30 free hour eligibility in reception

[Mallowmarshmallow]

Hello all

I've been looking at the eligibility criteria and have found the following:

•	stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later)

Does this mean my son, who is in reception and five in October and therefore not compulsory school age until the beginning of the January term still eligible for his 30 free hours for after school and holiday club purposes?

Or does it only apply if he's not yet five and hasn't yet started school?

Many thanks

As far as I remember, the 30 hour entitlement ends as soon as a child starts at school.

It only applies if he hasn't started school yet.

Ds went to a private nursery & the free hours could be used in their reception class (taken off the termly fees) but you don’t get them on top of your child is in full time school.

What they said above. It stops when they start school. A summer born baby who defers starting school until they're 5, will get the funding for an "extra" year of preschool.

Only if you had deferred his entry into reception until January so would have stayed at nursery. I don't think any of the early years funding is able to be used for holiday/after school unfortunately as it's part of early education funding.

With the 15 hours, it could be used as funding for fees in reception if private - which we couldn’t believe but was true! - and I believe it’s the same for the 30. But can’t be used for wraparound etc I don’t think.

stops when your child starts in reception class

You've already said the above

"stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later)" from www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-and-education-for-2-to-4-year-olds

So you get it until the term they turn 5

Ave - once children are in school the funding automatically goes to the school so it's not available to be used for anything else.