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Government Funding

The deepest funding engine
in UK nursery software

20 DfE-aligned capabilities that no spreadsheet — and no competitor — can match. Every scheme, every rule, every edge case handled automatically. Accurate to the penny.

Funding types explained

nursery.click supports every DfE-funded entitlement scheme. Each type has its own eligibility rules, weekly caps, and allocation priority.

Universal 15 hours

Available to all 3- and 4-year-olds from the term after their third birthday. 15 hours per week, 38 weeks per year (or stretched across 52 weeks). No eligibility code required.

Working Parent Entitlement (WPE)

Extended 30 hours for working parents. From September 2025, eligible from 9 months old. Requires a valid eligibility code verified through the DfE portal. Adds 15 hours on top of the universal entitlement.

FEET

Free Early Education and Training for disadvantaged 2-year-olds. FEET is always allocated before WPE when both apply, ensuring the most vulnerable children receive their entitlement first.

Automatic allocation engine

When a child has funded hours, nursery.click automatically allocates them across booked sessions using DfE rules. No manual calculations, no spreadsheets.

Cheapest-session-first

Funded hours are allocated to the cheapest sessions first, maximising the value of each funded hour and minimising the parent's out-of-pocket cost.

FEET priority over WPE

When a child qualifies for both FEET and WPE, FEET hours are always allocated first — exactly as DfE requires. No manual override needed.

Weekly cap enforcement

Funded hours are capped at the weekly maximum (15 or 30 hours depending on entitlement). The system never over-allocates, even across complex booking patterns.

Session time constraints

Funding only applies between 06:00 and 20:00, with a maximum of 10 funded hours per day. Sessions outside these windows are automatically excluded from funding.

Stretch funding across 52 weeks

Many nurseries operate year-round but funding is allocated for 38 weeks. Stretch funding spreads the entitlement across all 52 weeks so parents pay a consistent amount each month.

How stretch works

Instead of 15 hours × 38 weeks = 570 hours in term time, stretch mode distributes 570 hours across 52 weeks — giving approximately 10.96 hours per week year-round. The system tracks cumulative usage against the annual entitlement and adjusts automatically.

nursery.click handles the maths for you: weekly stretched caps, per-period burn-down tracking, and accurate invoice deductions whether you operate term-time-only or all year round.

Verification workflow

For extended entitlements (WPE), parents must provide an eligibility code. nursery.click tracks the full verification lifecycle:

  • Parent submits eligibility code via the parent app
  • Staff verify the code against the DfE portal
  • System records verification date and expiry
  • Automatic reconfirmation reminders before expiry
  • Grace period applied if reconfirmation lapses

Grace period handling

When a parent's eligibility lapses, DfE Table A defines grace periods that allow funding to continue temporarily. nursery.click implements this automatically:

  • Grace period dates calculated from DfE Table A rules
  • Funding continues during the grace period
  • Staff notified when grace period is approaching expiry
  • Funding stops automatically when grace period ends
  • Full audit trail of eligibility status changes

More funding capabilities

Per-block funding display

Every booking block shows exactly how many funded hours are allocated, what funding type applies, and the remaining parent charge. Complete transparency at a glance.

Proforma funding estimates

Before the month starts, proforma invoices project how much funding will be deducted based on scheduled bookings. Parents see their estimated cost upfront — no surprises.

Multi-provider split

When a child attends multiple settings, nursery.click tracks your nursery's share of the funded hours. The system respects the total weekly cap across all providers.

Parent self-service funding requests

Parents submit their own funding claims and eligibility codes through the parent app. No phone calls, no paper forms, no staff time wasted on data entry.

Audit-ready compliance

Full burn-down tracking per funding period, itemised funding deductions on every invoice, verification audit trails, and exportable compliance reports your local authority will love.

Real-time funding dashboard

See funding usage across all children at a glance. Track burn-down rates, identify children approaching their cap, and spot verification issues before they become problems.

Stop losing funded hours to spreadsheet errors

DfE-compliant funding automation is included in every plan. Start your 30-day free trial and see the difference.

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