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Nursery Education Funding Scheme
Nursery Education Funding (NEF) is part of the Government's 10-year Childcare Strategy. It allows children of 3 and 4 years old to have free part-time early education places, for 12.5 hours a week, for up to 38 weeks of the year. You may also hear NEF referred to as “free places for 3 and 4 year olds”. Further information is available on:
Eligibility
All OfSTED-registered early years education providers within the Borough of Bromley.
Details
The local authority (Bromley) administers the funding, and ensures that each registered early years provider is following the guidelines as set out in the Code of Practice. It is important that you familiarise yourself with the principles as set out in the Code of Practice, and we would urge you to download a copy from the SureStart website www.surestart.gov.uk (type “free early education” into the search), or, telephone DCSF Publications: 0845 60 222 60.
Next Steps
As Bromley administers the funding, we require each provider who wishes to use the scheme to read through and sign up to a contract. Two copies of the Nursery Education Funding Agreement should be sent to you once you are registered. When you have read them, please complete, sign and return both copies as soon as possible to:
Nursery Education Funding Team, Civic Centre, Bromley, BR1 3UH. Both copies will then be signed on behalf of the Council, one copy retained for our records and the second copy returned to you to keep.
The Data Protection Commissioner has issued a “Fair Processing Notice” to all early years settings, which explains how any data collected will be used. Please note that a "Fair Processing Note for Parents" has been produced, which you must send to all existing parents and provide to all new parents. If you would like electronic copies of these, or the Parental Declaration form, please email: EarlyYearsNEF@bromley.gov.uk.
It is important that we collect accurate details of every child getting the funding. To that end, we have created a “Parental Agreement” form, which each parent who accesses a free place should sign each term (please see the link to this form).
Contact Details
Tel: Nursery Education Funding Team, 020 8461 7244 or 020 8461 7200
Tel: Families Information Service - 020 8464 0276
E-mail: earlyyearsnef@bromley.go.uk or
bromleyfamilies@bromley.gov.uk
Address:
Nursery Education Funding Team, 3rd Floor Central Library, Bromley, BR1 1EX