Expansion of the Early Years Entitlements

DfE Regional Event in Nottingham on 23rd April 2024! Find out more here!

The early years entitlements aspects of these reforms are being phased in to allow providers time to prepare.  The key headlines around the expansion of the existing entitlements are;

• From April 2024, working parents of 2 year olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare
• From September 2024, 15 hours childcare will be extended to all children from the age of 9 months and national wraparound support begins over 2 academic years to enable schools and local areas to set up wraparound childcare provision either side of the school day, so that parents of school-age children can access childcare in their local area from 8am – 6pm, with the expectation that by September 2026, most primary schools will be able to offer their own before and after school care.
• From September 2025, introduction of 30 hours for all working parents of children from 9 months to primary school age.

Childcare Works HUB to support Providers

Childcare Works are supporting Providers to deliver the early years entitlements expansion and will be listening to what providers need, creating resources, tools and guidance in response.

These completed resources will be hosted in the HUB; a one-stop shop for all roll-out resources including good practice guidance, case studies, upcoming events and more to support providers.

Find out more at https://childcareworks.org.uk/

Checking Eligibility Codes for Working Parents of 2 Year Olds

We understand that providers will want to ensure codes for this cohort of children are verified before offering a funded place. Providers can now complete these eligibility checks themselves directly on the portal.

Please note:

• The '30 Hour' Tab has been replaced with 'Working Parent Entitlement' - all codes, including historic 30 hour codes will be stored (unless the child has left the setting)

• Any codes sent to the Early Years Team ahead of this function going live to providers, were inputted directly on the government ECS checker and won’t show on your provider portal.  If the Early Years Team checked codes for you, you will need to update your code checker and add these codes on in order for this to link with the headcount as usual.  

• There is a new column, the ‘Earliest Start Date for Working Entitlement Place’, which follows the usual rule of the term after the eligible from date or the term after they are the eligible age and will be a helpful tool.  (Please be mindful that for any codes that have an 'eligible to' date of before 1st April 2024, that these children will not be able to access an early years entitlement place in April unless the code is renewed in time,.  As per the current processes, the grace period only takes effect when you have claimed the term before for the funding, where parents gain codes early, they may expire before term starts so most providers will already be familiar with the process of ensuring codes are rechecked in time utilising the expiration dashboard).

If you have any issues with checking eligibility codes, please email earlyyears@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 

Estimate Payments for the Summer Term 2024 for Working Parents of 2 Year Olds

If you are a Nottingham City Provider who completed the form by the 3rd April deadline to receive an additional estimate payment to cover the working parents of 2 year olds during the Summer Term, this payment will be will be with you late April/early May 2024.

This payment will be 75% of what the funded hours would be for the Summer Term and payment for the actual hours of attendance for these children will be reconciled as part of Provider's normal Balance Payment on 15^th July 2024. 

As per usual procedure, if take up is less than the estimate payment Provider's may be invoiced at the end of the term.  These children will then be included in Provider's estimate payments going forward into the Autumn Term 2024, as a seamless inclusion of this expanding entitlement into our existing funding processes.