How can I take the funded hours?
Hours can be taken at more than one setting as per examples below:
- 30 hours per week all at one term time setting
- 23 hours per week all at one setting up to 50 weeks per year (number of hours will vary depending on number of weeks selected)
- 23 hours per week with 23 hours taken at a term time setting and 23 hours per week taken at a 50 week setting during holidays and in service days
Please note there is no entitlement to transport for children attending ELC.
Term time
Term time hours equate to 30 hours per week.
Some settings only offer funded hours at the same times as the school is open. This means that there is no funded places over in-service days or during school holidays.
If that does not meet your needs, many other settings offer hour over 50 weeks per year. There are no funded places over two weeks at Christmas.
Up to 50 weeks
It is possible to take funded hours up to 50 weeks per year. This would equate to 23 hours each week.
Parents may not need funded places for the whole 50 weeks, so it is possible to take the hours over the weeks you need to. As an example, ELC may not be required during the times below:
- during the October holidays
- one week of Easter
- two weeks in the summer
In this case, the 1140 hours should be divided by the remaining weeks:
- total weeks available is 50, minus the four detailed above, means you will access funding over 46 weeks. 1140 divided by 46 weeks equals 25 hours of funding per week.