Under the Government scheme, parents/carers are entitled to an annual Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE).

Childcare entitlement of 30 hours equates to 23.75 hours per week over 48 weeks per annum, which equates to 1140hrs per year.

Woodside Nursery Operates Monday-Friday 8 am - 6 pm.

We offer sessions of 10 hours of childcare per day on a year-round basis (over 48 weeks and closed for 4 weeks per year).

Woodside Nursery offers places to children from 6 months old until the child reaches statutory school age.

Working parents/carers who want to just take up their free early education and childcare hours can do this and are able to take this up to 20 hours per week over 2 days of their choice (at 10 hrs per day between 8 am and 6 pm, subject to availability). Alternative days will be offered where preferred days are not available (subject to availability).

Parents/carers do not have to take up additional childcare hours in addition to the 20 hours of free early education and childcare hours offered per week but can request these should they want to.

Entitlement to a free place does not offer a guarantee of a place at any one provider. At Woodside, our structure means that parents/carers can take up to 20 hours per week based on a 2-day space.

Parents/carers are therefore able to take up the remaining balance of their free early education entitlement (3.75 hours per week) with an alternative provider open for the same number of weeks per year, should they choose to ensure that they are able to take up their full free early education and childcare entitlement hours across two providers (Woodside and another provider).

Where parents/carers choose to purchase childcare hours which are in addition to/outside their free early education and childcare hours, these will be charged as set in our fee structure document.

2-Year-Old 15 Hour Funding 

 

Almost a quarter of families in Waltham Forest with a 2-year-old can claim 15 hours of Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) per week during term time. We are an Outstanding provider, and we are able to offer this funding.

Your 2-year-old will be eligible if you receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400.00 a year or less after tax
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190.00 a year or less before tax
• The Working Tax Credit 4 week run on 

If you are not in receipt of benefits, your 2-year-old could still qualify if they:

• Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP Plan)
• Get Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Are looked after by a local authority if they have left care under a spacial guardianship order, child arrangement order or adoption order in England or Wales.

2-Year-Old Funding Information Waltham Forest

Government Childcare Funding (15/30 Hours)

 

At Woodside, we offer these funding streams:

• Families who take up 15 hours funding only will be entitled to 15 hours each week and this is either a morning session (8:30 am - 11:30 am), or an afternoon session (12:30 pm - 3:30 pm).  This is term-time-only and the child will not be able to attend during the school holiday periods.

 

• Families who take 30 hours per week across 5 days per week, term time only and the child will not be able to attend during the school holiday periods.

 

• Families who have eligible funding can take up wrap-around daycare (8:00 am - 6:00 pm) will have this funding stretched across the year (48 weeks) and this means that the equivalent is 11.88 hours over the 48 weeks.  The child attends, over the 48-week period, the nursery is open.

 

• Families who are eligible for funding can take up wrap-around daycare (8:00 am - 6:00 pm) will have this funding stretched across the year (48 weeks) and this means that the equivalent is 23.75 hours over the 48 weeks.  The child attends over the 48-week period, the nursery is open.

 

• For families who take up daycare, we stretch this funding over the year (48 weeks). The free hours will be spread equally over those weeks. Families who are entitled to 15 hours of funding will receive the equivalent of 11.88 hours per week.  For families who receive 30 hours of funding, you will receive the equivalent of 23.75 hours per week.  This will automatically be adjusted in your fees per month.

 

• As of 1st September 2025, all eligible children aged from 9 months to school age may be entitled to receive 30 hours of funded childcare.

3 & 4-Year-Old Universal (Free) Funding Offer

 

All 3–4-year-olds are entitled to Free Early Education Entitlement automatically.  You do not need to apply for the universal 15 hours of free childcare for your child. We will claim the funding on your behalf directly from Waltham Forest Council.

All 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to 570 hours of free early education per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year (split into three terms).

Free Early Education Entitlement for 3-4's Waltham Forest

Applying for Childcare in Waltham Forest

walthamforest.gov.uk/childcare

walthamforest.gov.uk/beststartinlife

childcarechoices.gov.uk

E-mail: childcare@walthamforest.gov.uk

Waltham Forest Helpline: 020 8496 3566

HMRC Helpline for 30 Hours: 0300 123 4097

Tax-Free Childcare 

 

Tax-Free Childcare is a UK government initiative designed to help working parents with the cost of childcare.

For every 80p you (or someone else) pays in, the government will top up an extra 20p. This is the equivalent to the tax most people per annum.

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

Your eligibility depends on:

• If you’re working (employed, self-employed, or both)
• Your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• Your child’s age and circumstances
• Your immigration status

If you are working

You can usually get Tax-Free Childcare if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:

• In work
• On sick leave or annual leave
• On shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave, and you’re going back to work within 31 days of the date you first applied

If you are not currently working

You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance.

You can apply if you’re starting or re-starting work within the next 31 days.

Tax-Free Childcare Information