Free places and fees
Free places and fees
Many families can get free childcare hours with us. Here's who can get them, how to apply, and what our fees are.
Three quick questions
Which free hours could you get?
Tell us a little about your family and we'll show you what you could probably get, with the official links to check and apply.
A guide, not a decisionGOV.UK or Liverpool City Council make the final decision.
Answer the questions to see a guide.
It only takes a moment, and nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere.
You could get up to 30 free hours
Working families can get up to 30 hours a week from the term after their child turns 9 months. We take children from age 1, so ask us which funded hours we can offer before you apply on GOV.UK.
Probably no free hours at this age
Free hours for 1-year-olds are for working families. Look again when your child turns 2 (if your family gets extra support) or 3 (every child gets 15 hours).
It depends on your work
If you (and your partner) are working, you could get up to 30 hours a week. The GOV.UK checker will tell you in a few minutes.
You could get up to 30 free hours
Working families can get up to 30 hours a week for 2-year-olds. Ask us which funded hours we can offer, then apply on GOV.UK and give us your code.
You could get 15 free hours
Some 2-year-olds get 15 hours a week, from the term after their 2nd birthday, when the family gets certain support. That is two of our full days. The council checks this.
Probably no free hours just yet
From the term after your child turns 3, every child gets 15 free hours. Your child can still join our waiting list now. It is usually several months long, so we recommend joining up to a year ahead.
You might get 15 or 30 hours
Working families can get 30 hours. Families who get certain support can get 15. Check both, or ask us and we will help.
You could get up to 30 free hours
Every 3 and 4-year-old gets 15 hours, and working families can get 15 more. That is about four of our full days, in term time.
Your child can get 15 free hours
Every 3 and 4-year-old in England gets 15 hours a week, from the term after their 3rd birthday. It does not matter whether you work. That is two of our full days.
At least 15 free hours, maybe 30
Every 3 and 4-year-old gets 15 hours. If you (and your partner) are working, you could get 30. The GOV.UK checker will tell you.
Work out your fees
Pick your child's age, days and any funded hours, and we'll estimate what you'd pay.
Estimate: we'll confirm your exact fees
5 days × £0.00 = £0.00 a week
Your 0 funded hours take off £0.00
You'd pay about £0.00 a week
About £0.00 a month, spread over the year
Ask us about Tax-Free Childcare.
Free hours we accept
We take every kind of government funding, over 38 weeks of the year to match our term-time days.
15 hours for all 3 and 4-year-olds
Every 3 and 4-year-old in England can get 15 free hours a week, for 38 weeks of the year. It doesn't matter whether you work. Your child can start from the term after their third birthday.
Liverpool City Council: free early learning for 3 and 4-year-olds30 hours for working parents
Working families can get up to 30 free hours a week for children from 9 months old, right up to starting school. We take children from age 1. Ask us which funded hours we can offer for your child's age. You apply online to the government and get a code to give us. You need to reconfirm your details every 3 months.
Check if you can get 30 hours (GOV.UK)15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds
Some 2-year-olds can get 15 free hours a week, for example if your family gets certain kinds of support. Check with Liverpool City Council or ask us and we'll help you find out.
Free childcare for 2-year-olds (GOV.UK)Tax-Free Childcare and vouchers
We accept Tax-Free Childcare, where the government adds £2 for every £8 you pay in. We also accept childcare vouchers.
About Tax-Free Childcare (GOV.UK)Term time only
We follow the term-time offer: funded hours are used over 38 weeks of the year, matching our term-time opening.
How to apply
Check what you can get. Use the links above. For 30 hours, apply on GOV.UK and you'll get an 11-digit code.
Tell us. When we offer your child a place, we'll ask for proof of your funding (for example, your 30-hours code).
We do the rest. We claim the funding from Liverpool City Council for you.
Not sure what you can get? Ask us. We're happy to help.
2026/27 fees
What a day costs
We offer full days only, 8:30am to 4pm, in term time.
We review our fees every September. You pay by bank transfer.
Ask us how your funded hours fit around our full-day sessions.
- Bank transfer
- Tax-Free Childcare
- Childcare vouchers
- Funded hours
| Age | Session | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 years | Full day8:30am–4pm | £52.00 |
| 3–5 years | Full day8:30am–4pm | £51.00 |
Extras
These are the only other costs. Anything marked voluntary is your choice.
| Extra | Cost | Do you have to pay? |
|---|---|---|
| Snack contribution (funded places)Voluntary. Covers healthy snacks, milk and water. You do not have to pay it to take up your funded hours. | 90p a day | No, it's voluntary |
| Late collectionCharged if a child is collected more than 5 minutes after 4:00pm. | £5.00 | Only if it applies |
- Lunch: please send a packed lunch from home. There is no charge for lunch.
No compulsory charges.
Funded hours are free. There are no compulsory charges for funded places. The 90p snack contribution is voluntary: you do not have to pay it, and it will never affect your child's funded place.
This follows the Department for Education's rules for funded early education.
Discounts?
We don't offer a sibling discount, but brothers and sisters of children already at the nursery get priority on our waiting list.
Questions about fees?
Contact us. We're happy to talk it through.
Our office team reads messages on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and will reply then.