Increased funding for early education announced

Councils across England will receive increased funding to deliver free childcare places.

Some of the additional investment will go to ensuring nurseries and childminders can support some of the most disadvantaged children, with an increase in hourly funding for all councils offering 15 hours free childcare for disadvantaged two-year-olds. The vast majority of areas providing free 30 hours places for working parents of three and four-year olds will also receive an increase in the hourly rate.

It will also see an increase to the minimum hourly funding rate so that no authorities will see less than £4.38 per hour per child for three and four year olds.

The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also confirmed continuation of supplementary funding for Maintained Nursery Schools for 2020-21, providing reassurance for these settings which tend to care for higher numbers of disadvantaged children, often most at risk of falling behind.

The increase in funding comes following the Chancellor’s announcement of an additional £66 million investment in the early years as part of the spending review.

It will also see a handful of areas that have historically received higher levels of funding having their current funding rates for three and four-year-olds protected in 2020-21.

In recognition of the need for certainty about the 2020-21 financial year in maintained nursery schools, the DfE has announced the continuation of the additional funding which will be provided to local authorities to enable them to fund maintained nursery schools at higher rates.