Schools, early years and childcare

Nursery education for three and four year-olds

Medway Council will fund up to five part-time sessions each week, during school term time, for children attending any one of over 120 registered pre-schools and nurseries or an accredited childminder in Medway. These funded sessions will usually be for two and a half hours each session.

How to claim the funding

Funding automatically carries on until a child starts school. Parents or carers do not need a voucher or to register their child with the council. At the beginning of each new term, the childcare provider gives the council a list of all the children attending who are of the eligible age and payment is made directly to the childcare provider's bank account.

Children who attend for more than two and a half hours per week

If a child attends a day nursery or pre-school that opens for longer sessions, the funding can be used to reduce the normal amount that would be paid. The day nursery supervisor can advise exactly how much the normal fee will be reduced. Medway Family Information Service can give advice on day nursery or pre-schools that do not request additional charges. Those that do should make this clear to parents and carers at their initial visit.

When are children old enough?

Children who change nursery

If a child changes the nursery group they attend, the payment to the new group will begin at the start of the following term.

Quality of education

Schools, pre-schools and nurseries that provide nursery education are inspected regularly by Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education). Parents and carers can ask the supervisor to see a summary of the latest report (www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports). All groups provide a foundation stage curriculum that will lead to children achieving the Early Learning Goals (www.qca.org.uk/qca_5984.aspx) by the beginning of Year 1 at school.

How to get a list of pre-schools and day nurseries that offer free education

You can get a list of pre-schools and day nurseries from Medway Family Information Service by using the contact information below or by visiting the Childcare website (www.childcarelink.gov.uk/medway).

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