Fnding & Costs | Prime Time Group

Government Funded Childcare (EEE)

At Prime Time Nurseries, we are proud to support families by offering government funded Early Education Entitlement (EEE) places for eligible children aged 9 months to 4 years.

The funded entitlement provides free early years education at the point of delivery, meaning parents and carers will not be charged for the funded hours their child is entitled to receive.

All children accessing funded hours receive the same high-quality care, learning experiences and nurturing environment that we provide to every child at Prime Time. Our aim is to create a warm, safe and stimulating setting where children can learn, play and thrive.

Prime Time Nurseries does not require parents to purchase additional hours, meals, snacks or services as a condition of accessing a funded place.

For more information about eligibility and to apply for childcare funding, please visit:
https://beststartinlife.gov.uk

Funding Types

15 Hours Disadvantage Funding

15 Hours Funding for 2-Year-Olds (Eligible Families)
Some 2-year-olds can access 15 hours of funded childcare per week term time up to a maximum of 38 weeks per year, if their family meets certain eligibility criteria. This may include families receiving specific benefits, those on a low income, or children with additional needs. This funding helps give children an early start in their learning journey and supports school readiness.

15 Hours 3&4 years funding

Universal 15 Hours Funding (Ages 3–4)
All children aged 3 and 4 are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week (up to 570 hours per year). This funding is available regardless of your family’s income, employment status, or background. It’s designed to support your child’s early learning and development in a structured, nurturing environment.

30 hours Working funding

30 Hours Funding (Working Families)
Eligible working parents of children aged 9 months - 4 years where they may receive up to 30 hours of funded childcare, (up to 1,140 hours per year). To qualify, both parents (or a single parent in a single-parent household) must be working and earning within a set income threshold. This support helps families balance work and childcare costs more effectively.

Additional Funding

EYPP Funding

The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is extra funding provided by the government to support children who may need additional help with their learning and development. This funding is paid directly to the nursery and is used to enhance your child’s experience through things like additional resources, staff training, and targeted support.

Who is eligible?
Your child may be eligible if they are accessing funded childcare and your family receives certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Income Support. Children may also qualify if they are in care or have been adopted from care.

Our nursery will check eligibility on your behalf and will always let you know if your child qualifies, ensuring they receive any additional support available to them.

DAF Funding

Disability Access Fund (DAF)
The Disability Access Fund (DAF) is extra funding to help children with disabilities get the most out of their early years education. It is paid directly to the nursery and can be used to make adjustments such as buying specialist equipment or providing extra staff training.

Key Details:

Who qualifies: Children aged 9 months to 4 years who receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and attend a funded early years setting. Children already in reception at primary school are not eligible.
How it works: The nursery will check which children are eligible, but parents need to provide evidence of their child’s DLA to their chosen setting.

This funding helps us ensure every child can fully participate in learning and nursery activities, tailored to their individual needs.

Tax Free Childcare Funding

Tax-Free Childcare
Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme that helps families with the cost of childcare.

How it works:

You set up a special childcare account. You pay money in, and the government adds extra on top.
For every £8 you put in, the government adds £2.
You can get up to £2,000 per year per child, or up to £4,000 per year if your child is disabled.

Who can use it:

You usually need to be working or returning to work.
Your child must be 11 or under (16 if they are disabled).

This makes it easier to manage childcare costs while ensuring your child gets the care and early education they need.

Optional Extras & Additional Costs

We are proud to offer fully funded early education places, and we want to be very clear: your child’s funded hours are, and always will be, completely free at the point of delivery. Accessing your funded entitlement is never dependent on paying for any additional services.

Alongside this, we do offer a range of optional extras that families can choose to add to their child’s plan for added flexibility and convenience.

Extra options

Additional sessions

Additional Sessions
If you require more hours than your funded entitlement, extra sessions can be booked to suit your schedule. These are entirely optional and can be arranged around your family’s needs.

Snacks

Snacks
Healthy snacks are available to purchase for your child throughout the day. These vary for fresh fruit and vegetables to natural yogurt You are also welcome to provide your own healthy snack with no cost to you if you prefer.

Meals

Meals
We offer nutritious meals, part of the healthy eating program Startwell, these can be purchased as part of your child’s day (This is optional), for those families who may wish to provide their own cold meals these must be nutritious we have designs a handy guide to support parents.

All prices for additional sessions, snacks, and meals will be clearly explained during your nursery viewing, sign up and when completing the nursery agreement and contract, so you can make informed choices with no surprises.

We are committed to ensuring that any additional charges are set at a fair and reasonable rate, in keeping with the spirit of the free early years funding entitlement.

Most importantly, choosing not to purchase any optional extras will never affect your child’s funded place or the quality of care and education they receive.