Chesterton Playgroup
Home About Us News & Events Weekly Blog Parent Information Useful Information + LInks Contact Us
Parent Information: Funding
Calendar EYFS Pupil Premium SEND Policies Uniform Ofsted Funding

Chesterton PlaygroupFree early education for 3 - 4 year olds Early Education Fund for 3 and 4 year olds - universal entitlement (15 hours) and (30 hours).
All 3 to 4-year-olds in Oxfordshire are eligible for the universal 570 hours free early education (15 hours a week during term time). (Universal) There is no need to apply for a code.
Working parents may also be eligible for the extended 570 hours for 3 and 4-year-old children. (Extended or '30 hours') Information, eligibility criteria and links to apply can be found at Childcare Choices.

Is your child two?
If your child is two you may qualify for 15 hours of free early education. More details on our early education for two-year-olds page.

When is my child eligible?
From the term following their 3rd birthday.
Date of 3rd birthday Government-funded pre-school entitlement starts from
1 April - 31 August Term 1 - September
1 September - 31 December Term 2 - January
1 January - 31 March Term 3 - April

Is the entitlement all year?
At Chesterton Playgroup we offer these hours over the 38 funded termly weeks Eligibility for the 30 hours of free childcare
  • Information, eligibility criteria and links to apply can be found at Childcare Choices Parents need to get their code (or reconfirm eligibility) before the start of the next term ie before 31 August, 31 December and 31 March. It is recommended that parents do this by July, November and February.
  • A parents guide to accessing 30 hours childcare
  • Access Tax-free childcare and 30 hours through the Government childcare service

Free early education for eligible working families
Information about funded childcare for eligible working families from 9 months - 4 years Please note: This new offer differs from the existing 2-year-old funding for families receiving additional government support.
If you live in England, you must apply for a code to get free childcare via GOV.UK.
If you pay for childcare and want to use Tax-Free Childcare to get help with costs, you can also apply using this service.
If you are applying for free childcare and someone else already claims Tax-Free Childcare for that child, your application will be unsuccessful.

When to apply
We recommend you contact your chosen provider as early as possible to secure your place.
You can take up your free hours from the term after you meet all the eligibility criteria for the entitlement you are applying for. These terms begin on the first of January, April and September.
Apply for free childcare before the deadline, which falls the day before the new term starts. We advise applying early, six weeks ahead of the deadline. Some providers might request codes in advance; consult yours to see if this applies.

Application deadlines
When you would like to use your entitlements from
The deadline to apply for a code
1 January 31 December
1 April 31 March
1 September 31 August
If you do not apply by the deadline, you cannot take up your entitlements in that term.

How you can use your free childcare
If your child is 2 years old, you may be able to get 15 hours free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time). If your child is 3 to 4 years old, you may be able to get 30 hours free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time). The childcare stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later) What you need to apply You’ll need your details (and your partner’s, if you have one), including your:
  • National Insurance number
  • Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you’re self-employed
You’ll also need:
  • the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) of any children you’re applying for
  • the date you started or are due to start work (this can be approximate if more than three months ago)

If you're a director
You'll need to show you meet the minimum income requirements to be eligible. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will try to check this using your PAYE records. If you do not submit regular PAYE information, you may have to provide evidence to show you are working and expect to meet the minimum income requirements for the next 3 months. This could be:
  • wage slips
  • bank statements
  • a statement from your accountant
  • copies of invoices
If you're not paid regularly (for example, once a year), you may need to send other evidence to show you'll meet the minimum income requirements, such as:
  • annual wage slips
  • year-end payroll
  • a letter from your tax agent or adviser confirming your salary has been paid and taxed
You’ll need to do this the first time you apply, and every time you reconfirm your eligibility.

If you have a partner
You must include your partner in your application if you are:
  • married or in a civil partnership and live together • not married or in a civil partnership, but living together as though you are
Their employment and income will not affect your eligibility if they:
  • are or will be absent from your household for more than 6 months
  • are a prisoner
You and your partner cannot both have accounts for the same child.

If you are separated
You and your ex-partner must decide who to apply if you are jointly responsible for your child. If you cannot decide, both of you must apply separately and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will decide who gets a childcare account. What you need to know
You have to reconfirm your eligibility every three months. If you apply more than three months before the term starts, you'll have to reconfirm your account eligibility to keep your code valid.
If you have any issues with your application, please contact Childcare Choices on 0300 123 4097 (Childcare Service Helpline). The local authority does not process these applications.
You can apply through GOV.UK.
Information above is gained from the Oxfordshire county council website

Government Funded Voucher Scheme
We also accept payment of invoices through the childcare vouchers offered by the Government funded scheme. We claim these vouchers through companies such as Kiddicare. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Chesterton Playgroup            The Village Hall            Alchester Road            Chesterton            Oxfordshire            OX26 1UN
Contact Details Julia Shillito and Claire Hall 01869 360593 (Playgroup Manager Team)

General e-mail contact admin@chestertonplaygroup.org.uk