Free Nursery (Early Education) places for all 3 and 4 year olds

From September 2008 the offer of free nursery places (early education) for all 3 and 4 year olds was extended from 12.5 hours to 15 hours per week over a maximum of 38 weeks. This may be offered flexibly in some settings.

You can download our leaflet on “Free Nursery Places for 3 and 4 year olds ” using the link below.

A guide to free nursery places (Early Education) (pdf file - 1.10MB)

The following schools and settings offer early education sessions:

Nursery Classes in schools (Local Authority run)
Nursery Schools (Local Authority run)
Day Nurseries *
Playgroups *
Children’s Centres *

*These private, voluntary or independent (PVIs) settings must be registered with Wolverhampton City Council’s Early Years, Childcare and Play Service to deliver free nursery places (early education).

Every three and four year old is entitled to a free nursery place (early education) the term after their third birthday, including those who do not hold a British citizenship.
If you would like further information and you are a:
Parent – click here
Local Authority – click here
Private, Voluntary or Independent provision – click here

Information for Parents/ Carers

If you would like your child to receive a free early education place you need to:

Register with your preferred school or setting
Agree with them what provision is to be offered and sign a contract
Provide them with a document which gives proof of their child’s date of birth, such as a birth certificate, passport or medical card
If it is a PVI setting, sign the parent declaration of attendance form given to you every term.

Remember:

From September 2008 ALL providers are expected to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements – further information about this is available by clicking here
You don’t have to have extra hours or sessions on top of the free place
You will be charged for any extra sessions you wish your child to attend
The invoice the PVI setting gives you should show clearly which sessions need to be paid for (if any)

Information for Local Authority Nursery schools and classes

What the nursery schools and classes need to do for the extended entitlement and flexibility

Have a signed parental contract in place for each child
Meet the EYFS requirements as set out in the EYFS guidance – further information about this is available by clicking here
Sign and complete a Provider Declaration of Flexibility form if you wish to claim the additional funding for flexibility
Complete the spreadsheet providing attendance details of each child
Complete headcounts within timescales provided
Have in place the correct number of qualified staff employed to work with children of different age groups

Information for Private, Voluntary and Independent Settings

What do private, voluntary and independent settings need to do to offer free early education.
Each private, voluntary and independent setting has to register with Wolverhampton’s Early Years, Childcare and Play Service. Settings also have to agree to have the following in place:

The EYFS requirements set out in the EYFS guidance book – further information about this is available by clicking here
Support available for children with special educational needs through the named Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator(SENCO)
An Equality and Diversity policy through the Equalities Named Co-ordinator(ENCO)
Procedures for keeping children safe
Procedure for dealing with complaints
The correct number of qualified staff employed to work with children of different age groups
Information about admissions and session times
Working to the Early Years’ Quality Improvement Scheme
Signed and completed Parent Declaration of Attendance for each child attending
Signed and completed Provider Declaration of Flexibility form if you wish to claim the additional funding

If as a school or PVI setting, you choose to offer the entitlement flexibly then the following applies:

Definition of flexibility

Parents are entitled to access 15 hours of free early education each week across a minimum of three days.
Parents will be able to access an entitlement over no less than 38 weeks
Parents are entitled to access the full entitlement across a maximum of 2 providers, except where the local authority deems there are exceptional circumstances
The exact offer will be dependent on local capacity, but parents cannot access free provision for standalone blocks of less than 2 hours, or for more than 10 hours in one day, or for more than 13 hours if accessing the offer over two days.
Schools and settings must complete the Definition of Flexibility form so that they can claim the uplift
Schools and settings must adhere to the terms and conditions set out in the provider handbook

For further information please contact:
Early Years, Childcare and Play Service:
Jennie Lee Centre
Lichfield Road
Wednesfield
Wolverhampton
WV11 3HT
01902 555894
Email: early.years@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Or
Wolverhampton Family Information Service:
10 King Street
Wolverhampton
01902 574242
Email: enquiries@wolvesfis.com

Parent Leaflet pdf
Being updated