Book a private nursery tour and receive a personalised funded-hours eligibility check.
We’ll help you understand availability, 15/30 funded hours, Tax-Free Childcare and the best next step for your child — before you commit to anything.
Your child’s funded hours start here.
ME Montessori is registered to accept government funded childcare for children from 9 months to 5 years. Your funded entitlement covers the early education and childcare hours your child is eligible for. We then help you choose the meals, snacks and care essentials that make the nursery day feel simple, settled and consistent for your child.
What you’re entitled to
Government funded childcare has expanded significantly since 2024. Here is a clear breakdown of what is available and who qualifies.
Universal — all 3 & 4 year olds
Every child in England is entitled to 15 hours of funded early education per week, from the term after their third birthday. No employment test, no income limit — every family qualifies.
Extended — working parents of 3 & 4 year olds
If both parents (or the single parent in the household) are in work and earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum Wage, you may be entitled to 30 funded hours per week.
Working parents — from 9 months old
Since April 2024, eligible working parents can access funded hours from when their baby turns 9 months. From September 2025, this rises to up to 30 hours per week. ME Montessori enrols from 5 months.
2-year-old funding: Families receiving certain benefits (Universal Credit, Income Support, and others) may be eligible for 15 funded hours for their 2-year-old, regardless of employment. Check childcarechoices.gov.uk to see if you qualify.
How funded hours are offered at ME Montessori
Funded places are offered subject to availability in your child’s age group, staffing ratios and agreed session patterns. We will confirm your child’s funded-hours pattern before they start.
Families may use funded hours term-time only, or in some cases stretch their entitlement across more weeks of the year where this fits the nursery’s availability and your agreed sessions. Because ME Montessori is open 51 weeks per year, stretched funding can help create a more consistent weekly routine for families who need care outside school term dates.
We will always explain: how many funded hours your child can use each week, which sessions are available, whether your funding is term-time or stretched, and any non-funded hours or optional charges before you accept a place.
Funded hours that actually mean something.
At ME Montessori, your funded hours are not filler time. They are part of a structured Montessori curriculum, delivered by qualified practitioners who know your child as an individual.
Every session — whether it is a sensorial activity, a cooking experience, an outdoor exploration, or a music session — is planned against the EYFS framework and the Montessori sequence of learning. You are not just using your entitlement. You are investing it.
Montessori 0–5 curriculum EYFS delivery Key Person approach Ofsted GoodWhat happens during your funded hours
Your child will have a designated Key Person who tracks their development, plans for their individual next steps, and communicates with you daily. Funded hours at ME Montessori include:
- Montessori curriculum activities planned to your child’s stage of development
- Group and individual sessions led by qualified practitioners
- Daily observations recorded against EYFS areas of learning
- Progress summaries and regular parent communication
- Extra-curricular activities: cooking, music, art, and sports
Funded from 9 months — and we enrol from 5.
Since April 2024, eligible working parents can access government funded childcare from when their baby turns 9 months old. ME Montessori enrols children from 5 months — meaning we can welcome your baby before their entitlement begins and transition them seamlessly into funded hours when the time comes.
This is the most significant expansion of childcare support in a generation. From September 2025, the entitlement for working parents rises to up to 30 hours per week from 9 months through to school age.
At ME Montessori, these hours are spent in our infant room: small, calm, and designed around the Montessori principles of respectful care. Your baby is not just being looked after. They are beginning to learn.
From September 2025: Eligible working parents can access up to 30 funded hours per week for children from 9 months to 5 years old. If you are planning ahead, speak to us now — spaces are limited.
Meals, snacks, consumables and optional extras
Government funding covers your child’s early education and childcare hours. It does not automatically cover meals, snacks, consumables or optional extras. We explain these separately so families can make an informed choice, without hidden costs or pressure.
Many families choose our meals and consumables package because it keeps the day smooth: lunch is ready, snacks are provided, nappies and wipes are here, and children can take part in messy play, art and everyday Montessori activities without parents packing extra supplies each morning. At ME Montessori, we separate these charges clearly:
- Hot lunch: £7.50/day where chosen by funded-hours families.
- Snacks: included in our consumables package, or families may provide suitable snacks from home by arrangement.
- Consumables: £2 per funded hour where chosen, covering nappies, wipes, sunscreen, arts and crafts materials, messy-play resources and everyday care essentials.
- Optional extras: any additional activity, trip or service not covered by the funded entitlement will be explained and agreed in advance.
These charges are voluntary for funded-hours families and are not a condition of taking up a funded place. If you prefer to provide meals, snacks or consumables from home, speak with Management and we will agree a suitable arrangement in writing, taking account of health, safety, allergy and nursery operational requirements. Our aim is to keep the process fair, transparent and workable for your child’s day.
How to use your funded hours at ME Montessori
The process is straightforward. We will guide you at every step.
Check your eligibility
Visit childcarechoices.gov.uk to see which funded hours your family qualifies for. For the 30-hour or working parent entitlement, apply directly at gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare and you will receive an 11-digit eligibility code to share with us. Not sure which applies to you? Call or email us — our team will walk you through it.
Get in touch with us
Contact us to book a visit or request our fees and funding information. Tell us your child’s date of birth, the hours you are looking for, and whether you need term-time or stretched funding. We will confirm which term your entitlement starts, check availability for your child’s age group, and explain any meals, consumables, optional extras or non-funded hours before you accept a place — so you can decide with the full picture.
Share your eligibility code
If you are claiming extended or working parent hours, share your 11-digit code before the start of term. Codes must be renewed every 3 months via the HMRC portal — we will remind you when renewal is due so your funding is never interrupted.
Your child starts
We confirm the funded hours in your agreement, carry out your child’s settling-in sessions, and their Montessori journey begins. We manage all the local authority paperwork. You focus on the transition, not the admin.
Not sure where to start? We’ll help you.
Our team at ME Montessori is experienced in guiding families through the funded hours process from start to finish. We know which codes you need, which deadlines apply to your child’s birthday, and how to make sure your entitlement is confirmed before your child’s first day. You do not need to figure it out alone — just reach out and we will take it from there.
Where your funded hours lead.
The children who leave ME Montessori are confident, independent, and genuinely ready for school. Our annual graduation ceremony is not a marketing event. It is the visible proof of what purposeful, Montessori-led early education achieves over three years.
Your funded hours are not just free childcare. They are a foundation. Use them somewhere they will count.
Book a Visit
Ready to register your funded hours?
Spaces are limited. We are enrolling now for children from 9 months to 5 years. Reach out and we will walk you through everything.
Book a Visit Email Us 07873 403672