What this guide is
Find out how you can use your free hours of nursery or childcare during school term time, or across the whole year.
How free early learning and childcare hours work
All children entitled to free early learning or childcare places can get up to 1140 hours of nursery or childcare.
It is based on the school year, which starts in August.
This is:
- around 30 hours per week if you use it during school term time, or
- fewer hours spread across more weeks of the year.
When your child starts nursery depends on when their 3rd birthday is during the year.
You should check with your preferred nursery or childminder if they can accommodate the hours, days, or arrangements that suit you.
Find out who can get free nursery places or childcare and when they can start it.
How you can use your free nursery and childcare hours
You have different options for how you can use your 1140 hours of free nursery or childcare, depending on what is available locally.
You may choose to arrange your child's nursery or childcare for school term time only or use the hours across the whole year.
You may also be able to access shorter or longer sessions and create a pattern that fits around work or family life.
For example, you could have:
- 6 hours from Monday to Friday during school term time (38 weeks)
- a morning or afternoon only session across the whole year (48 weeks)
- 2.5 days a week over the whole year (48 weeks)
- up to 10 hours extended day care for just some of the year.
You could also combine your nursery and childcare arrangements, where your child goes to a nursery for part of the week and a childminder for the rest of the week.
The maximum number of free nursery or childcare hours that a child is entitled to per week is 30 hours.
You can apply to use your 1140 hours of free early learning and childcare a year at council-run or council-approved nurseries or childminders.
Find out more about:
If you want to send your child to a private nursery or childminder that's not run or approved by us, you will not be able to use your free hours of nursery or childcare and you will have to pay for the cost.
Additional (wraparound) childcare
You may be able to buy additional childcare hours (known as wrapround care) at your child's nursery or childminder.
You may be able to do this if:
- you would like more nursery or childcare hours outside of the free 1140 hours your child gets
- your nursery or childminder can accommodate the additional hours.
Find out more on how to pay for additional hours of nursery or childcare (wraparound care).