Free Early Education Entitlement

3 & 4 year olds

Currently all 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to up to 15 hours of free early education a week for up to 38 weeks a year. This is known as the universal entitlement. Further information is available on Surrey's Family Information Service website.

Since September 2017 the government has also increased the number of free funded hours for 3 and 4 year olds from 15 to 30 hours a week for working families who meet the eligibility criteria. This is known as the extended entitlement.

Further information on 30 hours funded provision and the eligibility criteria can be found on Surrey’s Family Information Service website.

To apply for 30 hours of free funded childcare visit the government’s Childcare Choices website.

If you are eligible for 30 hours of free funded early education you will receive an eligibility code which you should provide us with when you apply for a nursery place for your child – see Nursery Admissions section.

Ensuring your ongoing eligibility for 30 hours of free funded early education for 3 & 4 year olds

Approximately every 3 months you will need to reconfirm that you are still eligible for 30 hours of free funded early education. If you do not reconfirm your eligibility, Clarendon Nursery and the Local Authority will be told that you no longer meet the requirements for a free 30 hour nursery place for your child resulting in government funding for your child’s place being reduced to the 15 hours of universal entitlement.

Parents will be expected to notify HM Revenue and Customs of any change in circumstances that may affect their eligibility.

To reconfirm your eligibility for 30 hours of free funded early education visit the government’s Childcare Choices website.

2 year olds

Free Early Education for 2 year olds (FEET) offers eligible families 15 hours of free early education a week for 38 weeks a year.

For more information about FEET, to find out if you are eligible and to apply for FEET funding, visit Surrey County Council’s Family Information Service website.

If you are eligible you will receive a FEET application number which you should provide us with when you apply for a nursery place for your child – see Nursery Admissions section.

Prior to the offer of a nursery place being made you will be asked to provide a copy of the letter confirming your child’s FEET funding eligibility as they will not be able to access a 2 year old place without this.