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Local Education Authority (LEA) funding FAQs

When will I receive the funding?
How much funding will I receive?
When is my child entitled to funding?
What happens if my child starts nursery after the headcount date?
My child will be off during the headcount week, will this affect the funding?
If my child attends another setting can I still claim with Teddies?
My child will be leaving part way through the term, can I still claim?
The LEA has told me my sessions are free?
Why do some LEAs want us to claim the funding in hours?
Why do you need a copy of my child's birth certificate?
I cannot find my child's birth certificate, what can I do?
Why do I need to sign a parent declaration form (PDF) every term?
What happens if I do not return my PDF?
Do I need to declare this to the Inland Revenue if I claim working family/ child tax credits?
What if I do not want to claim funding?
Who can I contact at Teddies for help with LEA funding?

As part of the Government's commitment to improve early years education, the Local Education Authority (LEA) provides funding for three and four year olds if they attend an Ofsted-registered setting that is eligible to claim the funding on behalf of the parent.

The funding covers the LEA school year of 38 weeks however the LEA's set the number of weeks in each term and the amount the funding is per session or per term. This varies from LEA to LEA depending on where your Teddies nursery is located.

Administration

You will need to complete a Parent Declaration Form (PDF). It is mandatory that we receive the PDF with a copy of the child's birth certificate on time, so that any adjustments can be made for any children who attend other settings, or who do not wish to receive funding.

When will I receive the funding?

The funding will be divided equally across the term's invoices. Eg, if the amount for Autumn is £500.00, you will receive £125.00 from each month's invoice.

There will be no funding on August invoices

How much funding will I receive?

The following amounts are approximate and based on the figures received in the Autumn Term 2009 for 5 sessions (12.5 hours) attendance; these may alter if the current term is longer or shorter than this term or if the LEA changes the amount of funding they are providing.

When is my child entitled to funding?

Your child is normally entitled to funding from the term after their 3rd birthday.

What happens if my child starts nursery after the headcount date?

Your child must be attending the nursery on the headcount date to qualify for funding. This means they must be on our register on that day.

My child will be off during the headcount week, will this affect the funding?

It should not affect the claim. If you are away on holiday or your child is off sick they will still be counted. However, some LEA's require us to send copies of our registers to prove the children's attendance at nursery, so it is advisable that you try to ensure that your child attends fully for the week of the headcount.

If my child attends another setting can I still claim with Teddies?

If your child attends an LEA setting you cannot claim funding with Teddies. If your child attends another private setting you can claim funding but you need to confirm this on your parent declaration form by telling us the number of sessions your child is attending at the other setting. Some local authorities will allow you to claim all of the sessions your child attends at both settings and then divide the funding proportionally between the settings. Others will only pay for a maximum of 5 sessions (12.5 hours) per week.

My child will be leaving part way through the term, can I still claim?

This varies between the LEA for some you cannot and others you can still claim for part of the term if your child is not leaving to start at another setting and if they are attending at least half the term (Half Terms funding will be paid). Contact us for more details.

The LEA has told me my sessions are free?

The 'Free Entitlement' relates to the nursery education funding. The LEA pays for 2.5 hours for a maximum of 5 sessions (12.5 hours) per week. Teddies provide a full day care service. This means that sessions are longer and we are open for more than the 38 weeks per year. Our fees also include all meals and nappies if required. Therefore the cost to you is the nursery fees (as published in our brochure) minus the nursery education funding.

Why do some LEAs want us to claim the funding in hours?

The funding is undergoing changes over the next few years and some LEAs are starting to collect the children's time in hours rather than sessions. Most LEAs are still only paying for 12.5 hours over five sessions with no more than two sessions or 5 hours being claimed within one day.

Greenwich Council, Southampton City Council, London Borough of Hounslow, Bracknell Forest Council London Borough of Richmond and London Borough of Lambeth are the exception to this, as they are currently delivering 15 hours of funded nursery education.

Why do you need a copy of my child's birth certificate?

We need to confirm your child's date of birth falls within the dates of eligibility set by the LEA. This can be a birth certificate, passport or medical card. We also need to retain a copy of this for audit purposes.

I cannot find my child's birth certificate, what can I do?

You can order a copy of your child's birth certificate from www.gro.gov.uk.

Why do I need to sign a parent declaration form (PDF) every term?

Both Teddies and the LEA require you to sign a parent declaration form for each term you claim funding. A new form must be completed to enable us to complete the Head Count form accurately and to credit you the correct amount of funding. The LEA can audit us at any time to ensure that we are paying you in the correct manner and we need to be able to provide them with the forms. Please be aware that the PDF is a legal document and that anyone knowingly making a false declaration may be committing an offence and could be liable to prosecution. The information contained on the PDF is protected under the Data Protection Act.

What happens if I do not return my PDF?

If you fail to return your PDF and proof of your child's date of birth, the funding will be withheld until we receive them. If they are not received by the headcount date, funding will not

What happens if I miss Teddies deadline for returning my PDF and date of birth proof?

Funding will not be applied to your invoice until these have been received by Support Centre. Once received, funding will be credited to your next available invoice. However, any funding missed from previous months will be credited to the final invoice of the term i.e. Spring will be on the March invoice, Summer will be on the July invoice and Autumn will be on the December invoice. There is no way we can override this.

Do I need to declare this to the Inland Revenue if I claim working family/ child tax credits?

It is our understanding that you do need to declare the funding if you are in receipt of the childcare element of working family/ child tax credits but you should get further clarification from the Inland Revenue. You can contact them on 0845 300 3900 (textphone 0845 300 3909). They are open from 8am - 8pm, seven days a week or online at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.

What if I do not want to claim funding?

We understand that some parents may not wish to claim the funding as it can complicate claims with working family tax credit. We do still require you to complete the PDF and to state that you do not wish to claim funding. Please make this clear on the form. It is also desirable for you to send a letter to confirm this.

Who can I contact at Teddies for help with LEA funding?

Please contact Vickii Devonald on 020 8744 1749 or by email to teddiesfinance@brighthorizons.com with LEA Funding in the subject line. Vickii is available between 9-30 and 5-30 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 9-30 and 4-00 on Wednesday.
Please note that Vickii is not available on a Friday and that funding queries may not be answered until the Monday.

Please note: It is mandatory that we hold proof of your child’s date of birth if we are claiming funding for you.