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SPRING 2026

1 January to 31 March 2026
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Estimates

The opportunity to submit an Estimate has now closed


Actuals

The final deadline is 13 March 2026 to submit claims


Eligibility and Age Range

under 2 year olds

1 January 2024 to 31 March 2025
2 year olds

1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
3 and 4 year olds

1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022
  • Children must meet the national criteria to be eligible to receive a funded place
  • Families planning to claim the working parent entitlement, must have a valid code on or by 31 December 2025 for this claim period

Documentation

Claim period documentation can be downloaded via the links in the Finance Newsletter or Early years funding webpage.

To help determine with Part 3 to issue, please refer to the Cycle of Eligibility Chart.

Recommended Hours
The Local Authority will recommend a maximum number of hours that can be claimed for a child. This recommendation will depend on the child's date of birth (cycle of eligibility) and whether the entitlement is taken term time only or is stretched.

The actual number of hours to claim will be based on the child's pattern of attendance.

Where a family choose to take less hours or the pattern of attendance is less than the recommendation, it is possible within the same cycle of eligibility to claim the unused hours later provided –
  • the national criteria is met
  • where applicable a 30-hour eligibility code is valid
  • it has not been necessary to pro rata the entitlement
Claims will be adjusted by the Local Authority where the national criteria is not followed. This includes where a claim exceeds the maximum weekly and/or annual hours.

Please remember that where families decide to access the entitlement with two or more providers, the national criteria must be met too

TERM TIME OFFER

The following table indicates the maximum hours recommended for a Term Time offer -

Up to 15 funded hours

Claim FormSum-25Aut-25Spr-26Sum-26Aut-26
Part 3a
219 hours 162 hours 189 hours
Part 3b

 162 hours 192 hours216 hours
Part 3c189 hours219 hours 162 hours 

 Up to 30 funded hours

4th claim under 2's (Part 3b) =  324 hours 

Claim FormSum-25Aut-25Spr-26Sum-26Aut-26
Part 3a
438 hours 324 hours 378 hours
Part 3b

 324 hours 384 hours432 hours
Part 3c378 hours438 hours 324 hours 

STRETCHED OFFER (ALL YEAR ROUND).

To calculate the maximum hours available for a Stretched offer -
  1. Divide 1140 or 570 by the total number of weeks funding is offered in a year [A]
  2. Multiply [A] with the number of weeks funding is offered this claim period

[IMPORTANT] Please remember to use the Cycle of Eligibility Chart to determine which Part 3 to issue.


Early Years Payments
Providers will receive Early Education payments on or by 7th of each month and will be based on -
Estimates
  • January - 34%*
Actuals
  • February - 34%
  • March - Balance
* option to opt out and receive 80%

Successful SEN funding awards will be paid from w/c 10 February 2026

New and Amendments to bank or contact details
Please ensure a Provider Funding Update Form is completed to confirm
  • new/amendments to bank details
  • contact details

NEO for families

Support your families to create a NEO account to complete eligibility checks for children aged 2 and in receipt of additional support (FRAS)

NEO for families