15 and 30 hours funding

Good quality early year providers can offer funded places for children from 9 months until they start reception, around 4 or 5 years old.

Eligibility for funding

Providers must:

• follow the free early education and childcare entitlements agreement - email fis@islington.gov.uk for more information

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

You can claim free entitlements for:

• children eligible for Early Learning for 2 year olds (15 hours)
• all children aged 3 and 4 years old (15 hours)
• children aged 9 months to 4 years old of eligible working parents and carers (30 hours - for children aged 2 to 4 years, this can be combined with either of the other entitlements to a maximum of 30 hours)

Email us at eyadmin@islington.gov.uk for support with quality improvement and Ofsted registration and inspection.

Funding rates for providers from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

Funding covers 38 weeks per year, split up over 3 terms:

• Summer term: 13
• Autumn term: 14
• Spring term: 11

Nine months to two year olds

Group settings and childminders can receive £14.84 per hour for each child.

Early learning for two year olds of parents getting additional government support

Group settings can receive a base rate of £10.16 per hour for each child and a £1.48 supplement for 'quality and continuity'. 

Eligibility for the 'quality and continuity' supplement is in the provider agreement and includes employing a graduate with a full and relevant early years qualification at level 6 or above to lead practice for two year olds (non-domestic settings only) and providing evidence of the qualification.

Childminders can receive a total of £11.57 per hour for each child. This is a £10.16 base rate and a £1.41 'flexibility supplement'.

Two year olds of eligible working parents

Group settings can receive a base rate of £9.58 per hour for each child and a £1.48 supplement for 'quality and continuity'.

Childminders can receive a total of £11.57 per hour for each child. This is a £9.58 base rate and a £1.99 'flexibility supplement'.

Three and four year olds

Group settings can receive:

• a base rate of £6.67 per hour for each child
• a £1.68 per hour 'deprivation factor'
• a £0.18 quality factor (if there is a qualified teacher employed in 3 and 4 year old provision).

'Deprivation factor' funding is allocated based only on a child’s eligibility for the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) to make sure that extra support is for those most in need.

Childminders can receive £8.20 per hour for each child. This is a £6.67 base rate, plus £1.53 flexibility.

Early Years Pupil Premium

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is paid to providers for eligible children at £1.15 per hour to a maximum of £655.50. 

EYPP is only payable for the first 15 hours used by children taking up one or more entitlements and is not payable on any additional hours.

Disability Access Fund

Disability Access Fund (DAF) is paid to providers for eligible children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance at £975 per child per year. 

Working parent codes

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.

Providers should tell parents to visit the Best Start in Life website [external link] for information on funded entitlements and support with childcare costs.

Where parents apply

Parents entitled to free early learning for 2 year olds apply on our free early learning and childcare for 2 year olds page

Working parents apply for free childcare on the government childcare service website.

Validating and applying a code

• If eligible, parents will receive a code that they should bring to their childcare provider.
• Providers must validate a code before they can offer a funded place.
• Providers must ensure parents have completed parental declaration forms in full for all children accessing the free early education and childcare entitlements.
• Schools and Early Years providers, including childminders, can use the Provider Portal to validate the free childcare eligibility codes.

Contact us for more information

For more information, email feee@islington.gov.uk.