact the Early Years Team on 01429 523523 or email the team [email protected] where a listed of registered providers is available.
Please note that the funded nursery entitlement is not guarantee of placement with a particular provider, it is a guarantee that a funded place will be available for your child in Hartlepool. Also a funded place in a school nursery does not guarantee a place within the school.
The Local Authority will carry out checks as part of their remit to ensure that a child is not claiming more than their full entitlement.
If you have any enquiries regarding your child’s funded nursery entitlement please contact the Early Years Team on 01429 523523 or email the team [email protected]
3 and 4 year old children – Working parent entitlement
Eligible working parents in England may be entitled to an additional 15 hours of childcare per week
To apply for your child’s place visit the childcarechoices.gov.uk website to check eligibility.
How can I apply?
To apply for your child's 3 year old universal funded nursery entitlement contact the school/nursery/childminder you are interested in your child attending. They will let you know if they are a registered provider and if so, when your child can take advantage of this entitlement.
If you do not have a provider in mind, contact the Early Years Team on 01429 523523 0r email the team [email protected] where a list of registered providers is available.
Please note that the funded nursery entitlement is not a guarantee of placement with a particular provider, it is a guarantee that a funded place will be available for your child in Hartlepool. Also a funded place in a school nursery does not guarantee a place within the school
The Local Authority will carry out checks as part of their remit to ensure that a child is not claiming more than their full entitlement.
If you have any enquiries regarding your child's funded nursery entitlement please contact: Early Years Team on 01429 523523 or email the team [email protected]
This information has been provided directly by the organisation/ service provider. However, it is still always a good idea to contact them to check nothing has been change