ℹ️ We’ve collated this information based on publicly available data and will review this article regularly.
🎯 Overview of Entitlements
Surrey County Council offers funded early education entitlements for children aged 9 months to 4 years. The following entitlements are available:
Age Group | Entitlement Type | Max Hours per Year | Max Hours per Week |
9-23 Month olds | Working Parent Entitlement | 1140 | 30 |
2-Year-Olds | FEET (Funded early education for 2 year olds) | 570 | 15 |
2-Year-Olds | Working Parent Entitlement | 1140 | 30 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Universal Entitlement | 570 | 15 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Extended (Working Parent) | +570 | +15 |
👶 Eligibility & Types of Funding
Children can start using funding the term after they turn the relevant age. Here are the eligible date of birth ranges for the current and upcoming terms:
Term | 9 - 23 month olds | 2 year olds | 3 - 4 year olds | School eligible 4 year olds |
Autumn 2025 | 01/09/2023 to 30/11/2024 | 01/09/2022 to 31/08/2023 | 01/09/2021 to 31/08/2022 | 01/09/2020 to 31/08/2021 |
Spring 2026 | 01/01/2024 to 31/03/2025 | 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023 | 01/09/2021 to 31/12/2022 | 01/01/2021 to 31/08/2021 |
Summer 2026 | 01/04/2024 to 30/06/2025 | 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024 | 01/09/2021 to 31/03/2023 | 01/04/2021 to 31/08/2021 |
Eligibility & Application Process
Process depends on age and household income
Parents should use the Best Start in Life eligibility checker
For full eligibility criteria and links to apply, see our Eligibility article here
For Funded early education for 2 year olds, parents can apply here
📝 How to Register for Funding
How to apply
How long does registration take?
Surrey county council says that registration can be completed within a short time frame
Bank details
Provide the bank details on the BACS form as linked to your unique funding account in your tiney app under Business settings > Local authority funding.
🏦 Funding Rates
Funding rates (effective April 2025)
Age Group | Entitlement Type | Base Hourly Rate |
9-23 Month olds | Working Parent Entitlement | £12.89 |
2-Year-Olds | FEET (Funded early education for 2 year olds) | £9.01 |
2-Year-Olds | Working Parent Entitlement | £9.01 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Universal Entitlement | £6.25 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Extended (Working Parent) | £6.25 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Deprivation Supplements | £ variable based on eligibility |
All | EYPP (capped at 15 hours) | £1.00 |
📅 Term Dates & Key Dates
See Surrey’s childminder calendar and payment schedule for 2025-2026 here.
Term dates and funded weeks
Term Dates and Funded Weeks
Term Dates and Funded Weeks
| Funded Weeks (Term-Time Only) | Headcount Week | |
Autumn 2025 | 08/09/2025 - 19/12/2025 | 14 | 16/09/2025 - 22/09/2025 |
Spring 2026 | 05/01/2026 - 27/03/2026 | 11 | 16/01/2026 - 22/01/2026 |
Summer 2026 | 13/04/2026 - 17/07/2026 | 13 | 16/04/2026 - 22/05/2026 |
Headcount Week
Headcount Week
The term’s funding is based on headcount week. In order to submit a claim for the term, providers must be open and offer funding during the designated headcount week.
Child attendance is required. Children should attend for their full funded hours during headcount week unless they are ill or on holiday.
Keep evidence. Providers must keep evidence of illness or holiday, such as an email or text from the parent, for compliance.
Contact the LA if a child does not return. If a child is ill or on holiday and doesn't return, providers must contact Surrey to reduce the claim before payment is made.
No claim can be made if a child leaves before headcount week. However, if a signed Parental Declaration form is in place, the provider can submit an appeal to Surrey to be funded for the weeks the child did attend.
How to claim for a stretched placement
How to claim for a stretched placement
In Surrey, all funding is claimed on a term-time basis only. Providers can still choose to stretch the funded entitlement themselves. Surrey have issued guidance on offering stretched funding which is available here. We have a help centre article here which explains how stretching funding works.
You can access support with reconciliation of hours from the Funded Early Education Team by emailing fundedearlyeducation@surreycc.gov.uk
Surrey also suggest using the Stretched funding tracker to show how many hours will be delivered and claimed for each child per funded period. You can request this tracker by contacting the Early Years Commissioning team by emailing eycommissioningteam@surreycc.gov.uk
📤 Headcount Submissions
Headcount submissions are required termly. There are three main headcount types each term:
Estimate task
Headcount task
Mid term joiner or leaver
More guidance on the Surrey website here.
Headcount dates
Autumn 2025
Autumn 2025
Task Type | Task opens | Task closes | Payment 1 by | Payment 2 by |
Estimate | 02/06/2025 | 06/07/2025 | 31/08/2025 | - |
Headcount | 16/09/2025 | 22/09/2025 | 15/10/2025 | - |
Mid-term Joiner or Leaver | 01/10/2025 | 31/12/2025 | 14/11/2025* | - |
*Payments for mid-term joiners/leavers are processed monthly. See follow on payment schedule on the Surrey website for specific payment dates based on submission deadlines.
Spring 2026
Spring 2026
Task Type | Task opens | Task closes | Payment 1 by | Payment 2 by |
Estimate | 03/11/2025 | 07/12/2025 | 31/12/2025 | - |
Headcount | 16/01/2026 | 22/01/2026 | 16/02/2026 | - |
Mid-term Joiner or Leaver | 01/02/2026 | 31/03/2026 | 16/03/2026* | - |
*Payments for mid-term joiners/leavers are processed monthly. See follow on payment schedule on the Surrey website for specific payment dates based on submission deadlines.
Summer 2026
Summer 2026
Task Type | Task opens | Task closes | Payment 1 by | Payment 2 by |
Estimate | 23/02/2026 | 15/03/2026 | 31/03/2026 | - |
Headcount | 16/04/2026 | 22/04/2026 | 15/05/2026 | - |
Mid-term Joiner or Leaver | 01/05/2026 | 31/08/2026 | 15/06/2026* | - |
*Payments for mid-term joiners/leavers are processed monthly. See follow on payment schedule on the Surrey website for specific payment dates based on submission deadlines.
💷 Payments
Payment dates are listed on the Funded early education useful dates 2025 to 2026 page on the Surrey website here.
Payments will be made based on which headcount tasks are completed, and the number of children claimed in them.
📚 Key Documents & Guidance
Provider agreement from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026: here
Parent declaration form and more form types: here
🔗 Links & Contacts
Contact type | Email Address |
Funded Early Education Team | |
Early Years Commissioning Team | |
Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team | |
The Early Years Additional Needs & Disabilities (AN&D) Team | North East: sectorNE@surreycc.gov.uk South East: sectorSE@surreycc.gov.uk South West: sectorSW@surreycc.gov.uk North West: sectorNW@surreycc.gov.uk |