Parent information
Helpful information to help you make a choice
It’s time for your little one to begin their journey in the world. Being in nursery will help to prepare them for school, gain confidence, and develop their social skills. At Tommies your child will take part in lots of fun activities – including messy play that some parents would much rather took place outside their home!
Nursery Entitlement Funding
It can be a bit of a financial shock when your child reaches the age that you need to explore childcare or nursery options.
Thankfully, there are funding options that can help you.
What is NEF?
NEF (Nursery Entitlement Funding) is a government scheme which allows Tommies to offer funded nursery places during school term time.
How much funded childcare does NEF provide?
There are currently 3 NEF models:
Eligibility criteria for 2-year-olds can vary depending on which Local Authority your child’s nursery is situated in.
Please follow the links below to check your Local Authority’s eligibility criteria:
Eligibility criteria for 3 & 4-year-olds
(15 hours)
No additional criteria are required for any 3 or 4-year-old to be eligible to receive the 15 hours NEF.
Eligibility criteria for 3 & 4-Year-olds
(30 hours)
Please visit the Childcare Choices website to see if you’re eligible to claim for 30 hours NEF.
As a parent or carer you can claim up to a maximum of 15 or 30 hours per week over three academic terms (Spring, Summer and Autumn).
The total number of weeks over the three academic terms is 38.
How to access NEF
Tommies Childcare currently offers two methods to claim.
- You can access 15-hours per week NEF-only sessions (subject to availability) during term time.
- Alternatively, you can ‘annualise’ your NEF funding over the whole year. 30-hours per week sessions can only be claimed using the annualised method.
Please contact us for more information.
When does a child become eligible for NEF?
Children are eligible for NEF from the first term after the date they turn 2 or 3-years-old, to the last term before they attend school.
So:
- A child born on or before 1 April and 31 August can access funded places from the beginning of the Autumn term.
- A child born on or before 1 September and 31 December can access funded places from the beginning of the Spring term.
- A child born on or before 1 January and 31 March can access funded places from the beginning of the Summer term.
How to apply for NEF
If you’d like to apply for 15 hours NEF for a 2, 3, or 4-year-old, you apply through your child’s nursery when registering your child’s place.
If you would like to apply for 30 hours NEF for a 3 or 4-year-old, you’ll need to apply through the Childcare Support Service. If your application is successful, you’ll be provided with a unique 11-digit code which must be shared with your child’s nursery so that it can be verified by the Local Authority. More information can be found at Childcare Choices.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
Tommies Childcare can claim additional funding for children through the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP).
The EYPP was introduced in 2015 to support children’s development, learning, and care. If you have older children, you may be familiar with the pupil premiums which are available for school-age children.
The EYPP entitles our nurseries to an additional 53p per hour of childcare for 3 and 4-year-old children whose parents are in receipt of benefits, or if the child was previously in Local Authority care but left because they were adopted, subject to a Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order. You must also be in receipt of Nursery Entitlement Funding to claim for the EYPP.
Our nurseries can receive up to £302 per year, per child that takes up Nursery Entitlement Funding. This additional money can be put towards developing your child’s nursery. For example, the money can be used for additional staff training, new nursery equipment, or maintenance which will allow your child’s nursery to improve the quality of the early years’ education provided.
If you’d like any more information on funding please do ask us as we’ve been doing this for a long time and would be happy to help.
Contact Us
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Give us a call or drop us an email and a member of our friendly team will be in touch as soon as possible.
PHONE
HEAD OFFICE
Tommies Childcare
Parkville Highway
Coventry
CV6 4HZ
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