Early Education Funding

Early Education Funding is allocated to the Local Authority by the DfE (Department for Education).

Early years and childcare services at Swindon Borough Council lead on the administration of this funding.

Eligibility

Funding for Early Education is available to three and four year olds in Swindon from the term following their third birthday.

To check a child’s eligibility according to their age in the financial year 2012-2013 a table is available on the downloadable pdf below:

Eligibility table (14kb)

Key Information

All eligible three and four year olds are entitled to a maximum of 570 hours of free early education. This can be delivered in various options and it the responsibility of each provider to choose the options that most fit the needs of the parents/children.

For providers who are prepared to offer the free entitlement over more than 48 weeks of the year and 8 hours per day flexibly, the rate of pay is £3.91 per hour.

For providers who are only able to offer the free entitlement over 38 weeks of the year and for a maximum of 6 hours per day, the rate of pay is £3.75 per hour.

Summer term 2012 will be funded for a maximum of 13 weeks or 195 hours.

For term dates see the SBC website.

Funding for 2012-2013 will be based on the academic year dates in line with maintained nurseries.

The terms will be funded as follows:

Autumn 2012       14 weeks     210 hours

Spring 2013         11 weeks    165 hours

Summer 2013      13 weeks    195 hours

For provision open more than 38 weeks of the year providers may charge the parents.

Headcount dates are generally the third Thursday of each new term.

A letter has been sent to all provision advising of funding changes for 2012-2013. To see a copy of this please click on this link.

Information for parents about Funded Early Education is available on the Swindon Borough Council website.

Please telephone the Early Education Management Systems Project Officer on 01793 463127 for further details or e-mail dlstewart@swindon.gov.uk