Nursery Fees

EEF is a government-funded scheme designed to subsidise early education and
childcare costs for families with children aged 3-4 years (and some children between 9
months and 2-year-olds, depending on circumstances). Funding starts from the term
after a child’s birthday.

Little Edenhurst is registered with Staffordshire County Council to provide Early Years
Funded Entitlement (EYFE) hours under the following schemes:

Universal Entitlement:

• All 9 month to 4-year-olds are entitled to 570 funded hours per year, equivalent to 15
  hours per week for 38 weeks (term time). At Edenhurst this is stretched over 50 weeks
  and equates to 11.4 hours per week.

Extended Entitlement (30 Hours Funding):

• Some families may be eligible for an additional 570 hours (a total of 1140 hours per
  year), equivalent to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks. Eligibility is subject to meeting
  specific criteria. At Edenhurst this is stretched over 50 weeks and equates to 22.8 hours
  per week.
• You can apply and check your eligibility via www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. Please note
  that families must provide an eligibility code directly to the Nursery, as we cannot
  apply on your behalf.

• A child who turns 9 months, 2 years or 3 years old between 1st September and 31st December is eligible from 1st January. 
• A child who turns 9 months, 2 years or 3 years old between 1st January – 31st March is eligible from 1st April.
• A child who turns 9 months, 2 years or 3 years old between 1st April and 31st August  is eligible from 1st September.

The provision of Early Years Funded Entitlement (EYFE) includes the delivery of early years education and childcare, and we deliver this in line with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Parents/carers will be required to complete a Parental Contract for the Early Years Free Entitlement Form before they begin accessing their EYFE sessions at Little Edenhurst.  A new copy will need to be completed if your personal details or your child’s EYFE hours change. Children are required to attend their EYFE sessions prior to and at headcount for Little Edenhurst to claim EYFE funding from Staffordshire County Council for them.

This Early Years Alliance parent and carers guide explains more about the government programmes, eligibility criteria, and how families can access these services here.

Consumables

• Government funding does not cover the cost of food services. At Little Edenhurst our onsite cook prepares fresh meals for which there is a daily charge. This includes breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack and is currently charged at £4.50 per day. Parents are free to provide their own food. However, please be aware that food must adhere to Little Edenhurst’s healthy eating and allergy policy. 
• Parents/carers are required to provide nappies, wipes and milk/formula for their child.

Please note: If children attend their session without sufficient consumables (or food items that do not adhere to our policy), then these will be provided by Little Edenhurst at an additional cost to the parent/carer).

No, funded childcare is not completely free.  While it is sometimes referred to as “free childcare”, it is important to understand that the government funding scheme provides subsidised childcare for 38 weeks of the year (term time). At Edenhurst this funding is stretched over 50 weeks.

EEF funding contributes to basic childcare costs but does not cover the full cost of delivering high-quality education and care.  Additional fees help ensure we can employ specialist teaching staff, provide excellent facilities and resources, and deliver the exceptional standards you expect from Edenhurst. 

Learn more about how parents and carers can support the Early Years Alliance campaign for fair funding in early years education here. 

From 1st January 2026, the 570 hours of funding (or 1140 hours for extended entitlement) will be “stretched” across 50 weeks of the year to align with our year-round care model.

• For the universal entitlement, this equates to 11.4 funded hours per week.
• For extended entitlement, this equates to a maximum of 22.8 funded hours per week, subject to eligibility and meeting our entitlement criteria (see below).

This approach provides a consistent subsidy each week, rather than concentrating funded hours in term time.

No, to qualify for the additional 570 hours of funding at Edenhurst, families need to meet a minimum of one of the three specific criteria as outlined in our EEF Entitlement Policy:

• Have older siblings already attending Edenhurst Preparatory School.
• 9 months to 3 years: attend the nursery a minimum of 3 days
• 3 Years and over: attend the nursery on a full-time basis (5 days a week)

Children who do not meet the above criteria will still receive the current Universal Entitlement.

Families can only access funded hours during specific set times to align with our specialist teaching provision and daily schedule. These sessions are:

Universal Entitlement (9 months to 4 years old)

Day 1 – 4 Hours funded

Day 2 – 4 Hours funded 

Day 3 – 3.4 Hours funded  

Extended Entitlement (9 months to 4 years old). 

Children 3 years and older must attend nursery full time (5 days a week)

Day 1 – 8 Hours funded

Day 2 – 8 Hours funded

Day 3 – 6.8 Hours funded

This structure ensures that children can benefit from specialist teaching and activities during their funded hours.  Sessions outside of these times will be chargeable.  Our team can provide a breakdown of costs based on your chosen schedule.

No, Edenhurst Nursery is not required to provide EEF funding. As an independent school, we voluntarily participate in the scheme to support families.

Some independent schools and nurseries choose not to offer EEF at all because government funding does not cover the full cost of delivering high-quality education and care. Our decision to offer EEF reflects our commitment to families while balancing the sustainability of our high standards and facilities.

Unfortunately, missed EEF hours cannot be rescheduled or carried over. 

We recommend reviewing your family’s childcare needs for the entire year and considering how EEF funding is applied.  Our team is happy to help you understand your entitlements and provide a breakdown of costs based on your child’s schedule.