Pre-School
On this page:
What is the pre-school provision?
What advantage is there in accessing the pre-school provision?
When will your child qualify for the pre-school entitlement?
Where can I access the provision and find providers in my area?
What standards must the provider meet?
How do I choose a provider to suit my child?
Can my child attend more than one provider?
What if you require more than 15 hours per week childcare, is there any other additional help with costs?
Can moving affect my entitlement?
Further sources of information
What is the pre-school provision?
The free pre-school provision can be accessed by all 3-4 year olds for 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.
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What advantage is there in accessing the pre-school provision?
As well as being free, your child will follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which focuses on the needs of children from 0 to 5 years old. They will learn and play with other children in a safe, structured environment that will help your child’s development, giving them a head start when they begin school. Free early learning gives children the best start in life.
For the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum click here.
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When will your child qualify for the pre-school entitlement?
| If your child is born between: | They are eligible for a free place from: |
| 1 April and 31 August | 1 September following their third birthday or the beginning of the autumn* school term |
| 1 September and 31 December | 1 January following their third birthday or the beginning of the spring* school term |
| 1 January and 31 March | 1 April following their third birthday or the beginning of the summer* school term |
* Based on a three-term school year
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Where can I access the provision and find providers in my area?
The following providers are typically included in the scheme:
- Pre-schools
- Day nurseries
- Independent schools
- Playgroups
- Children’s Centres
- Accredited childminders*
*Childminders must have undertaken additional training. For information, advice and assistance on registered providers in your area contact your local Family Information Service (FIS), or visit www.familyinformationservices.org.uk.
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What standards must the provider meet?
All the settings that are eligible to provide the pre-school entitlement must: be included in the Local Authority’s Directory of Providers; assist children in progressing towards the ‘early learning goals’ outlined in the EYFS and be regularly inspected by Ofsted. To review a setting’s Ofsted report go to www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report.
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How do I choose a provider to suit my child?
General advice when choosing any form of childcare for your child is to visit the setting with your child whilst there are other children there. It is also a good idea to talk to other parents and find out their opinions and reasons for choosing their childcare provider were.
There are a number of websites that you can visit that offer guidance on the sort of questions to ask and things to look out for when choosing a provision such as:
- www.askwiltshire.org/info-centre/childcare/choosing-a-pre-school-or-nursery/
- www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Childcare/DG_180946
- www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/information-for-parents-and-carers-using-childcare-services
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Can my child attend more than one provider?
Yes, you can access the provision through more than one provider as long as they meet the criteria above.
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What if you require more than 15 hours per week childcare, is there any other additional help with costs?
There are potentially other funding streams that you can access to assist in paying for hours in addition to the 15 free hours that you are entitled to, these include:
- The childcare element of Working Tax Credits
- Childcare vouchers
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Can moving affect my entitlement?
This is dependent on when you move. The provider can draw down the funding for your child if they are present in the setting during the appropriate ‘headcount’ week, these happen three times per year. If you move after a ‘headcount’ week and put your child into a new setting then they will not be able to draw down additional provision for your child. This, generally, isn’t a problem, and you can still access the provision for free, however if the setting has to employ an additional member of staff to accommodate your child then you will not be eligible until the next funding period.
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Further sources of information
- www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/early/b0077836/introduction
- www.direct.gov.uk
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