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As you will be aware, the Department for Education (DfE) has recently updated the Early education and childcare Statutory Guidance (valid from 1 April 2026) - GOV.UK. in line with these changes, the Early Years Provider Agreement has been revised to ensure full compliance with the updated requirements for delivering early years entitlement funding.
If you have not already done so, could we please ask you to access and complete the Provider Agreement Declaration using the link, included in the e-mail sent to you on 18 March 2026, by no later than 31 March 2026.
The Department for Education (DfE) have launched phase 3 of the School-based Nursery (SBN) programme. This will provide schools with the opportunity to apply for funding to create or expand a school-based nursery with additional places from September 2027.
The SBN programme aims to help more families access early years provision, including those in disadvantaged areas, and give every child the best possible start in life.
The objective of the SBN programme is to build capacity in areas of need, especially in deprived areas, enhancing the overall local offer without negatively impacting on provision in close proximity, including that delivered by the PVI.
The local authority must submit a multi-year funding proposal for 2027-2030 by 30 September 2026. The funding proposal will be made up of individual SBN potential projects to be delivered from September 2027 – September 2030 at the latest, with the first SBN places available from September 2027.
For the purposes of this grant, SBNs can operate as:
- nursery classes embedded in a primary school
- expansions to nursery classes on the site of a current Maintained Nursery School (MNS)
- nursery units led by governors of an MNS
- nursery units led by academy trusts
- childminders and PVI nurseries contracted to deliver nursery provision on a school site, or operating on a school's behalf
- nursery classes embedded on a Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) site.
If providers have received funding via previous phases of SBN grant participation they can still apply in phase 3 if the proposed project adds new places beyond those delivered in earlier phases and offers good value for money.
There is an expectation from the DfE that the majority of schemes will cost no more than £1 million and projects largely repurposing existing space to cost no more than 500,000. Although surplus space should be considered but is not a requirement for phase 3. Capital funding can be applied for to create or repurpose spaces for nursery provision, although the DfE expect projects to deliver value for money and to see a wide range of project types and costs.
The DfE will approve projects and allocate funding to local authorities by Spring 2027. The expectation is that the first SBN will aim to be operational by September 2027 with final SNB projects operational with capital funding spent by the end of September 2030.
Schools should email: CS.SufficiencyService@derbyshire.gov.uk by 24 April 2026 if they would like to register their interest in applying for the School-based Nursery Grant.
Further information can be found using the following links:
School-based Nursery Capital Grant 2027 to 2030 Guidance
Establishing school-based nursery provision - GOV.UK
The local authority continues to work towards the government's ambition for all primary school aged children, who want it, to be able to access wraparound provision from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.
The Department for Education has confirmed that the Wraparound Programme Funding can fund ‘partial places’ as long as:
- there is at least 30 minutes provision before the school day.
- after school provision finishes no earlier than 90 minutes from the end of the school day.
- families can access childcare at least three days per week.
Funding is available until March 2027. If you are interested in either expanding your current wraparound offer or creating new provision, please email the Sufficiency Team for further information: CS.SufficiencyService@derbyshire.gov.uk.
The provider portal is now open and will remain open until 26 April 2026.
Please ensure data is submitted accurately and all children’s hours are included, as outlined on the child’s completed parent/carer declaration form.
IMPORTANT:
Please be reminded of the importance of accurate data being submitted onto the provider portal, as inaccurate data, consequently, will not pull through eligibility.
DEADLINE AND PAYMENT IMPACT
If you do not submit your information by this deadline, you will not receive your funding during the normal payment timescale. Financial Services cannot make bespoke payments where submissions have been missed.
Please ensure you complete the Census return prior to submitting funded hours for the April / May 2026 period, as instructed in the recent email reminder, sent to all providers.
MARCH ‘Adjustments’
The portal is also open until 26 April 2026 for ‘Adjustments’ submissions to enable you to include any changes which occurred during the March 2026 period.
IMPORTANT:
Can we please remind providers that ‘Adjustments’ submissions are for children who increase/decrease their hours or start/leave a provision following the closure of Actuals. Adjustments should not be used as an alternative to Actuals.
Once all the information has been submitted, please remember to click ‘Send Claim’. You will see a green tick when your claim has been submitted.
If you experience any difficulties in submitting your data, please refer to the useful guidance information on the SchoolsNet - Funding and contracts tile in the first instance.
If you continue to experience difficulties, please e-mail:
cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk; cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov;
cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk and an Officer will contact you.
Due to the volume of queries being received, please allow the Officer time to respond, ensuring you include your name, name of the setting, contact details and relevant information to your query.
The DfE are currently monitoring take-up of funded places for families eligible for the early learning for 2-year-old funding. Therefore, please ensure you check whether families are eligible under this criteria in the first instance. This will ensure the correct funding is being claimed on the provider portal and data is recorded accurately for the DfE.
IMPORTANT: Submitting Claims for Children Eligible for BOTH Funding Types
Some families may be eligible for both:
- Early Learning for 2‑Year‑Old funding, and
- Working Family Entitlement (HMRC 11‑digit code)
In these cases:
- The early learning for 2‑Year‑Old funding MUST be recorded first.
- Remaining hours should then be entered under Expanded Hours.
This ensures the correct allocation of funding and accurate reporting for DfE monitoring.
The screenshot below, illustrates how the hours should be entered for families eligible for both the early learning for 2-year-old funding and the working family entitlement (HMRC 11-digit code):
 IMPORTANT:
Please note that for children who are solely in receipt of working family hours, these hours should be entered as expanded hours only.
There continues to be a number of providers either missing funding deadlines or submitting inaccurate claims on the provider portal.
Please ensure the following:
✔ Accuracy of Funding Claims
All claims must reflect the information recorded on the Parent/Carer Declaration Form. Inaccurate submissions may result in incorrect payments or delays.
✔ Submit Term-Time Hours Only
Please ensure you submit all claims as term-time hours.
✔ Meet All Funding Deadlines
Term-time hours must be submitted by the deadlines published on the Funding Calendar. Failure to submit accurate claims on time may lead to delayed, inaccurate, or withheld funding payments.
✔ Check Claims After Every Submission Period
We strongly remind providers to check that all submitted hours are correct. You can follow the step-by-step instructions in ‘View Payments and Previous Claims’, available on SchoolsNet under Funding and Contracts via the following link: Funding and contracts.
Providers must verify all HMRC eligibility codes before offering a funded place to any child.
Eligibility Start Dates:
A code must have a valid start date for the relevant term:
- 31 December – Spring term (from 1 January)
- 31 March – Summer term (from 1 April)
- 31 August – Autumn term (from 1 September)
If parents do not apply by the deadline (e.g. 31 March 2026), the child cannot access funding for the following term (summer 2026).
Checks for existing children:
Regularly check and reconfirm codes for existing children to ensure continued eligibility.
Provider Portal Eligibility Checks:
 A yellow shield, on the check results, indicates a matched code, but does not confirm it is valid for the term. Providers must check the code’s start and end date to ensure it is valid for the term they wish to claim funding for.
This prevents parents receiving unexpected charges for unfunded childcare.
Parent Support:
For application or reconfirmation issues, parents should contact:
📞 HMRC Childcare Service Helpline: 0300 123 4097
Please be reminded, as per the funding calendar, that the ‘unfunded week’ for term time children is the week commencing 13 April 2026.
Please refer to your current signed Provider Agreement for the delivery of the early year’s entitlement funding, which states:
11.5 If a provider is opening on Inset Days, they can offer these as funded sessions and charge parents/carers for the ‘unfunded week’ or charge for the Inset Day and offer funded sessions during the ‘unfunded week’.
Childcare Works have produced a wealth of information to support providers such as recruiting and retaining your workforce, marketing, and capacity development. We encourage you to explore the resources using the links below:
Please make sure you download any materials you need before the website closes on 31 March 2026.
IMPORTANT: Where changes occur within the setting for example, change to the provision name, childminder name, address, telephone number, email address, business structure and changes to committee members and / or manager, please remember to notify Ofsted and the local authority using the following email addresses as any of these changes may require a new Provider Agreement:
Ofsted: enquiries@Ofsted.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk
cs.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk
Please remember to access the SchoolsNet - Funding and contracts tile where you will find a suite of step-by-step guidance and information to help you submit funding data on to the provider portal.
Local authority notification:
Should you need to close your provision due to flooding, illness, snow, or an unforeseen circumstance, please ensure you notify the funding team via the relevant e-mail in-box:
CS.enquiries.childminders@derbyshire.gov.uk
CS.enquiries.groupcare@derbyshire.gov.uk
CS.enquiries.schools@derbyshire.gov.uk
Along with the Quality team via: CS.EYS@derbyshire.gov.uk
Ofsted notification:
For closures of three days or more please be reminded that there is also a requirement to notify Ofsted.
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If you are a contracted provider and would like to receive text reminders when the provider portal is open / closed, please ensure you notify us (and Ofsted of course!) of your mobile number.
Where the local authority has received a mobile number from your setting, this will automatically be included in the ‘Texting’ notifications.
Please let us know via email if you wish to be removed from this Service.
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