What funded hours are available? 

All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours a week of funded early education, regardless of income or whether parents work. This starts the term after your child turns 3.

Working parents of children from 9 months old may be entitled to 30 hours a week of funded childcare, provided you (and your partner, if you have one) meet the government's working hours and income criteria.

2 year olds may also be entitled to 15 hours a week if your family receives certain additional support, such as Universal Credit below a set income threshold, or if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Funded hours are typically used across 38 weeks a year (term time).

How do I apply?

For the 30-hour working parent entitlement and the 2-year-old additional support entitlement, you'll need to apply yourself via your Government Gateway account at gov.uk, and reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months.

For the universal 15 hours for 3–4 year olds, no application is needed from you — just bring your child's birth certificate when you register, and we handle the rest.

Because eligibility rules and thresholds are set nationally and can change, we'd always recommend checking your current entitlement directly at gov.uk/childcare-calculator rather than relying solely on this page.

⚠️ Important: Funding Must Be Applied For Every Term

Unlike a one-off registration, government funding isn't automatic once you're eligible — we must apply on your behalf every single term, in the term before your child is due to receive it.

We'll confirm your session requirements with you ahead of each deadline — please respond as soon as we ask.

If we don't receive these in time, we may miss West Berkshire Council's funding deadline and be unable to claim your funding for that term. In this situation, we'll have no choice but to invoice you directly for your child's sessions at our standard rate.

This isn't something we can appeal after the deadline has passed, so please treat any request from us for these details as time-sensitive.

Our Fees

£16.50 per session, plus a one-off, non-refundable £10 registration fee for new admissions.

If your child has funded hours, these are applied directly to reduce what you pay us — please speak to us about how your specific entitlement translates into sessions at Love Lane, since this depends on your child's age and how many hours you're eligible for.

Questions about your eligibility?

We're happy to talk through what your funded hours might look like at Love Lane, but for a full, personalised eligibility check, the best source is:

• https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk - 

• gov.uk childcare account — to apply or check your entitlement

• West Berkshire Council Family Information Service — for local guidance and support

All parents/carers (even those who are only claiming universal hours) will need to complete a parent declaration form (here) from West Berkshire so we can apply for your funding. 

If you have any questions, please either speak to a member of staff in the Pre-School or School or email Alex at treasurer@lovelanepreschool.co.uk.