If your child is 3 or 4 years old and receiving the universal 15 hours free childcare in Sandwell your childcare provider may be eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), if you meet the eligibility criteria.
The Early Years Pupil Premium is extra funding paid to your registered childcare provider to support your child/children's development, learning and care.
How will I know if my child is entitled?
Your child/children will be eligible if you are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits (same criteria used to access eligibility for free school meals):
Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child tax credit (but not working tax credit) and earn no more than £16,190 a year.
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop receiving Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit and earn no more than £7,400 a year
You may also be eligible if your child:
has been looked after by the Local Authority for at least one day;
has been adopted from care from the Local Authority
has left care from the Local Authority through special guardianship; or are subject to a child arrangement order setting out with whom the child is to live with in Sandwell (formerly known as residence orders).
If you are not in receipt of one of the above benefits/credits you will not be eligible to apply.
How do I apply for Early Years Pupil Premium funding?
If you completed a contract with your childcare provider, you should receive a letter from them, asking you to complete an Early Years Pupil Premium declaration form. If your child attends a local authority nursery school, you will also need to complete the declaration form which is available from the school. This form will be used to check your eligibility for the funding.
How do I receive the Early Years Pupil Premium?
The Early Years Pupil Premium is paid directly to your childcare provider as part of their normal funding claim.
How can the extra funds help my child?
This extra funding can be used in lots of ways to give them the best start in life and prepare them for full time school.
For example, the funding can be used to provide;
Specialist training for staff e.g. speech and language development
Extra or individual support in a particular learning area
Extra equipment to support particular development
Additional staffing or staff hours to enable further support for your child
Early years and childcare providers will have to demonstrate to Ofsted, the regulator of these services, how they have used these extra funds to support your child.
Will I be involved in how the money is being spent?
Your child's key person, as part of their ongoing communication, will continue to talk to you about your child's time in the setting.
What happens if my financial situation changes?
Once your child is eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium, they will remain so until they start reception.
For further information email earlyyears_team@sandwell.gov.uk