Funded Places

At Mickley we offer places for 2, 3 and 4 year olds who are entitled to free childcare funding from the Government. As a School Nursery setting we are open 38 weeks of the year.

15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England can get 570 free hours per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.

Some 3 to 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a week. Check if you’re eligible and find out how to apply.

The free early education and childcare:

  • must be with an approved childcare provider
  • stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later)

You can get it from the term after your child’s 3rd birthday, starting on 1 January, 1 April or 1 September.

You may have to pay for extra costs such as:

  • meals
  • nappies
  • additional hours
  • additional activities, such as trips

Ask your provider what extra costs you will have to pay for.

Contact your childcare provider or local council to find out more.

Who can get free childcare:

To be eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents, you (and your partner, if you have one) need to both:

  • be in work or about to start a new job
  • earn over a certain amount

You’ll need a National Insurance number to apply.

You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.

When to apply:

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply:

To apply, you’ll need to set up a childcare account.

If your application is approved, you’ll get an 11-digit code that proves you’re eligible to get free childcare. You’ll need to give this code to your childcare provider.

If you already get Free Childcare for Working Parents, you can sign in to your childcare account.

Confirm your details are correct:

To keep getting Free Childcare for Working Parents, you must confirm your details are up to date by signing in to your childcare account every 3 months.

Other help you may be able to get:

As well as getting Free Childcare for Working Parents, you may be able to get either:

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will check if you’re eligible for Tax-Free Childcare when you apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents.

You cannot get both Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare at the same time.