30 Hours of Funded Childcare at Aclet Close Nursery School
From September 2017, the Government have offered 30 hours of funded childcare per week for parents of 3 and 4 year olds in England, to help them continue or take up employment. This was later extended via a phased rollout to include children of eligible working parents from 9 months old. The full entitlement has been in place since September 2025 and, if eligible, funding can start from the term after the child turns 9 months.
Guidance for the Department for Education states that parents will need to meet the following criteria to be eligible:
Your Income
Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:
- £2,643.68 before tax if you’re aged 21 or over (equivalent to £203.36 per week)
- £2,256.80 before tax if you’re aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to £173.60 per week)
- £1,664 before tax if you’re under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to £128 per week)
This is equivalent to the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average.
You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:
- you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
- you’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months
If you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago, you can earn less and still be eligible for 30 hours free childcare.
Who will not qualify?
- Either parent has an income of more than £100,000 per year
- Either parent is a non-EEA national and subject to immigration control (and has no recourse to public funds)
What happens if a parent loses eligibility?
- They will receive a ‘grace period’ – this means they will be able to keep their childcare for a short period
- Once the grace period has lapsed, the parent may be entitled to the universal 15 hours if the child is 3 or 4 years old
Check Your Eligibility
More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare
You can check whether you are eligible on the 30 hours of funded childcare eligibility checker https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk We also have instructions to help you – please ask at the office.
If you are eligible, you will be given an 11 digit code. You will need to share this with us (along with your National Insurance Number and your child’s date of birth); we will then be able to offer you a place. You will need to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months.
Funding Periods
Summer Funding (1st April to 31st August) Parents/Carers should apply between 15th January and 28th February
Autumn Funding (1st September – 31st December) Parents/Carers should apply between 15th June and 31st July
Spring Funding (1st January to 31st March) Parents/Carers should apply between 15th October and 30th November
At Aclet Close Nursery School we offer 2 different attendance options (4.5 days or 5 days) for parents/carers; please speak to Miss Lambton in our school office for more information.
