Funding

15 & 30 Hours Funded Childcare

Eligibility

From September 2025, the government is expanding funded childcare support such that families with both parents working can access up to 30 hours of funded childcare from when their child turns 9 months old as long as neither parent earns more than £100,000 per annum. Once your child is 3 years old all children are automatically entitled to up to 15 hours of funded childcare, with 30 hours continuing to be available to the eligible working families.

How Funding Works at Linden Tree Nursery Schools

The 30 and 15 hours funding is available during term time only for 38 weeks of the year. At Linden Tree we are able to offer this stretched over the 51 weeks of the year that we are open as follows:

15 hours per week = 570 hours per year. Stretched over 51 weeks = 11.17 hours per week.
30 hours per week = 1,140 hours per year. Stretched over 51 weeks = 22.35 hours per week.

These funded hours will be divided across the booked days in your chosen booking pattern.

Example – 4-Day Booking Pattern:

15 hours: 11.17 ÷ 4 = 2.79 funded hours per day
30 hours: 22.35 ÷ 4 = 5.58 funded hours per day

Applying for 30 Hours Funding

To access 30 hours funding families must:

Check eligibility at gov.uk/childcare
Receive an an 11-digit code if you are eligible
Email the code, along with the parent’s name and National Insurance number, to us at info@ltns.org.uk

Funding will be applied to your monthly invoices from your eligibility date or the start of the next term, at the latest.

Your 11-digit eligibility code must be reconfirmed every 3 months to ensure that you continue to earn less than the threshold.

Term Start Dates

Government funding starts from the beginning of the term after your child becomes eligible. The terms are set nationally and follow these dates:

Autumn Term – starts 1 September
Spring Term – starts 1 January
Summer Term – starts 1 April

Example:
If your child turns 3 on 12 October, their funding will begin from the Spring Term (1 January). If they turn 3 on 18 February, funding will start from the Summer Term (1 April).

Hourly Rates & Local Authority Information

Funding rates vary between local authorities. Please refer to your borough for the latest rates:

Additional Support

Tax-Free Childcare: Learn more here
Workplace Nursery Schemes: especially applicable to parents who earn over £100,00 per annum. Visit Workplace Nursery or Gogeta