3 and 4 Year Old - Universal funding
How does it work?
Every 3 and 4 year old child is entitled to 570 hours of universal funded early education per academic year. This is equates to 15 hours of funding per week over the academic year (38 weeks). However, the funding offers complete flexibility, allowing you to access the 570 hours over anything from 38 to 52 weeks. Different providers offer different options on how funded hours are distributed throughout the year. You do not have to take up the full entitlement of funded hours. You can split your funded offer between a maximum of two providers in one day.
Further details on looking for childcare.
Important to know
Children become eligible for the 3 and 4 year old universal funding from the term following their 3rd birthday.
How to apply
Great news! You do not need to apply for the 15 hours universal funding as it is available to all children from the term after they turn 3 years old. Your chosen nursery, pre-school, or childminder will handle the necessary arrangements for you. You will need to provide proof of your child's age to your chosen provider.
Maximizing flexibility and choice
You have the freedom to use your child's 15 hours with up to 3 childcare providers (with a maximum of 2 providers on the same day). This enables you to mix and match providers based on your preferences, ensuring the best fit for your family's needs.
When is your child eligible?
| When your child turns 3 years old | When your child can start using 15 hours |
|---|---|
| Between 1 January and 31 March | 1 April (Summer Term) |
| Between 1 April and 31 August | 1 September (Autumn Term) |
| Between 1 September and 31 December | 1 January (Spring Term) |
Charges
Early years settings who accept funding should publish their admissions policy regarding their funded hours offer and optional additional charges, on their website. Bromley Council also publishes these charges on the Bromley Council website. Optional additional charges are not mandatory, parents should be given an alternative option if they do not wish to pay these charges.
Moving between settings
In Bromley we ensure that funding follows the child. Therefore, if you decide to change early years settings, the setting that you are leaving must stop claiming funding for your child on their last day of attendance. This ensures that your funded hours are available for your new setting to use. We do always recommend that you give the setting as much notice as you can when intending to leave. Please also remember that any contracts/notice periods signed for private hours or consumables must be honoured.
Deferred Entry
The usual time for children to start in a reception class in a primary school is in the September after their fourth birthday. Parents/carers can defer the date their child is admitted to school but not beyond the point at which they reach compulsory school age (the term following the child’s fifth birthday).
- Parents/carers should apply for a Reception school place in the Autumn Term of the academic year in which their child turns 4 years.
- In the April of that academic year, they will be allocated a school place.
- Parents/carers should then discuss with the school if they wish to defer entry to the following year.
- The school should provide a letter confirming that they have agreed to the deferment and will not be claiming funding for the child.
- The parent must officially decline the school place.
- The early years setting can then make a formal request in to the Early Years Funding Team to claim funding for the school age child until the term in which they turn 5 years.
- The school’s letter should be sent into the Funding Team.
- The Funding Team will then confirm whether the early years setting is able to claim the funding for the child.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Bromley Early Years on 020 8466 3088 or email eychildcare@bromley.gov.uk.
