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Primary education

Free Hours for 3 & 4 year olds?

14 replies

didofido · 28/10/2015 06:43

Am asking for a friend who has a DD in Reception aged 4 (birthday in June) at a fee-paying school. Is she entitled to claim free hours until the child is 5?

OP posts:

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TheNumberfaker · 28/10/2015 06:45

I would think it depends on whether she's at a school or a preschool.

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Sirzy · 28/10/2015 06:51

If she is at school then no, it is free PRE school education.

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YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 28/10/2015 06:54

No, you cant claim the free hours in primary school. If she had deferred the place and kept her dd in preschool/ childminder then she could have claimed until

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YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 28/10/2015 06:54

Hit post accidentally, she could claim until she started school

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Chrisinthemorning · 28/10/2015 07:01

DS is going to an independent school. He's a summer birthday and the school have said they can claim the 15 free hours funding for the first 2 terms of reception, until he turns 5. Also we can use childcare vouchers towards fees until he's 5 as well.

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Chrisinthemorning · 28/10/2015 07:03

It makes sense really, otherwise it discrimates against summer borns- we would only get 3 terms of funding but others would get 5.
I suppose it depends on the school though, ours have said it knocks about £800 a term off the fees which are £2500 a term.

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Greengrass1982 · 28/10/2015 07:13

My daughter was allowed to use her 15 hours early years funding for reception until she turned 5. (This was for a private school).

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ConfusedInBath · 28/10/2015 08:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Zodlebud · 28/10/2015 09:03

Many private schools do not allow the 15 free hours as they end up making a loss (ours, annoyingly, doesn't). They are not any under obligation to do so as they are a private business. They do accept childcare vouchers up until the end of the term in which the child turns five though.