Can I get 30 hours free childcare?

[lyssie29]

Hi just after some clarity on the 30 hours free childcare. My daughters nursery is starting it in September. She'll be going in to reception anyway but her younger sister will be going when she's 3 in a year and a half. I'm a single mother and desperately want to work but I cant afford childcare. If I get a full time job in a school would I qualify for the 30 hours? Or if i worked part time as long as its over 16 hours would I still qualify for it?

You need to be earning £120 per week on average. So I would guess that you need to take the annual pay and divide by 53 to get your weekly average pay.

I would use the childcare calculator to see what would be best in your circumstances.
www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator

It also won't be available until the term after she turns 3.

It's equivalent to 16 hours all year at NMW - so if you can get £15/h you only need to do 8 hours or so.

Full time term time only is 0.7fte ish so that's comfortably above 16 hours even at NMW. I think term time > 21 hours works out to be equivalent to 16 hours all year.

But school budgets are all being slashed so you'd be incredibly lucky to get a new school job. Good luck with your hunt.