Early Years Inclusion Supplement Funding

Many settings apply for additional ‘top up’ inclusion funding to support children with special needs within their early year’s provisions.

The Graduated Response levels and funding rates

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Funding criteria, deadline dates and monitoring forms

All Inclusion funding applications must complete termly monitoring forms and follow the funding criteria.

Funding application process

Online applications for all Inclusion Supplement Funding can be found here.

Inclusion Funding Audits

The council will complete inclusion funding audits to a selection of early years providers each term.

Further information for parents and carers

Useful links offering advice and guidance for parents during the early years.

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

3 and 4 year-old children of working parents are also entitled to an additional 15 hours per week (30 hours childcare).

From April 2024, the entitlement for working families has been expanded to include children 2 to 3 years of age.

From September 2024, the entitlement for working families will be expanding to include children under 2 years of age.

This page outlines the inclusion funding that is received by early years providers, for children who are accessing the nursery education sessions. The funding, known as the inclusion supplement, is the local authority's contribution towards the additional costs associated with providing educational support for children with SEN and Disabilities, a duty detailed in the Equality Act 2010.

Based on the child’s level of need, an hourly Inclusion Supplement is available in addition to the hourly Nursery Education Funding (NEF) rate, for any funded hours a child attends within a mainstream setting or Early Years Language Class. If a child is attending more than one mainstream setting for more hours than their funded entitlement, the parent or carer chooses how the funded hours, including the Inclusion Supplement, are allocated to their child’s settings.

If a child is attending a specialist provider, the specialist provider must be allocated the funded hours first, up to 15 funded hours per week. These hours will not be eligible for the Inclusion Supplement. If the specialist provider offers more than 15 funded hours per week, any hours above 15 will be funded at the standard NEF hourly rate plus the appropriate Inclusion Supplement

The inclusion supplement is designed to provide financial support to aid the full inclusion of a child in the provision, and to support the early years provider in meeting the child's needs. It is a contribution towards the costs incurred by early year's providers.

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