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Free Early Education

All three and four year olds are entitled up to 15 hours per week of free early education, from the term after their third birthday.

This is called Early Years Free Entitlement, and is paid for by the Government through Haringey Council.

Research shows that good quality early education helps children’s development and learning at school.

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When can my child start?

Your child can start the term after they become three years old and continue until they start in the reception class of their primary school.


For children born between	Funding starts from
1 September to 31 December	Spring term*
1 January to 31 March	Summer term*
1 April to 31 August	Autumn term*

* effective from the start date of school term in Haringey

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Which providers offer free early education?

Free early education is offered by the following types of childcare providers:

children's centres
nurseries
nursery classes in primary schools
playgroups
private nurseries
independent schools

Haringey Council intends to consult childminders during 2012/2013 to see if they too wish to offer free early education.

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How does it work?

All funding is paid directly to the early education provider. You need to think about how you want to spread the hours during the day and over a week. Early education providers follow a code of practice on the application of the 15 free hours Early Years Free Entitlement.

You can use your hours in different ways:

The free hours can be used over a minimum of 38 weeks (term time) and is equivalent to 570 hours of early education per year. Free hours can also be offered over a longer period of weeks throughout the year, for example:

570 hours over 38 weeks per year = 15 hours per week
570 hours over 48 weeks per year = 11.88 hours per week
570 hours over 50 weeks per year = 11.40 hours per week

If you use your hours over two days per week this equals:
475 hours over 38 weeks per year = 12.5 hours per week

You should be aware that not every provider can offer flexibility or guarantee a place but you should be able to find something to suit your needs within your local area.

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How can I claim my 15 free hours?

The first step is to find a provider. For a list of childcare providers who offer the free entitlement in your area you can:

download our free early education providers in Haringey leaflet (PDF, 271KB)
visit the Family Information Service Directory, select type of childcare provider, your postcode and simply click yes on free entitlement under refine search.
telephone the Family Information Service on 020 8489 1000
email childcare@haringey.gov.uk
visit a Customer Service Centre: call 020 8489 1000 for details of where your nearest centre is located or visit the Customer Services page.

The next step is to contact your preferred provider and check if they can accommodate the hours that you would like your child to attend. You need to tell them that you want to claim your Early Years Free Entitlement.

If they have a suitable place available, they will tell you when your child can start and ask you to help them complete some paperwork. If they don’t have any suitable places, they may ask if you want to be put on a waiting list. You can either wait for a place to become available or try another provider.

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Is it really free?

Yes - it is free at the point of delivery and you cannot be expected to pay for a registration fee or deposit for your child’s place.

You should not be charged in advance for your 15 hours and then refunded once the provider receives payment from the Local Authority.

You should not be charged “top up fees” - the difference between what a provider would normally charge and the funding they receive from the Local Authority to deliver the Early Years Free Entitlement.

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What if I need more than 15 hours of childcare?

You can buy extra hours from your provider. You should receive a clear invoice from your provider showing your free 15 hours and chargeable hours. Your provider may charge you for additional services, for example: lunch, snacks, trips and extra curricular activities.

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What other financial help can I get towards paying for extra childcare hours?

You may be eligible to claim tax credits. For further information you can contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on 0845 300 3900 or visit the HMRC website (external link).

You can also find general information about paying for childcare and a tax credit checker on the Daycare Trust website (external link).

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