Help with Childcare Costs

Funding and Tax-Free Childcare Information.

Government funding, and how it works at Micklefield.

2 Year Old Funding:

Your 2 year old can get free early education and childcare if you live in England and get one of the following benefits:

• Income Support.
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• Universal Credit- if you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less a year after tax.
• Tax credits and you have an income of £16,190 or less a year, before tax.
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
• Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act.
• The working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

A child can also get free early education and childcare if any of the following apply:

• They’re looked after by a local council.
• They have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
• They get Disability Living Allowance.
• They’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order.

For more details:
Visit https://admissions.eastsussex.gov.uk/enrol/website/.

If you are eligible, you will be given a code, which you must provide Micklefield with in order for the funding claim to be processed. Children with 2 year old funding can access up to 15 hours a week of funded hours, for 38 weeks of the year. This equates to up to two and a half of Micklefield’s days (5 sessions a week). 2 year old funding can be claimed from the start of the term following your child’s 2^nd birthday.

15 Hours education entitlement, for 3 and 4 year olds (EYEE):

All children aged 3 and 4 can claim up to 570 hours of funding per year, which equates to 15 hours per week, term time only.
When is my child eligible?

You do not need to apply to access the 15 hours of funding, Micklefield makes all of the funding claims at the start of each term via an online funding portal. You are required to complete a funding form, and bring in some I.D for your child. Funded sessions are reviewed at the start of each term, at which point changes can be made to the amount of hours claimed.

15 hours of funding a week equates to five 3 hour sessions. Micklefield’s funded sessions are 9am-12midday and 1-4pm, and you can tag two together for a full 9am-4pm day, (note - the lunch period 12midday-1pm is chargeable, please see our Prospectus link on the Information page). At Micklefield you can access the 15 hours of funding without incurring any additional hidden fees.

30 hours education entitlement, for 3 and 4 year olds (EYEE):

You may be able to claim up to 30 hours a week of funding per week, for 38 weeks of the year. Eligibility depends on:

• If you are working.
• How much you earn.
• Your child’s circumstances.
• Your nationality.

For more information and how to apply, visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ and scroll down to ’30 hours’. If successful, you will be given an 11 digit code, which Micklefield will need in order to claim the funding. You are then required to re-confirm your code every 3 months to ensure that you can still access the funding.
30 hours of funding per week enables your child to attend Micklefield from Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, (note - the lunch period 12midday-1pm is chargeable, please see our Prospectus link on the Information page).

2 year old funding for working families:

From April 2024 there is a new funding being introduced for 2 year olds of working families. These children will receive 15 hours per week of funding, for 38 weeks of the year, from the term following their 2nd birthday. The criteria for this, and the application process, is the same as the 30 hours of funding for 3&4 year olds, and you can apply via the https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ website.

Tax-Free Childcare:

Signing up to a tax-free childcare account is another way that you can pay your nursery fees. The government will pay £2 for every £8 that you pay. Nursery fees are paid via your online childcare account, straight into Micklefield’s bank account. You can see if you are eligible at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.