The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) — Explained

Improving Education for Disadvantaged 3- & 4-Year-Olds

If your child is aged 3 or 4 and fits the eligibility requirements, they could benefit from up to £342 per year* in extra support through the Early Years Pupil Premium (‘EYPP’). In essence, the scheme is designed to level the playing field in children’s early years education if they are disadvantaged in one or more specific ways.

What is the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)?

The Early Years Pupil Premium is a UK Government scheme that provides additional funding to early years providers to support 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families as well as from some other types of disadvantaged background.

For those that are eligible, the EYPP funding is in addition to the more regular funding schemes available to children of their age.

How is the EYPP Funding Used?

The EYPP funding is intended to help close the gap in development and school readiness between children from low-income families and their more affluent or advantaged peers. Early years providers will use the EYPP funding to provide additional support and resources that enhance the learning and development of those specific, disadvantaged, children under their care. It may be used solely for an individual child or pooled to support a group of eligible children with similar support needs.

Providers can use the funding in a variety of ways to support the children in their care. Examples include:

• Hiring additional staff to provide one-to-one support;
• Covering extra hours worked by existing staff working to support eligible children;
• Providing extra resources (e.g. books, loan libraries, specific equipment etc.) to enhance learning and development;
• Offering additional activities and even trips to extend children’s experiences where such would be deemed advantageous;
• Supporting children with additional needs or disabilities;
• Providing improved training/professional development to staff involved in helping affected children;
• Providing support to children when approaching the time when they transition to school;
• Providing home visits in some circumstances (e.g. where a deeper understanding of the child’s home life may help them settle at the childcare setting);
• Providing information (e.g. leaflets, diagrams, even videos for the parents of the supported child).

Early years providers will need to demonstrate that the extra support has, indeed, been used in an appropriate way for the benefit of the child(ren) whom it was intended to support. This will be checked by Ofsted during their inspections.

How is the EYPP Funding Paid?

The EYPP funding is paid by local authorities direct to early years providers such as nurseries, pre-schools, and childminders. It is paid on behalf of specific, eligible children and can only be paid to effective Ofsted-registered providers. It should be noted that, should the child move to a different early years provider for any reason, the funding would ‘follow’ them to the new provider. N.B. They would need to fit eligibility as a provider.

Eligibility Requirements for EYPP Funding

To be eligible for the EYPP funding, a child must meet certain criteria:

• Eligible children should be aged 3 or 4;
• The provider that receives the funding on behalf of the child must be an Ofsted-registered early years provider;
• The family should be in receipt of at least one of a list of specific benefits or tax credits, or have a low income or …
• Alternatively, the child may be under the care of a local authority in England or Wales, or have left that care via an Adoption Order, Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order.

Eligibility will need to be re-checked each year to ensure that criteria are still being met.

How to Apply for the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

After checking eligibility, interested families or guardians can either contact their local authority or contact an eligible childcare provider. (If you are in Streatham, contact Little Cedars Nursery using one of the coloured buttons below). Either way, ask about the EYPP funding and the process for applying for it. You will then be guided through the application process and will be provided information about any documentation that is required. The approval process can take some time, so parents should be patient while they wait for a decision. Once the application is approved, the provider will start using the EYPP funding to provide additional support and resources to the child.

To Sum Up:

The EYPP can play an important role in providing targeted support to some disadvantaged children, helping to close the gap in learning, development and school readiness.

Little Cedars Nursery — High Quality Childcare in Streatham

Little Cedars Nursery provides high quality nursery and pre-school places for under-fives in Streatham, London SW16. We support all Government schemes for free childcare for eligible children aged from 3 months to five years and would be happy to discuss options with parents/guardians.

Would you like to reserve a childcare place for your child at Little Cedars Nursery? If so, or if you have questions or would like to see the nursery in action, please get started using an appropriate button below.

Based in Streatham, Little Cedars is a nursery and pre-school that’s conveniently close to Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury, Colliers Wood, West Norwood, Wandsworth, Clapham and Brixton.

^{* Details correct at time of writing (January 2023). E&OE.}