Information for Schools

There are a number of funding opportunities available for schools to apply for currently. These are summarised below, please do follow the links given if you require further information about a particular scheme.

Childcare Expansion Funding

In Spring 2023, the government announced transformative reforms to childcare to support and enable more parents into work.  The 2 key aspects of this were:

• Introducing 30 hours of funded early years provision for 38 weeks a year, for working parents, from the term after their child turns 9 months old to when they start school (rolled out in a phased approach from April 2024 - September 2025)
• Start-up funding to increase the supply of wraparound care in primary schools, from 8am - 6pm, during term time, for primary school aged children, from Reception to Year 6.

To address the Department's forecast shortfall in early years entitlements places for under 3's and in wraparound childcare places, the DfE have allocated the LA funding to deliver on this agenda locally.  

As such, there is capital funding available to support the creation of new or additional early years entitlements places for children under 3 years of age in priority wards and capital and revenue funding to support the creation of additional wraparound childcare places across the City. 

The last application deadline is 27th February 2025.

For more information, guidance notes and application forms, please visit our pages for the Expansion of the Early Years Entitlements and the Wraparound Childcare Programme.

Further information on how schools can claim for the early years entitlements can be found here.

School Based Nurseries Capital Grant

Until 19 December 2024, state-funded primary-phase schools will be able to apply for up to £150,000 of capital funding to upgrade spare space to create or expand on-site nurseries.

These nurseries can be school-run or delivered by private and voluntary providers or childminders on the school’s site. They can also cater for any early years age group, providing there is local demand. 

Please see the links below for further information;

• Press Release on the School Based Nurseries Capital Grant
• Guidance Notes
• Webinar for Schools on the School Based Nurseries Capital Grant

Breakfast Clubs Early Adopter Scheme

As announced by the Chancellor in September, the government will be introducing free breakfast clubs in up to 750 early adopter schools from April 2025 as part of a test and learn phase in advance of national roll out.  

Early adopters will offer all primary-aged children on roll at their school, no matter their circumstances,  access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes that involves food, providing children with a supportive start to the day and helping families to have more choice about work.  

The National Wraparound Childcare Programme has built capacity within the childcare system and this scheme is designed to complement existing provision, which is usually open for longer and is paid for by parents to enable them to work.

Government are particularly looking to understand how the breakfast club policy is implemented in a range of schools and interested is welcomed from those with existing breakfast, or wraparound, childcare, those without any existing provision, those already working with, or those looking to work with PVI childcare providers to deliver their breakfast club.

Guidance and support for early adopter schools is being developed and will be published in the new year.

An expression of interest form will be live until 20th December 2024 and can be accessed via DfE login.

For further information, please visit the Breakfast Club Early Adopters Scheme.

General Note

As a Local Authority, Nottingham City Council has a statutory duty under The Childcare Act (2006) to ensure there are high quality, sufficient and sustainable childcare places.  

If you are considering making changes to your existing provision, please do clearly research the demand for any additional provision to ensure it is needed, any impact on your PAN, will be sufficient and sustainable in future and doesn't de-stabilise existing provision locally.  We would encourage schools to make the most of partnership working opportunities with the existing, established PVI sector in the city who are well placed to offer full time care for babies up to school age for full day provision.  More information on our current sufficiency assessment can be found here.

Furthermore, our comprehensive CPD training opportunities for all early years practitioners, specific school related training and support and bespoke training for playworkers can also be accessed here.