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Early education funding (EEF) rates for 2026-2027
| Funding group | Base rate per hour | EYPP* | Deprivation** | DAF annual rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-23 months | £10.12 | £1.15 | £0.87 | £975 |
| 2-year-olds (Working Families) | £7.51 | £1.15 | £0.61 | £975 |
| 2-year-olds (Best Start support) |
£7.51 | £1.15 | £0.78 | £975 |
| 3 and 4-year-olds (Universal) | £5.74 | £1.15 | £0.51 | £975 |
| 3 and 4-year-olds (Extended) | £5.74 | £1.15 | £0.51 | £975 |
* Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is paid on the first 15 funded hours.
** Deprivation funding is paid across all funded hours claimed.
Early education funding calendar
This calendar provides an overview of the academic year for early education funding claims.
It breaks the year into autumn, spring and summer terms, identifies funding weeks for term-time only and stretched offers, highlights holiday periods, and shows the maximum number of claimable weeks in each term.
It is designed to help providers plan funded childcare delivery and submit claims in line with the Herefordshire Provider Agreement
Early education funding calendar 2026-27
Early education funding schedule
This schedule provides a timetable of key claim windows, deadlines and payment dates for early education funding throughout the academic year. It helps providers submit funding claims accurately, meet important deadlines and comply with Herefordshire funding requirements.
| 4 estimate payments at 80% | Autumn term 2026 - 14 weeks TTO/17 weeks STR |
|---|---|
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 1st estimate payment - 7 September 2026 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 2nd estimate payment - 7 October 2026 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 3rd estimate payment - 7 November 2026 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 4th estimate payment - 7 December 2026 |
| Estimate window opens | 6 July 2026 |
| Estimate window closes | 19 July 2026 |
| Actuals window opens | 28 September 2026 |
| Actuals window closes | 4 October 2026 |
| Adjustment window opens | 2 November 2026 |
| Adjustment window closes | 13 November 2026 |
| No adjustments will be accepted after the window closes | |
| Final payment including adjustments and DAF | w/c 14 December 2026 |
| 3 estimate payments at 80% | Spring term 2027 - 11 weeks TTO/14 weeks STR |
|---|---|
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 1st estimate payment - 7 January 2027 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 2nd estimate payment - 7 February 2027 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 3rd estimate payment - 7 March 2027 |
| Estimate window opens | 7 December 2026 |
| Estimate window closes | 20 December 2026 |
| Actuals window opens | 18 January 2027 |
| Actuals window closes | 24 January 2027 |
| Adjustment window opens | 22 February 2027 |
| Adjustment window closes | 5 March 2027 |
| No adjustments will be accepted after the window closes | |
| Final payment including adjustments and DAF | w/c 22 March 2027 |
| 3 estimate payments at 80% | Summer term 2027 - 13 weeks TTO/20 weeks STR |
|---|---|
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 1st estimate payment - 7 May 2027 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 2nd estimate payment - 7 June 2027 |
| Estimate payments to be received by setting | 3rd estimate payment - 7 July 2027 |
| Estimate window opens | 15 March 2027 |
| Estimate window closes | 28 March 2027 |
| Actuals window opens | 17 May 2027 |
| Actuals window closes | 23 May 2027 |
| Adjustment window opens | 7 June 2027 |
| Adjustment window closes | 18 June 2027 |
| No adjustments will be accepted after the window closes | |
| Final payment including adjustments and DAF | w/c 2 August 2027 |
Please note: No adjustments will be accepted after the window closes. Adjustments are to be added to the Synergy Portal as soon as they occur. You must ensure that all details are correct for each child and enter the data in a timely manner. If the EEF Team contact you about queries on your actuals, these must be dealt with as soon as possible. Further payments may be put on hold until the query is resolved.