Funding support for your family
If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old, until they start school.
The funding becomes available from the start of the following term:
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Autumn Term – starts 1 September
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Spring Term – starts 1 JanuarySummer Term – starts 1 April
You can usually get funded childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:
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in work or starting a new job
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on sick leave or annual leave
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on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on:
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your child’s age and circumstances
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your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
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your immigration status
If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds from the term after your child turns 3 until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances.
If you or your child receive some additional forms of support, you may be eligible for 15 hours early learning for 2 year olds under a separate scheme and you should speak to your local council and/or provider in the first instance. If you are eligible, you should still apply for the working parent entitlement, but you will receive 15 hours from each scheme (up to a maximum of 30 hours in total).
You can read more by clicking here.
How does funding work with Playful Penguins?
We are open all year round Tuesday - Friday from 8am to 6pm, offering flexible, high-quality childcare.
We offer funded early education for eligible children starting from 9 months old for working parents. Funding can be claimed across 47.5 weeks, which works out at 24 hours per week, or on a term-time only basis of 30 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year (limited term time only places available).
We have a minimum attendance requirement of 2 days per week, sessions last 10 hours, we do not offer half days and we do not collect children from schools.
Any hours outside of funded hours are charged at our usual hour rate.
Families are welcome to provide packed meals, or we can provide meals at a cost of £1.50 per meal. We provide Lunch and dinner base don a five week rotating menu.
For children aged 3–5 accessing funded hours, we ask for a voluntary contribution of £1.13 per funded hour. This contribution helps us to maintain the quality and flexibility of our offer. So, for example if you claim 24 hours a week the contribution is £27.12 a week.
We are committed to transparency and high-quality care, and we thank families who are able to support this.
How does funding work with Playful Penguins?
Playful Penguins is open all year round, Tuesday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm. We offer flexible, high-quality childcare in a nurturing environment.
We offer funded early education for eligible children from 9 months old, for working parents. Funding can be used in two ways:
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Stretched funding: 24 hours per week across 47.5 weeks of the year
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Term-time only funding: 30 hours per week for 38 weeks (limited spaces available for this option)
We have a minimum attendance requirement of two full days per week. Our sessions run from 8am to 6pm (10 hours per day). We do not offer half days or school pick-ups.
Fees outside funded hours
Any hours not covered by funding are charged at our standard hourly rate of £6.50 per hour.
Meals
Families are welcome to bring packed meals from home, or we can provide freshly prepared meals for £1.50 per meal. We offer lunch and dinner, following a healthy, rotating five-week menu.
Voluntary contribution for 3–5 year olds
For children aged 3 to 5 accessing funded hours, we kindly ask for a voluntary contribution of £1.13 per funded hour. This supports the quality and flexibility of the childcare we provide.
For example, if you claim 24 funded hours per week, the suggested contribution would be £27.12 per week.
While this contribution is entirely voluntary, it helps us offer enriching experiences, staffing ratios, and resources that go beyond the minimum funded offer. We are grateful to the families who are able to support this.
Want to see how it works in practice?
You can download a sample invoice for a 3-day funded place by clicking the PDF icon below.
You can view a copy of our admissions policy here: