Early education and childcare
Early years funding rates
The following rates will be paid to all providers who have signed the Local Agreement to offer the Early Education entitlement to families in Norfolk from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Early Education
under 2's
Base Rate: £10.47 per hour
2-year olds
Base Rate: £7.72 per hour
3 and 4-year olds
Base Rate: £5.78 per hour
Deprivation Supplement
The supplement will be calculated on the total number of funded hours for all children whose home address postcode is in a 0-20% most deprived area determined by the index of deprivation (IDACI)*
Rate: £0.21 per hour
* The index of deprivation - IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) is calculated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It measures the proportion of children under the age of 16 that live-in low-income households.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
This is extra funding paid to childcare providers for all eligible children that meet certain criteria. Once eligible, the funding will not cease whilst the child is in receipt of early education.
Rate: £1.15 per hour (national rate)
Please see the Early years pupil premium page for more information.
Disability Access Fund (DAF)
This is extra funding available to childcare providers for children in receipt of of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Families must nominate the provider (via the parent/carer claim form) to receive the funding and provide evidence that DLA is received by their child.
Rate: £975.00 annually (national rate)
Please see the Disability Access Fund page for more information
SEN Funding
The total fund is £3,574,660.
This funding is available to all providers to claim for children in receipt of early education with special educational needs (SEN). Providers are encouraged to apply where SEN has been identified, and families have consented for the provider to claim. The level of need may range from low and emerging to more complex /medical need. It is not necessary to have a formal diagnosis or EHCP to access this funding.
Awards are calculated using the number of early education (EE) hours funded by the local authority multiplied by the rate for the agreed outcome. The award will be automatically adjusted if the claim for early education hours increases or decreases or an EHCP is issued and an award of low and emerging was determined.
| Outcome | 3&4-year-old funding (per EE hour) | 2-year-old funding (per EE hour) | under 2-year-old funding (per EE hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical | £6.50 | £4.80 | £2.50 |
| Complex | £6.50 | £4.80 | £2.50 |
| Low & Emerging | up to £2.50 | up to £2.00 | up to £1.10 |
To avoid an under or overspend of the fund, the low and emerging rates may be subject to change.
If you are concerned about the level of additional funding received following the panel outcome, please email [email protected] with your reasons so that your application can be checked.
Need help?
Should you require any further assistance please contact:
Early Years Finance Team
Tel: 01603 222300
Email: [email protected]
