15 and 30 hours funding

Good quality early year providers can offer funded and free early education places, also called free early learning, for children from 9 months to four years.

Eligibility for funding

Providers must:

• follow the free early education entitlements agreement - for information, contact FIS@islington.gov.uk 

• ensure parents of all children accessing free early education entitlements have completed the parent declaration form that is included in the entitlement agreement for providers.

Providers can offer:

• 15 hours per week (570 hours per year) to eligible two-year-olds of families receiving some forms of additional government support and to children of eligible working parents from the term after they turn 9 months.

• 15 hours per week (570 hours per year) to all three- and four-year-olds from the term after they turn three

• 30 hours per week (an extra 15 hours, 1,140 hours per year) to eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds. 

• from September 2025 30 hours per week (1,140 hours per year) to children from nine months to four years, from the term after they turn nine months.

Support for quality improvement and Ofsted registration and inspection is available through the early years and childcare service.   

Funding rates for providers 2025/26

Islington will be changing the number of funding weeks per term to that as outlined in the Operational Guidance for the new entitlement. The table below shows the funding weeks per term used by Islington in 2024-25 and the change in 2025-26. 

Nine months to two-year-olds 

• Group settings and childminders can receive £14.15 per child per hour.

Two-year-olds of parents receiving some form of Government support (disadvantaged)

• Group settings can receive £9.72 per child per hour, plus a £1.42p supplement for Quality and Continuity.
• Childminders can receive £11.06 per child (£9.72 plus £1.34 small setting supplement).

Two-year-olds of eligible working parents

• Group settings can receive £9.16 per child per hour, plus a £1.42p supplement for Quality and Continuity.
• Childminders can receive £11.06 per child (£9.16 plus £1.90 small setting supplement).

Three- and four-year-olds

• Group settings can receive the base rate of £6.59 per child, per hour, plus £1.66 per hour deprivation factor, plus 0.18p quality factor (qualified teacher employed in 3 and 4 year old provision).
• Childminders can receive £8.10 per child, per hour (£6.59 base rate, plus £1.51 flexibility).

Funding rates for providers 2024/25

Nine months to two-year-olds (from September 2024)

• Group settings and childminders can receive £13.33 per child per hour.

Two-year-olds of parents receiving some form of Government support (disadvantaged)

• Group settings can receive £9.24 per child per hour, plus a £1.35p supplement for Quality and Continuity.
• Childminders can receive £10.51 per child (£9.24 plus £1.27 small setting supplement).

Two-year-olds of eligible working parents

• Group settings can receive £8.71 per child per hour, plus a £1.35p supplement for Quality and Continuity.
• Childminders can receive £10.51 per child (£8.71 plus £1.80 small setting supplement).

Three- and four-year-olds

• Group settings can receive the base rate of £6.42 per child, per hour, plus £1.62p per hour deprivation factor, plus 0.17p quality factor (qualified teacher employed in 3 and 4 year old provision).
• Childminders can receive £7.70 per child, per hour (£6.42 base rate, plus £1.28 flexibility).

Working parent code validation 

Only children with a valid code can receive free childcare for working parents. Children in their grace period (a limited time where a child continues to be funded for free childcare once the eligibility expires) can continue to be funded but cannot start a provision. 

• Working parents apply for free childcare on the Government's childcare service website.
• If eligible, parents will receive a code which they will bring to their childcare provider.
• Providers must validate a code before they can offer a funded place.
• Providers must ensure parental declaration forms are completed in full for all children accessing the free early education entitlement.
• Schools and Early Years providers - including childminders - can use the Provider Portal to validate the free childcare eligibility codes.

For further information contact FEEE@islington.gov.uk.