Best Start in Life
The Best Start in Life website gives information about government schemes to help parents with the cost of childcare, e.g.
- Tax Free Childcare
- Funded places for 9 months, 2, 3 & 4 Year olds
- Tax credits
- Universal credits
Funded places
- Eligible two-year-olds, and all children from the term following their third birthday, are entitled to up to 570 hours of funded childcare per year.
- In addition, working parents who meet the eligibility criteria may receive a further 570 hours of funded childcare per year from the term after their child turns 9 months old.
- All funded places are subject to Government and Local Authority terms and conditions. Our team will be happy to support you with the application process.
- Funded childcare is stretched over the year (51 weeks) at 15 or 30 hours per week, subject to eligibility and session availability.
Stretched funding entitlement
15 hours funding
15 hours per week x 38 weeks = 570 per year
For parents of 2-year-olds receiving some additional forms of support
We will stretch your 15 hours funding over the 51 weeks that we operate, providing 11.17 hours per week.
11.17 hours per week x 51 weeks = 570 per year
15 hours funding:
9:15am-2:50pm (x5 hours 35 mins per day) x 2 days per week
30 hours funding
30 hours per week x 38 weeks = 1140 per year
For working families of children aged 9 months+ from September 2025
For working families of children aged 3 and 4 years of age
We will stretch your 30 hours funding over the 51 weeks that we operate, providing 22.35 hours per week.
22.35 hours per week X 51 weeks = 1140 hours per year
9:15am- 2:50pm (x5 hours 35 mins per day) X 4 days per week
What does the funding NOT cover?
The government funding isn’t meant to cover the costs of the enhanced provision we provide, so like most nurseries, we will ask you to contribute £10 per day towards them. But when you see what you’re paying for, we think you’ll understand.
- Essentials and more
- Hot meals, snacks and drinks
- Toiletries including baby wipes, Calpol & suncream
- Special religious celebrations such as Easter, Eid, Diwali, Christmas including gifts to take home
- Family events including open days and summer picnics
- Intergenerational day events such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations including gifts for parents/carers
- Graduation ceremonies and learning packages for our children heading to ‘big school’
- State-of-the-art Sensory room to aid cognitive development, fine motor skills, creativity, imagination and self-regulation.
- Trips into the local community
- Visits to our sister play centre
- Movers and shakers
- Singing and signing
- Bedding- including the laundry of your child’s bedding
- Nappy waste disposal
- Arts and crafts supplies not including paint, paper and glue.
Essentials and more voluntary charge
Where children access funded places, we ask parents to consider the following voluntary additional services to enhance their child’s nursery experience and support the financial sustainability of the setting. We ask for a £10 contribution payment per funded session.
