Pricing & Funding

Welcome to our fees and funding information page. To view our downloadable fee information please click here.  This document explains our session times, discounts available and information on our voluntary consumable charges for funded hours.

Below you will see our session times and costs. These costs apply to non funded sessions,

Funded childcare is government support designed to give children access to early years education under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). While the government promotes these hours as “free childcare” the funding only covers the core costs to deliver the basic level of education and care. To ensure children benefit from additional educational experiences, meals and snacks, nappies and extra resources, we apply a voluntary charge for funded hours. The voluntary charges are listed in our fees guide here.

We understand how important it is for childcare to support family needs, which is why we “stretch” the funding across all 51 week of the year Blossom Lodge is open. This means that instead of being limited to term time, your child’s funded hours are spread evenly, helping you benefit from support throughout the year.

For children accessing 15 hours of funding, this equates to 11.18 funded hours per week, and for those eligible for 30 hours, 22.35 funded hours per week are applied across the year.

9 months to 2 years funding

Many parents will be able to apply for up to 30 hours funding for children 9 months and older.

Parents working at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national living or minimum wage, with individual incomes of less than £100,000 annually can apply. If one partner doesn’t work or if one earns over £100,000, eligibility may not apply.

Visit www.beststartinlife.gov.uk to apply. If your application is successful, you will be sent a funding code which needs to be provided to Blossom Lodge.

Alternatively, for a 2 year old child, if you are receiving benefits or if your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or has an education health and care (EHC) plan, you may qualify for 15 hours funded childcare for your 2 year old.

15 hours – 3 and 4 year olds

All parents of 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to the 15 hours funded childcare.

30 hours – 3 and 4 year olds

In addition to the universal accessible 15 hours of funded childcare for parents of 3 and 4 year olds, you might qualify for an extra 15 hours.

Parents must be employed and working a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours per week at either the national living wage or minimum wage, and their individual income should be below £100,000 annually. It is important to note that if one partner is not employed or their earnings exceed £100,000, eligibility may not apply.

Visit www.beststartinlife.gov.uk to apply. If your application is successful, you will be sent a funding code which needs to be provided to Blossom Lodge.

Funded Childcare FAQ’s

What age groups are eligible for funded childcare?

Funded childcare is accessible for children aged 9 months to 4 years, based on eligibility

How many hour of funding can my child receive?

The number of funded childcare hours your child may be eligible for depends on your circumstances and your child’s age.

From 9 months to school age:

• If you are an eligible working parent, you can access up to 30 hours of funded childcare per week

From 2 years old:

• If your family receives certain benefits, you may be entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week. This is sometimes called Disadvantaged or Supported Funding and is not available alongside working parent funding.

From 3 to 4 years old:

• All families are entitled to 15  hours per week of funded childcare, regardless of income or work status. This is known as the universal entitlement. If you are eligible as a working parent, you may also receive an additional 15 hours per week, bringing your total to 30 hours per week.

What documents are required during the application process?

To apply, a Government Gateway account is needed. If you don’t have one, you’ll be prompted to create an account during the application. Documentation such as a passport, driving license, biometric residence permit, payslips, or tax-related documents may be required for identity verification.

During the application, ensure you have your National Insurance (NI) number on hand. If you are self employed, you will need your Unique Taxpayer Reference. If you have a partner, you will be required to provide their relevant information as well.

If you already have a Government Gateway account, you will need your national insurance number, and the working hours and income for you and your partner to hand.

How long does the application process usually take?

The application typically takes around 20 minutes, with decisions ranging from instant approval to a maximum of 7 working days.

Is there a deadline for submitting a childcare funding application?

You can apply for childcare funding once your child reaches the eligible age or anytime after that. The earliest you can apply is:

• For 15 hours funded childcare: in the term before your child turns 9 months old
• For 30 hours funded childcare: when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old

I have my funding code, what do I do now?

Upon approval of your application, you will need to send the code to the nursery.

How often does my code renew?

Parents will be asked by HMRC to confirm their details are up to date every 3 months or their code will expire.

What happens if my employment of financial situation changes after receiving childcare funding?

Parents will be asked by HMRC to confirm their details are up to date every 3 months or their code will expire. If your circumstances have changed, you should inform HMRC.

Do you accept tax free childcare?

Yes, tax-free childcare (TFC) is accepted. Eligible working parents earning less than £100,000 annually can apply at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk and can claim funded hours alongside tax-free childcare.

What is a consumable charge?

Government childcare funding is designed to provide your child with exceptional early years education and care. Our dedicated team take great pride in offering outstanding care in this area. However, the funding does not cover additional consumables such as additional educational experiences, meal and snacks, nappies and extra resources, and more. To support the provision of these essential items and experiences, a voluntary consumable charge is requested for funded sessions. Please note that once a voluntary consumable contribution for the current term has been agreed and been paid, no refunds will be applied. Non-funded sessions are charged at our session rate inclusive of all consumables. Parents will be required to confirm their position on the consumable charges per term.

Who does a consumable charge apply to?

A voluntary consumable charge is requested for all funded sessions. If your child is in receipt of disadvantaged funding, the consumable charge will not apply.