Free early years education for 2, 3 and 4 year olds (nursery education funding)

All 3 and 4 year old children, as well as some 2 year old children, are entitled to 15 hours of free early education and childcare per week, for 38 weeks of the year. Some 3 and 4 year old children are also entitled to an additional 15 hours per week.

Free early education hours can be accessed with any Herefordshire provider, as long as they are registered with Ofsted and Herefordshire local authority. The hours can also be accessed with providers in neighbouring English local authorities. Herefordshire Council is not able to fund the English childcare offer for children attending providers in Wales.

In Herefordshire, nursery education funding is referred to as NEF.

April 2024 Early Education Funding (EEF) rates for 2024-2025

  • 3- and 4-year-old funding base rate - £5/hour
  • Deprivation £0.42/hour
  • Rurality £63 per week or pro-rata less than 100 hrs/week
  • 2-year-old funding rate for eligible working families - £6.85/hour
  • 2-year-old funding rate for families receiving additional forms of government support - £7.34/hour
  • Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) - 68p/hour
  • Disability Access Funding - £910 pro rata

September 2024 Early Education Funding (EEF) rates for 2024-2025

  • 9 month old rate - £9.51

Further information

You can find out more about free early education, tax free childcare, help with childcare costs, and check whether you are eligible on the government's Childcare Choices website.

Free early education for 2 year olds

Free early education for 3 and 4 year olds

You can also find out more about early education and childcare provision including types of provision, finding a provider and how to complain.

Privacy notice for early education funding