Early Years Funding

All children are entitled to receive the Nursery Grant for six terms, commencing in the term after a child’s third birthday and finishing in the term of a child’s fifth birthday. All children are eligible for a free place of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. This is a total of 570 hours over the year. These are called universal hours. The place starts from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April after your child’s third birthday.

Forest Park offers the standard free entitlement of 15 hours per week. We provide a Prep package and Prep Plus package in our Early Years setting. The Prep package covers the nursery grant sessions and the Prep Plus package is provided at an additional charge. A timetable detailing these school sessions is available upon request.

The free entitlement can be claimed at a private day nursery, preschool playgroup, nursery unit of an independent school or at an accredited childminder. The entitlement can only be claimed at a provider who is in Trafford’s Directory of Early Education Providers.

Currently, parents do not need to apply directly to Trafford Council for the Early Years Funding. To claim the free entitlement the School submits a headcount (on a day selected by Trafford) and makes a claim on behalf of the child. Parents will receive a parent/carer contract for Early Education which must be completed and returned to the School in order to receive the funding.

Just for your information, working parents may be entitled to an additional 15 hours per week. These are called extended hours. Eligibility and application details can also be found at www.trafford.gov.uk/earlyeducation

Please note that as per the terms and conditions of admission, a full term’s notice is required to withdraw your child from school. If a full term’s notice is not received, a full term’s fees in lieu of notice will be required.

If you have any queries regarding the payment of school fees please contact the School Office who can put you in touch with our Finance department.

Early Education Funding at Forest Park Preparatory School

Please find below our EY Funding Entitlement Policy and updated arrangements for accepting funded hours at Forest Park.

Universal Hours and Working Parent Entitlements

As previously communicated, for those families entitled to EEF funding, the 570 hours will be stretched over 48 weeks of the year which equates to 11.8 hours per week. 

Extended Entitlement

Some families may be entitled to an additional 570 hours of funding if they meet the eligibility criteria.  Parents must apply via www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to gain an eligibility code. The nursery cannot do this for you.

Pattern of Delivery

Forest Park’s provision model is that children must attend a minimum of three days a week up until they join Pre Prep where we encourage greater attendance to four days or full time, although this is not compulsory. This way, children get the most out of the learning and activities we offer.

These sessions can be accessed as follows:

If your child misses EEF sessions due to illness, holidays or any planned or unplanned absence, these hours will not be available at a later date.