I believe that my child is entitled to free nursery education, please can you tell more about this?
All three and four year olds are entitled to a free part time early education place. This means your child will be eligible for five, 2½ hour sessions of free education a week, for 38 weeks a year. The part time places are available in school nursery classes, state or private nursery schools, day nurseries, pre-schools and with accredited childminders who are part of a quality assured network.
Local Authorities should use the following nationally prescribed dates for determining eligibility for the free entitlement.
| A child born on or between | Will become eligible for a free place from |
|---|---|
| 1 April and 31 August | 1 September following their third birthday |
| 1 September and 31 December | 1 January following their third birthday |
| 1 January and 31 March | 1 April following their third birthday |
The Nursery Education Funding will be increasing to offer parents 15 hours of free education by 2010. The 15 hours will be flexible, offering parents the option to access 5 hours over 3 days, or 3 hours over 5 days. Please contact your local authority to see if this change is already implemented in your area.
If you would like further information on this topic, please contact the Information Service team who will be happy to help.
Email: Information Service
Tel: 020 7697 2595
Last updated: 18/08/2008