Funded Childcare at St Edmund's
Good news — free childcare hours may be available for your child! Read on to find out what you could be entitled to.
Working Families — Children from 9 Months to 3 Years
If you are working and have a child aged 9 months to 3 years, you may be entitled to 15 free hours of childcare per week over 38 weeks a year. This goes up to 30 free hours once your child turns three, right up until they start school.
Step 1 — Check if you qualify on the GOV.UK website
Step 2 — Apply for your 11-digit eligibility code on GOV.UK
Important things to remember:
Your eligibility code must be valid by the end of the month before a new term starts. You will need to renew your code every three months via HMRC — they will send you a reminder.
When do the hours start?
| Child's birthday | Hours available from | Apply between |
|---|---|---|
| 1 December – 31 March | 1 January | 15 October – 30 November |
| 1 April – 30 June | 1 April | 15 January – 28 February |
| 1 July – 30 November | 1 September | 15 June – 31 July |
Terrific Twos — Free Places for Two Year Olds
Your two year old may be entitled to 15 free hours per week over 38 weeks a year if you receive any of the following:
Universal Credit (household income £15,400 or less after tax, not including benefits), Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit (household income £16,190 or less before tax), or Working Tax Credit 4-week run on.
A place may also be available if your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, receives Disability Living Allowance, is looked after by the local authority, or has left care through adoption, special guardianship or a child arrangement order.
Families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) may also qualify if your yearly household income is no more than £26,500 (one child) or £30,600 (two or more children), both parents have NRPF, and you have no more than £16,000 in savings.
Not sure how to use the checker? Click here for help.
When do the hours start?
| Child's birthday | Hours available from | Apply between |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September – 31 December | 1 January | 15 October – 30 November |
| 1 January – 31 March | 1 April | 15 January – 28 February |
| 1 April – 31 August | 1 September | 15 June – 31 July |
Three and Four Year Olds — Free Hours for Every Child
Every child aged three to four is entitled to 15 free hours per week over 38 weeks a year — no matter how much you earn or how many hours you work!
Your child can start their free place from the beginning of the term after their third birthday.
You don't need to apply for funding. Simply pop in and complete a waiting list form and we'll take it from there!