Funding

All settings who deliver care all year round (51 weeks or more) are permitted to offer stretched funded hours to parents. This means we are able to offer up to a maximum of either 11 hours per week over 51 weeks (this is the equivalent of 30 hours a week term time) or 22 hours per week over 51 weeks (this is the equivalent of 30 hours a week term time).

The government’s policy states that the funding does not cover any snacks, meals, nappies, wipes, additional services or extras that the nursery provides such as farm school, working with artists or specialised personnel.

The government’s Early Years Funding covers the delivery of the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). All children at Little Barn Owls receive the full EYFS curriculum and care.

Many families choose our enhanced package, which includes a wider range of enriched experiences and services beyond the EYFS requirements. These elements are not covered by the funded entitlement and therefore incur an Additional Services Charge.

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9 MONTH OLD FUNDING (FROM THE TERM AFTER YOUR CHILD TURNS 9 MONTHS)

Funding is available for children of eligible working families who have turned 9 months. To find out more about eligibility please visit https://www.beststartinlife .gov.uk . Up to 22 hours/week is available.

2 YEAR FUNDING

Also available is LA(local authority)-issued 2-year-old funding for families receiving some additional forms of government support. For more details and eligibility, please go to https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds. Up to 11 hours/week of funding is available if you meet the eligibility criteria.

3 YEAR FUNDING

All 3- and 4-years-olds can receive ‘universal’ funding (up to 11 hours/week over 51 weeks), and eligible working families can receive ‘extended’ funding (up to 22 hours/week over 51 weeks). For more information and to find out if you are eligible, please got to https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk

What is Early Years Funding?

Children who receive Early Years Funding are entitled to a place that delivers the full requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Little Barn Owls offers this funded entitlement as part of our high-quality nursery provision at each of our settings.

What does the funding cover?

The government’s Early Years Funding:

Covers the delivery of the EYFS curriculum and associated care.
Is intended to ensure children receive learning, development, safeguarding and welfare in line with national standards.

All children accessing a funded place at Little Barn Owls receive the full EYFS curriculum and high-quality care, regardless of the funding option they choose.

What the funding does not cover

The funded entitlement does not cover the full cost of the additional services and enriched experiences that Little Barn Owls provides as part of our broader educational approach.

To support the cost of these elements, when enrolling on our Full Package, an Additional Services Charge applies on funded days.

Our Packages & Options

We offer two main ways to access a funded place:

Full Package

Our Full Package combines the funded entitlement with a range of enriched experiences and services that sit beyond the core EYFS requirements.

This package includes:

Meals and snacks
Forest School and/or Farm School (where available)
Atelier sessions (where available)
Nappies, wipes and consumables (as relevant to age)
Additional enriched materials, activities and experiences

Many families choose this package because it offers a broader nursery experience alongside the EYFS.

EYFE-Only Option

Our EYFE-Only Option allows families to access the government’s funded entitlement without purchasing the full enhanced package.

Children receiving the funded-only option still receive the full EYFS curriculum and care.
Families do not pay the full additional services charge.
Optional extras may be available depending on the nursery site and programme.

Important: All children at Little Barn Owls receive the full EYFS curriculum. The Enhanced Nursery Package simply adds extra experiences and services beyond what the funded entitlement covers.

LBO Funding Options Booklet

Additional Services/Chargeable Extras

As children grow through nursery, they access different aspects of our provision at different ages. For example:

Babies may primarily benefit from high-quality care, sensory experiences and consumables
Older children may regularly attend Forest School/Farm School and Atelier sessions.

Some experiences (such as Forest School, or Atelier Sessons) are usually more appropriate from around age 2–3+, and are not typically accessed by babies and very young toddlers. Experiences tailored to our younger children can include sensory sessions, baby massage, specialist language /sign language sessions and expressive arts sessions.

Averaged pricing for consistency

To keep fees consistent and predictable for families:

This approach avoids large fee changes as children move through nursery, and allows families to plan with confidence.

Description	Unit	Unit Price	Total
Free entitlement hours Term-Time Only: 15 or 30 hours Stretched 51 weeks: 11 or 22 hours	Weekly	Free	Free
Additional hours purchased outside of EYFE allowance Any permanent additional hours purchased outside of the EYFE allowance will automatically place your child on the Full Package.	Hourly	£12.00
Meals Service: Freshly cooked, balanced and varied meals. • Breakfast: variety of breads, cereals, fruit with milk/water • Snacks: carbohydrate option and fresh fruit/vegetables with milk/water • Lunch: hot, home cooked meal • Tea: cold/lighter meal	Daily	£10.00	£10.00
Consumables: Nappies, wipes, creams, sun cream, nappy sacks	Per fully funded 10-hour day / Ad hoc	Children under 3 years old £3.40 Children over 3 years old £1	Children under 3 years old £3.40 Children over 3 years old £1
Enhanced Provision: Farm School, Forest School, Atelier, specialist materials, project-based learning, baby sensory sessions, baby massage, specialist language /sign language sessions, expressive arts sessions.	Per fully funded 10-hour day / Ad hoc	Children under 3 years old £10.60 Children over 3 years old £13	Children under 3 years old £10.60 Children over 3 years old £13
Special days & events More details below	Per fully funded 10-hour day / Ad hoc	£2	£2
Total (Full Package)	Daily		£26.00

Family Events & Special Days

Celebrations that bring our community together

Celebration Events

Preschool Graduation celebrations
Halloween dress-up and themed activity days
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations
Whole-nursery fun days and community events
Christmas parent evenings

Family Engagement Events

Stay & Play sessions, offering a glimpse into your child’s learning
Parent Project Share events
Family picnics, open days, and welcome events
Parents’ breakfast or afternoon tea gatherings
“Bring a Special Person” days

Creative & Learning Showcases

Exhibitions of children’s artwork and project documentation
End-of-term learning celebrations
Forest School or Farm School experience sessions for families

Outdoor & Community Experiences

Summer fairs and sports days
Charity events and community participation days
Nursery trips

For EYFE-only bookings, chargeable extras may be purchased on an ad-hoc basis, subject to availability.

Patterns of Delivery

A pattern of delivery describes the way funded hours are offered across days and sessions (for example, how many days per week, and what times those sessions start and finish).

We offer a range of patterns to support families, while ensuring we can staff and plan effectively.

Patterns of Delivery 2026

Patterns at each nursery

Patterns of delivery may vary between nursery sites due to:

Local demand
Building layout and capacity
Staffing and operational requirements

Each nursery publishes its available funded patterns, such as:

Term-time only or year-round
Part-day or full-day options
15-hour and 30-hour funded patterns

For the current patterns available at each site, please contact pur admissions team.

Admissions and prioritisation

In line with our Admissions Policy:

We may prioritise certain booking types (for example, full days or full packages) where this is necessary for the sustainable running of the nursery.
Funded-only patterns are offered alongside other options, subject to capacity.

Please note: Availability of specific patterns may vary between sites and over time. Our team will always explain the options available for your child’s age and your chosen nursery.

Small Print & Important Information

Availability

Patterns of delivery may vary between nurseries and are subject to availability.

We reserve the right to offer different patterns at each site based on capacity, demand, staffing and operational requirements. Please speak to our admissions team for up-to-date information on availability.

Admissions Policy

Our Admissions Policy explains how places are allocated and prioritised, including the way in which full-day or enhanced bookings may be prioritised where necessary.