Admissions
Fee's, funding & More...
Everything you need to know about funding
Government Funding
Provides 15 or 30 (if eligible) hours of support to help parents with their childcare costs.
Funding Doesn’t Cover Everything
Funding does not cover the full cost of everything that we offer. It only covers the delivery of the EYFS during our opening hours.
Term Time Only
Funding only covers the 38 weeks of term time. As we are open 44 weeks a year, any sessions outside the 38 week will be charged at our hourly rate.
What is Free Entitlement Funding?
Universal Free Entitlement Funding is Government funding to cover the cost for up to 570 hours per year/15 hours a week of childcare during term time (38 weeks a year). This is available for all three and four year old children in England.
What Is Government Funding
What is Extended Free Entitlement Funding?
Eligible parents can claim further Government funding in addition to the Universal FE Funding.
Extended FE Funding covers an additional 570 hours per year/15 hours a week of childcare during term time (38 weeks a year). This equates to 1140 hours per year / 30 hours per week.
Again, this is available for all three and four year old children in England. Extended Free Entitlement also offers 15 hours a week for eligible families for children aged 9 months plus.
You may be eligible to claim Extended FE Funding if:
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Both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a single-parent family)
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Each parent earns a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage, and less than £100,000 per year.
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This includes parents who are employed and self-employed.
What is Local Authority Issued 2 Year Funding?
Eligible parents can claim 15 hours of funding for children aged 2 years, if they live in England and are in receipt any of the following benefits:
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Income Support
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Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
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The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
For More Information visit:Eligibility for 15 hours for 2 year olds receiving support – Best Start in Life
What's On Offer
9 Months Funding
Ages 9 months - 2 Years
Eligible families can apply
30 hours a week funding available
3 Year Old Funding
Ages 3 - 4 Years
Eligible families can apply
30 hours a week funding available
2 Year old Funding
Ages 2 - 3 Years
Eligible families can apply
30 hours a week funding available
3 Year Old Funding
Ages 3 - 4 Years
Available to all families
15 hours a week funding available
When am I able to claim funding for my child?
Children will be eligible to receive funding from the start of the next full term after turning 9 months or following their 2nd or 3rd birthdays.
Funding can be used across any hours that we are open (7:30am - 6pm)
Born Between
1st April - 31st August
Will be eligible for the Free Entitlement from:
1st September after turning 9 months or following their 2nd and 3rd birthday, until statutory school age.
Born Between
1st January - 31st March
Will be eligible for the Free Entitlement from:
1st April after turning 9 months or following their 2nd and 3rd birthday, until statutory school age.
Born Between
1st September - 31st December
Will be eligible for the Free Entitlement from:
1st January after turning 9 months or following their 2nd and 3rd birthday, until statutory school age.
Fee's (1st September 2026 - 31st August 2027)
Please see below our fees for this coming September 2026.
6 Months - 2 Years
£9.00 Per Hour
Price includes:
Breakfast before 8:30am
Morning & Afternoon Snack
High Tea - After 4:30pm
Nappies & Wipes
2 - 3 Years
£8.00 Per Hour
Price Includes:
Morning & Afternoon Snack
High Tea - After 4:30pm
Breakfast - Before 8:30am available at a charge of £1.50
3 - 4 Years
£7.00 Per Hour
Price Includes:
Morning & Afternoon Snack
High Tea - After 4:30pm
Breakfast - Before 8:30am available at a charge of £1.50
Childcare Vouchers accepted - 10% Sibling Discount when both children paying - All resources & activities covered -Tapestry account -
What's does the Free Entitlement Included.
The FE funding covers the cost of the provision of childcare and the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the following:
• Tapestry
• Morning & Afternoon Snack
• High Tea after 4:30pm
• All activities
• Forest Visits
The funding does not include any of the other services that our nurseries provide.
These include, but are not limited to:
• Nappies & Wipes (Over 18 Months)
• Additional Hours
• Hot Lunches
• Breakfast (Over 18 Months)
• Formula
• Sun Cream
Extras:
• Additional Hours - Charged at our hourly rate
• Breakfast - £1.50 (Optional)
• Hot Lunches - £4.60 (Optional)
Headcount Day
Headcount Day is the cut off each term where children wishing to claim funding must be in attendance in order to receive the funding for that term. This applies to all children with the exception of Local Authority funded 2-year-olds (with a valid 6-digit eligibility code) who can start at any point during the term. The exact date for Headcount is set by the local authority and dates can vary. They are however usually towards the end of January, April and September.
If you wish to join The Learning Tree Preschool after Headcount Day and are not currently attending another nursery, we will not be able claim any funding until the following term. In exceptional circumstances however, childcare providers can still claim funding for children who start after headcount. Valid exceptional circumstances include a child:
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in the 9 months plus age group approved for EYFE for Working Families where the child must have a valid 11-digit eligibility code with a 'Code Start Date' prior to the beginning of the term, and a 'Code End Date' after the child’s first day of funding (using the working families eligibility checker to verify the code can be used before submitting your request)
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approved for 2 year old local authority (LA) Issued EYFE who is not already attending a West Sussex childcare provider - children awarded EYFE under this criteria can start at any point in the term
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who has moved into West Sussex after headcount
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with an additional need whose start with a provider has been supported by a professional such as a GP, portage, speech and language therapist and health visitor
If not all sessions will therefore be charged at their respective hourly rates.
If you are wishing to move to The Learning Tree from another provider, then The Learning Tree will be able to claim any unused funding from your previous provider.
Headcount is also the cut off for those wishing to increase their funded sessions. If you are an existing parent and are planning on increasing the number of session in your booking pattern, this needs to be in place by headcount day. Increases after headcount will not be eligible for funding until the following term. All sessions will therefore be charged at their respective hourly rates.