Toolkit for Local Authorities: the Extension to the Free Early Education Entitlement Offer for 25 per cent of 3- and 4-Year-Olds

This is a toolkit of practical support and case studies to aide local authorities in rolling out the extension to the flexible extension to the free education entitlement offer to 25 per cent of the most disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds.

From September 2010, every local authority must offer 15 hours of free early education to all 3- and 4-year-olds, over a minimum of 38 weeks. That offer must be made available flexibly to meet parental demand over a minimum of three days. 

As a step towards that, from September 2009, all local authorities will be required to make the offer available to 25 per cent of their most disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds.

The materials in this toolkit should be read in conjunction with the Interim Guidance on the Extension to the Free Early Education Entitlement Offer for 25% of 3- and 4-year-olds published for local authorities in July 2008.

Local authorities will also want to be aware of the Interim Guidance on creating a Single Funding Formula to fund providers for delivering the offer to 3- and 4-year-olds as this will become a legal requirement from 2010.