Funding
Navigating nursery funding can feel a bit like trying to solve a puzzle, with lots of terms, dates, and conditions that don’t always make sense. At Rainbow Montessori, we completely understand how confusing it can be for families trying to plan ahead.
You can visit Help paying for childcare and early years education | North Somerset Council for official information and updates from the local authority.
The Basics: What Is Early Years Funding?
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The Government offers funded childcare to help families access early education and support parents returning to work. Depending on your child’s age and your circumstances, you may be entitled to 15 or 30 hours of funded childcare per week.
What the Nursery Funding Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
It’s really important to understand that funding only covers the childcare hours themselves, not the full cost of attending nursery.
The Government provides a fixed amount per hour, which doesn’t cover the actual cost of delivering high-quality childcare.
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So while your child’s “funded hours” are free at the point of use, there are additional costs outside the EYFS for things like:
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healthy snacks
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festival activities
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cooking and seasonal meals/celebrations
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higher staff to child ratio
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trips or special activities
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extra sessions or hours outside of the funded allocation
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Forest Rangers
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specialist music teacher
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consumables
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qualified Montessori teachers
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qualified early years teachers
We’re always transparent about how our quality works, and we’ll go through your nursery funding details together before your child starts so you know exactly what’s included.
We have three contracts that parents can choose from.
Contract 1: pay full fees
Contract 2: use funded hours and agree to pay quality supplement and sustainability charges
Contract 3: funded hours only contract - speak to manager before requesting
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Please see our enquiry pack for further details.
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​Applying for Funding and Why Timing Matters
This is one of the trickiest parts! To access your nursery funding, you need to apply for an eligibility code through Childcare & Early Years Education | Best Start in Life
Once you have your code, you must give it to the nursery before the start of term so that we can verify and apply your funding. We’ll also ask you to complete a short permission form allowing us to verify your code, please return this to us as soon as possible.
Reconfirming Your Eligibility
Once you’ve received your funding code, it’s important to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. It is your responsibility to do this so that we can continue to apply the funding to your account.
If you forget or do it too late, your code may expire, or if it falls into its “grace period,” before the start of the term it means your funded hours can’t be used until the following term.
You’ll usually get reminder emails from HMRC, but it’s a good idea to set your own reminders too. We’ll also do our best to prompt you, as your nursery can only apply the funding once your code is valid and verified.
A Final Word
We know the nursery funding system can feel unnecessarily complicated, both for parents and for nurseries trying to manage it. The good news is that once you’re set up, things do run more smoothly, and we’re here to support you through every step.
At Poppies, we believe every family deserves clear information, flexible childcare, and a nursery that truly cares. So if you’re unsure about anything, or just want to check your eligibility, please chat to us. We’ll help you work out what’s best for your family.
Visit Childcare & Early Years Education | Best Start in Life for the latest updates.