Fees

The 15 hours of funded childcare is a government scheme to support working families in England by providing access to early education and care. From September 2025, eligible families with children aged from 9 months will be entitled to 15 hours per week during term time (38 weeks per year).

To qualify, each parent (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) must:

• Be working and earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage, and

• Have an individual income under £100,000 per year

For more information and updates on eligibility, please visit the official Childcare Choices website.

Sherfield School will begin offering the 15 funded hours from September 2025, in line with the government’s childcare reforms.

Your child can access the funding from the term after they turn 9 months old (1 September, 1 January or 1 April). The funding is not tied to the academic year. For example, if your child turns 9 months on 29 August 2025, they will be eligible from 1 September 2025. If your child turns 9 months on 25 November 2025, you will be eligible from 1 January 2026. If your child turns 9 months on 5 January 2026, they will be eligible from 1 April 2026.

From September 2025, Sherfield will deliver the funded hours as morning sessions only, during term time (38 weeks per year).

• Morning sessions: 8:00am – 1:00pm (funded hours)

• Afternoon sessions: 1:00pm – 6:00pm (chargeable)

We have built our Early Years daily structure around this model to provide consistent care and high-quality education.

The 15 hours are funded by the government, but not all costs are covered. Additional charges will apply for:

• Consumables (e.g. food, nappies, enrichment activities)

• Extended care (e.g. afternoon sessions, breakfast club)

These extras are optional but may enhance your child’s daily experience.

No. The government funding will apply only to morning sessions (8:00am–1:00pm). Afternoon sessions (1:00pm–6:00pm) are chargeable as per our fee schedule and cannot be offset using the funded hours.

Yes. While the standard funding is based on 15 hours over 38 weeks, Sherfield offers the option to stretch the hours over more weeks if your child attends year-round. This helps spread the funding more evenly if you prefer longer-term provision.

We offer a Breakfast Club from 7:30am to 8:00am, available for a limited number of children. This is chargeable and must be booked in advance each term. Continental breakfast will be served in the Early Years rooms, including for Pre-Reception children.

Afternoon care runs from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and is also chargeable, with a structured programme of learning, play, rest and enrichment.

Eligible families will need to apply via the government’s Childcare Choices portal and obtain a valid eligibility code.

• You must reconfirm your eligibility every three months

• For funding to begin in September 2025, your eligibility must be confirmed by 31 August 2025

• A Sherfield declaration form must also be completed and returned to us by 30 June 2025. The form is sent to current and prospective parents once they are registered.

At present, Sherfield will offer only the 15 funded hours. We are keeping this under review as government policy and our own provision develops.

Eligible families will see a reduction in fees for the funded morning sessions. However, please note that:

• Charges for additional care and services will still apply

• The new fee structure reflects both funded and non-funded elements
  A full fee schedule is available above.

We’re here to support you. If you have any questions about eligibility, funding, or how the changes may affect you, please get in touch. We’ll also keep families updated as more guidance becomes available.

The government has confirmed that the full 20% VAT rate will be applied to private school fees, excluding the provision of education in a nursery class, starting in January 2025.

Due to robust governance and financial management, we are pleased to announce that we will protect our families from any fee increases until September 2025. This reflects EiM’s commitment to supporting our community and minimising disruption to our pupils' education. Our goal is to provide the highest quality education while also considering the financial well-being of our families.

Following detailed analysis and forecasting, our school fees for the 2025-2026 academic year will increase by 12%. This includes:

• 3% linked to inflationary costs (e.g., minimum wage and national insurance adjustments).

• 9% for a partial recovery of VAT on school fees.

We are taking every possible step to mitigate the impact of VAT and are proceeding with caution as we assess its full effects.

The updated schedule of fees is available to download at the top of this page.

No, the introduction of VAT will not hinder investment in the school. We remain committed to upgrading our facilities and enhancing the learning environment for our pupils. The master plan for further improvements is actively being developed.

We will continue to work closely with the Board and EiM to address the implications of the VAT changes over the coming years. Updates will be communicated promptly and transparently as new information and decisions emerge.

If you have any questions, please contact our finance team at finance@sherfieldschool.co.uk.