Tax-Free Childcare & Vouchers
In addition to funded hours, HappyWoods is registered to accept Tax-Free Childcare payments. For every £8 you pay into this online account, the government will add £2, up to £2,000 per child per year. We also happily accept legacy Employer Childcare Vouchers. Both of these options can be used alongside your 15 or 30 funded hours to significantly reduce your monthly fees.
Nursery Funding & Fees
1. Government Funded Hours Breakdown
We offer both the Universal 15 hours funding available to all children from the term after their third birthday, and the Extended 30 hours for eligible working parents. Our team helps you navigate the difference to ensure you maximize your government support effectively.
2. Working Parent Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for working parent funding usually requires both parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) to be working and each earning at least the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the National Minimum or Living Wage.
The maximum income threshold is currently £100,000 adjusted net income per parent per year. This criterion applies across the expanded 15-hour funding for 9-month-olds and 2-year-olds, as well as the 30-hour extended entitlement for 3 and 4-year-olds.
To claim these hours, parents must verify eligibility through the government portal to secure an 11-digit code. This code must then be shared with Happy Woods and re-verified every three months to ensure continuous funding support.
Find out which government-funded hours, working parent support, and Tax-Free Childcare savings you qualify for in under a minute using our integrated tool.
3. How Stretched Funding Works at Happy Woods
At Happy Woods, we ‘stretch’ your 15 or 30 funded hours over 51 weeks of the year. Instead of receiving hours only during term time, this ensures you get consistent savings on your monthly invoice year-round, making family budgeting much simpler and more predictable.
4. Additional Savings & Payment Schemes
Maximize your savings by using Tax-Free Childcare. For every £8 you pay into your account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 per child per year. We also accept all legacy Employer Childcare Vouchers and offer a 5% sibling discount to support our families.
5. How & When to Apply
You should apply for your funding code at least one month before the term starts. Once you have your 11-digit eligibility code from Childcare Choices, share it with our Admissions team to secure your funded place.
6. Our Transparent Fees & Consumables Standard
We believe in total transparency. Our daily rates cover all high-quality meals, snacks, and wipes. For funded hours, a small consumables charge applies to maintain our high standards of organic nutrition and nature-based resources. Detailed fee sheets for each of our nursery locations are available upon request.