Early Years Single Funding Formula 2024 to 2025

1.1 

This is to inform early years providers of the early years single funding formula (EYSFF) for 2024/25. This applies to both the universal 15 hours early years free entitlement (EYFE) and the extended 15 hours entitlement to EYFE as well as funding for disadvantaged two year olds and children from the age of nine months in eligible working families.

1.2 

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), Disability Access Fund (DAF) and funding for two year olds will be allocated separately.

2.1

The structure of the formula is set out below and was agreed by the Schools’ Forum in February 2024. The base rate is a 12.1% increase on the rate of £4.56 per hour for 2023/24 (excluding the one-off early years supplementary grant applied in September 2023). The supplements are an increase of 15.3/18.2% on 2023/24, which were £1.20 and 75p.

2.2

Basic hourly rate: (94.8% of the total budget)

2.3

There is a base rate of £5.15 per hour.

2.4 

Deprivation: (3.4% of the total budget)

2.5

The deprivation supplement is based on the home post code of the child attending the setting.

2.5.1: There is a deprivation supplement of £1.40 per hour for every child who lives in one of the most deprived 0 to 10% areas according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children (IDACI) Index.

2.5.2: There is a deprivation supplement of 90p per hour for every child who lives in one of the most deprived 11 to 20% areas according to the IDACI Index.

2.6

The total amount that the setting will receive will be allocated on the basis of the child   data submitted at headcounts during the financial year.

2.7

Quality: (1.8% of the total budget)

2.8

There is a quality supplement lump sum of up to £4,000 to providers in the private, voluntary and independent sectors with a staff person leading practice who is an Early Years Teacher or Early Years Professional (EYP/EYT). The lump sum payment will be paid on a sliding scale, depending on the number of three and four year old children receiving their EYFE at the setting in the summer term 2024.

2.9

The quality lump sum is paid where an EYP/EYT is employed by the setting at the start of the 2024/25 financial year and evidence of this is provided by 17th May 2024. The payment will not be paid if an EYP/EYT joins the setting later in the financial year.

2.10

Quality supplement of 27p per hour to maintained schools with nursery classes where  there is a qualified teacher leading practice who is a member of the teachers’ pay and pension scheme. Maintained settings are not eligible for the quality lump sum.

3.1

The structure of the formula is set out below and was agreed by the Schools’ Forum in February 2024. The base rate is a 34.1% increase on the rate of £6.13 per hour for 2023/24 (excluding the one-off early years supplementary grant applied in September 2023).

4.1

The structure of the formula is set out below and was agreed by the Schools’ Forum in February 2024.

5.1

The structure of the formula is set out below and was agreed by the Schools’ Forum in February 2024. 

6.1

The local authority has a Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund (SENIF) to provide additional support to children with SEND to attend early years settings. The SENIF for 2024/25 is £1,289,700.

6.2

The rate for additional support is £11.42 per hour for EYFE hours for PVI providers   and £15.03 per hour for EYFE hours for maintained and local authority providers

7.1

EYPP is 68p per hour for qualifying children of all ages. Providers will be asked to provide information through the provider portal so that children’s eligibility can be checked.  Payments are made once a term. Eligibility for EYPP is set out in the DfE’s Operational Guidance.

8.1

DAF is £910 per year. Providers will be asked to provide information and evidence regarding eligible children through the provider portal. DAF is applied to eligible children of all ages. Payments are made once a term. Eligibility for DAF is set out in the DfE’s Operational Guidance.

9.1

The indicative budget provides an estimate of the level of EYFE funding for the universal 15 hours per week (38 weeks per year) for the financial year April 2024 to March 2025, as well as the extended 15 hours per week for three and four year olds, disadvantaged two year olds, two year olds from working families and nine month olds from working families (from September 2024). The basic hourly funding for three and four year olds and disadvantaged two year olds is based on actual child attendance at each provider in the previous year. For two year olds of working families and nine month olds of working families the estimate is based on census and provider data.

10.1 

The funding each provider will receive will be based on the actual child attendance at the headcount dates. The headcount dates will be the same for all providers. 

For 2024/25 these are provisionally:

• 2nd May 2024
• 26th September 2024
• 16th January 2025

10.2

Providers will be asked to make their termly headcount submissions through the Synergy portal.

11.1

Provisional payment dates for the 2024/25 financial year are:

• 5 April 2024 75% of EYSFF for the summer term based on estimate hours
• 13 June 2024 25% of EYSFF for the summer term adjusted for actual take-up and quality lump sum
• 6 September 2024 75% of EYSFF for the autumn term based on estimate hours
• 8 November 2024 25% of EYSFF for the autumn term adjusted for actual take-up
• 13 December 2024 75% of EYSFF for the spring term based on estimate hours
• 28 February 2025 25% of EYSFF for spring term adjusted for actual take-up

11.2

This arrangement should reflect actual take up of EYFE through the financial year while at the same time ensuring that providers are in receipt of a sufficient level of payment at the beginning of each term to protect sustainability. Please note adjustments made for variations in hours are calculated at the basic hourly rates.