Nursery grants

About this service

Wiltshire Council provides free part-time nursery education places for all three and four year olds in Wiltshire whose parents want one. Free places can be provided by a variety of providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sector including accredited childminders.

What is Free Entitlement Funding?

Free nursery education comprises up to five 2½ hour sessions per week, up to 38 weeks of the year. Parents do not contribute towards this minimum entitlement but may be charged fees for any services or childcare that is additional to the free entitlement place.

The Early Years & Childcare Team produce an administrative guide to accompany the Sure Start document entitled ‘A Code of Practice on the Provision of free nursery education places for three and four year olds’ which the Sure Start Unit sends directly to all providers. This Code of Practice was written to come into force on 1 April 2006; Wiltshire Council is currently awaiting new statutory guidance reflecting the provisions of the Childcare Act 2006 and has been advised to continue using the existing Code of Practice in the meantime. The latest administration guide was written for 2008-09 but the processes described within this document are still relevant until further notice. To request a hard copy of the Wiltshire Administration Guide, please email earlyyears@wiltshire.gov.uk.

From September 2009, a new extended offer of free entitlement will be made available to 25% of settings which cater for the most disadvantaged three and four year olds. These settings have been identified and written to. More information please see Extension to the Free Entitlement Funding.

Payment

Providers will receive grant for eligible children in two payments each term. The payment dates and grant funding details for 2009-10 are summarised here.

Free Entitlement Payment Details for 2009-10

	Summer 2009 (Terms 5+6)	Autumn 2009 (Terms 1+2)	Spring 2010 (Terms 3+4)
Funded Dates	20 Apr – 24 July	1 Sept – 18 Dec	4 Jan – 26 March
Maximum number of funded weeks	13	14	11

Where children attend for fewer sessions a week, or providers are unable to supply the maximum number of funded weeks, the level of grant they attract will be pro-rated:

Amount of grant payable for each term (£)

No of sessions per week	11 weeks	12 weeks	13 weeks	14 weeks
1	97.13	105.96	114.79	123.62
2	194.26	211.92	229.58	247.24
3	291.39	317.88	344.37	370.86
4	388.52	423.84	459.16	494.48
5	485.65	529.80	573.95	618.10

Note - This is equivalent to £8.83 per 2.5 hour session

Providers will not be funded for provision offered outside the above dates, and parents will have to pay for sessions attended outside of these periods. (Note the half terms on the Wiltshire Schools Calendar are not funded).

Eligibility

Free Entitlement funding is currently worth £3.53 per hour for all three and four year olds in Wiltshire early years settings. Children become eligible for a free place from the start of the term after their third birthday.

Children Eligible for Free Entitlement Funding in 2009/10

To help Early Years Providers in determining which children they should be claiming for each term, they may find the following chart helpful:

Date of Birth	Summer 2009 (Terms 5+6)	Autumn 2009 (Terms 1+2)	Spring 2010 (Terms 3+4)
1.4.04 – 31.8.04	Eligible	Compulsory School Age	Compulsory School Age
1.9.04 – 31.12.04	Eligible	Eligible	Compulsory School Age
1.1.05 – 31.3.05	Eligible	Eligible	Eligible
1.4.05 – 31.8.05	Eligible	Eligible	Eligible
1.9.05 – 31.12.05	Eligible	Eligible	Eligible
1.1.06 – 31.3.06	Eligible	Eligible	Eligible
1.4.06 – 31.8.06	Too young	Eligible	Eligible
1.9.06 – 31.12.06	Too young	Too young	Eligible

It is the Early Years Provider’s responsibility to check that children are eligible for grant. There should ask to see birth certificates if they are in any doubt.

Funding is allocated on the basis of where the child is educated, rather than where they live. This means that ALL children attending should be claimed for whether they live in or outside Wiltshire.

View the Extension to the Free Entitlement Funding.

Contact Details

Email: earlyyears@wiltshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 01225 785660
Fax: 01225 785699
Postal Address:
Early Years and Childcare Service
9 Ascot Court
White Horse Business Park
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 0XA