Education and childcare

Entitlements

Funded childcare for children aged 9 months to 4 years – for working families

You may be able to get funded childcare for your child aged 9 months to 4 years old if you live in England and are working.

The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on:

• your child’s age and circumstances
• whether you’re working (employed, self-employed, or a director)
• your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• your immigration status.

Currently children aged between 9 months and 2 years old will be entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare and children aged 3 and 4 will be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare (the universal 15 hour entitlement plus this 15 hour working parent entitlement)

From September 2025, all working families eligible for this entitlement, will be able to access 30 hours of funded childcare from 9 months.

For more information, please visit Check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working.

15 hours of funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds – universal entitlement for ALL children

All children that live in the UK are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare from the term following their third birthday.

For more information, please visit Help paying for childcare.

Entitlements - Additional Charges

The Government funded hours are intended to cover the cost to deliver free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services so you may have to pay additional charges. Please speak to your childcare provider about this.

Applying for Funded Childcare For Working Parents in England

For more information of when to apply, please visit Apply for free childcare if you're working.

Each term has an application deadline, please see below:

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your funded childcare can start.

If you are starting a new job more than 31 days from now, you may still be eligible to apply. Please visit Apply for free childcare if you're working.

If you can apply now but are more than 31 days away from starting a new job, please contact us on 0300 123 4097 to access your code.

If you are eligible, you must reconfirm your details every 3 months, or your eligibility code will expire.

15 hours of funded childcare for 2 year olds – for families that are in receipt of additional support

If you have a 2 year old and you claim certain benefits, you may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare.

For more information, please visit Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds.

Support with childcare costs

Universal Credit

You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit.

You (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either:

• be working - it does not matter how many hours you or your partner work
• have a job offer.

For more information, please visit Help with childcare costs.

Tax-Free Childcare

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider. You can use it to pay for childminders, nurseries, after school clubs and play schemes.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 15 or 30 hours funded childcare if you’re eligible for both.

Your child must be 11 or under and usually lives with you.

For more information, please visit Tax-free childcare.

Contact Details

Organiser: Early Years Funding Team

Telephone Numbers: 0161 253 6917

Email Address: earlyyearsfunding@bury.gov.uk

Information about the support which is available for children and young people 0-25 years old, with a sensory impairment.

Service Overview

Bury Vision and Hearing Impairment\Deaf Education service supports children and young people, 0-25 years old, with sensory impairment:

• Hearing Impairment
• Visual Impairment
• Multi-Sensory Impairment

How to access the service

Children and young people are usually referred to the service through clinical settings (Ophthalmology and Audiology). The service provides support, advice and information to families and education providers. Training is offered to mainstream staff, and the service works closely with other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children and young people.

This guidance refers to and should be read in conjunction with:

• DFE Alternative Provision Statutory guidance for local authorities 2013
• DFE Statutory guidance for Exclusion and Suspensions 2023What is Alternative Provision?

The DFE define Alternative Provisions as follows:

• Education arranged by local authorities for pupils who because of exclusion, illness or other reasons would not otherwise receive suitable education.
• Education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion.
• Education for pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour

What is Good Alternative Provision

Good alternative provision is that which appropriately meets the needs of pupils which require its use and enables them to achieve good educational attainment on par with mainstream peers. The provision will differ from pupil to pupil, and many will access provision on a part-time provision to compliment a core curriculum delivered in school whilst others may require full-time provision. However, there are some common elements that alternative provision should aim to achieve and the DFE guidance identifies these as:

• good academic attainment on par with mainstream schools – particularly in English, maths and science (including ICT) – with appropriate accreditation and qualifications.
• that the specific personal, social and academic needs of pupils are properly identified and met in order for them to help to overcome any barriers to attainment.
• Improved pupil motivation and self-confidence, attendance and engagement with education; and
• Clearly defined objectives, including the next steps following the placement such as reintegration in to mainstream education, further education, training or employment. 

DFE Registration Requirements

Alternative Provision can be registered with the DFE of unregistered. The DFE guidance states that a provider should be registered as an independent school if it meets the criteria for registration are that it provides full-time (over 17 hours) education for:

•  five or more pupils of compulsory school age.
• one or more pupils of compulsory school age with an education, health and care plan or
• one or more pupils of compulsory school age who are looked after.

Full time is considered to be more than 17 hours and includes any transport that the provider is providing.

Where a provider does not meet these criteria, for example, by providing only part-time education there is no requirement to register. Schools can use unregistered Alternative Provision bit should assure themselves through their due diligence and quality assurance that a provider is not operating illegally. If schools suspect that a provider is operating as an unregistered provider and is in breach of the conditions outlined above, please contact N.Bell@Bury.Gov.uk to discuss further.

Powers of schools to direct a pupil off-site for education to improve behaviour.

The DFE Suspension and Exclusion Guidance 2023 sets out schools’ powers to use off-site direction.

The guidance states that:

• Where interventions or targeted support have not been successful in improving a pupil’s behaviour, off site direction should be used to arrange time limited placements at alternative provision or another mainstream school.
• During the off-site direction the pupil must be dual registered
• Code B should be used if the provision is an approved educational activity that does not involve the pupil being registered at any other school.
• Depending on the needs and circumstances of the pupil, off-site direction into alternative provision can be full-time or a combination of part-time support in alternative provision and continued mainstream education.
• A proposed maximum period of time should be discussed and agreed as part of the planning and alternative options should be considered, as part of the planning, upon review of the time limit.
• The governing body must show regard to Alternative Provision: Statutory guidance for local authorities, headteachers and governing bodies.
• For maintained schools the governing body must ensure that parents are provided with written notification about the placement. For pupils with an EHC plan the local authority can request, in writing, that the governing body hold a review meeting. When this happens, the governing body must comply unless a review meeting has taken place within the last 10 weeks.
• The governing body must ensure that the school ensures regular review meetings that parents are invited to.
• Any other agencies that may be working with the young person such as pupil’s social worker, CAMHS, CST, YOY, should be invited to all review meetings to ensure a coherent plan is in place to meet the young person’s needs.
• The governing body must provide written notification of their decision as to whether the requirement to maintain the placement should continue and if so, for what period of time

The Bury Alternative Provision Directory

Bury has an established framework of alternative education providers which is renewed on a regular basis. Providers on the framework are subject to a procurement process and annual due diligence checks. 

• Where the provision is being directly commissioned by the Local Authority this must follow the correct internal processes and the provider mut be on the directory.
• Schools may use providers on the framework but can also commission other providers.

The Directory is intended to make it easier to identity providers within the area and to match provision to need and is arranged into six “Lots”

1. Full-time Secondary Alternative Provision
2. Full-time Primary Alternative Provision
3. Key Stage 3 Turnaround Provision
4. Vocational Provision
5. Tutoring
6. Complimentary Provision including mentoring

Commissioning Provision

The responsibility for the alternative provision rests with the commissioner. Where this is a school, the school should ensure it has completed its own due diligence and quality assurance checks.

In choosing a placement the commissioner should pay regard to statutory guidance and ensure that:

• The nature of the intervention, its objectives and the timeline to achieve these objectives should be clear agreed and clearly defined.
• It should be clear, in choosing a certain provision, how that provision meets the young person’s needs.• Progress against the objectives outlined at the start should be regularly reviewed.
• Regular reviews should be organised and planning for the next stage of the young persons education/life should be incorporated into these reviews.
• All relevant information should be shared with providers to ensure that appropriate provision can be made.
• Where necessary risk assessments should be completed and shared.
• Where a provider is proposing to work in a public place with a young person as part of the programme, a full risk assessment should be carried out as part of the commissioning process.
• Commissioners must ensure at the start of the placement that the process for reporting on attendance and safeguarding issues has been clearly identified.
• Commissioners must maintain on-going contact with the provider and pupil with clear procedures in place to exchange information, monitor progress and provide pastoral support.
• Once a placement is agreed the school maintains responsibility for safeguarding, child protection and attendance monitoring.
• Where the pupil has an EHCP, the school must ensure that the provision meets the needs identified in the plan.
• Where the intended outcome of the placement is a reintegration into school, this should be carefully planned as part of the review process

Informing the local authority of placements

In order to ensure that the local authority is able to maintain an overview of all Alternative Provision placements for Bury children, schools are asked to notify the Local Authority of any such placements using the link below.

https://forms.office.com/e/jKTBUwJ21g 

This will enable the Local authority to effectively monitor number of pupils in providers in order to ensure that the statutory guidelines are followed.

Where schools or local authority officers have a concern about a provider on the directory, they are asked to contact n.bell@Bury.gov.uk as soon as possible to discuss their concern.

The Team provides support for parents, carers, children, young people, schools and agencies.

We provide advice and support in relation to:

• School attendance matters - schoolattendanceteam@bury.gov.uk
• Prosecution of parents/carers for non-school attendance
• The issuing of penalty notices regarding school attendance and unauthorised holidays taken during term time - penaltynotice@bury.gov.uk
• School exclusions, both suspensions and permanent exclusions - exclusions@bury.gov.uk
• Child Employment and Entertainment - child.licensing@bury.gov.uk
• Elective Home Education - ehe@bury.gov.uk
• Children Missing Education - cme@bury.gov.uk
• Home Tuition (Referrals via the Section 19 Panel)
• Education Safeguarding
• Traveller Education Services
• Asylum Seeker and International Arrival Educational Support

Service is available Monday to Friday during office hours

For further details about our service, please visit School Attendance, Exclusions and Community Education Team - Bury Council

Visit The Bury Directory for more information on what to expect from your early education and childcare provider.

Choosing the right childcare

Choosing the right childcare for your family will depend on a number of factors including:

• age development
• length of care you require

Choosing high quality childcare can give your child the best start in life, but how do you know what is high quality?

Tips for choosing the right childcare:

• Start early. Many childcare settings will have waiting lists so it is a good idea to register your child as soon as possible (some parents choose to do this in pregnancy).
• Do a lot of research. You can find details of the different types of childcare in Bury on The Bury Directory and you can read the latest Ofsted inspection reports on the Ofsted website.
• Talk to other parents that use the settings you like to get advice.
• Visit the setting and ask questions.

Once you have made your choice, it is important to continue to be in contact with the setting and maintain a good relationship.

Types of childcare

There are 2 types of childcare: registered and non-registered.

Registered childcare

Registered childcare is childcare that is registered and inspected by Ofsted. The different types of registered childcare available are listed below with an approximate age range:

• nurseries (0 to 5 years)
• childminders (0+ years)
• nursery classes within schools (3 to 4 years)
• pre-schools and playgroups (2 years 6 months to 4 years)
• out of school childcare (5 years and over) for school-aged children – this runs before school, after school or during holidays

Non-registered childcare

Not all childcare has to be registered with Ofsted. There is a second group of people who can choose whether to join the voluntary part of the childcare register if they want to be registered. However these childcare providers are unable to draw down any funding entitlements that families may be entitled to.

This group includes:

• people who care for children aged 8 years and over
• home-based childcare – childcare in your home provided by nannies, au pairs, baby sitters, mothers' help/aid
• other providers not currently required to register such as those who provide sports coaching, some after school clubs, etc.
• provision where parents remain onsite or in close proximity to their children such as parent-toddler groups or shoppers' crèche operating up to 4 hours each day.

One of the benefits of providers being registered is that it can reduce your childcare costs and enable you to apply for tax credits.

Contact Childcare and Early Years

Contact online via the Bury Family Information Service Enquiry form.

Send an email to childinfo@bury.gov.uk.

Visit The Bury Directory for brokerage help with finding suitable childcare.

Support for parents and carers who are experiencing difficulty in finding suitable childcare

Our Childcare Brokerage Service supports parents and carers who are experiencing difficulty in finding suitable childcare for:

• children aged 0 to 14
• young people up to 18 years old if they have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

Find further information about SEND support on our Local Offer pages.

The Childcare Brokerage Service is a free service for all parents and carers.

Who we help

The service can help families who:

• need support finding a free entitlement place
• are looking for a childcare place for a child who has SEND
• are caring for a child with support needs other than SEND
• are worried about approaching childcare providers or schools themselves
• wish to return to work, study or training but are finding childcare a barrier

What we do

The service can work with and support parents, carers and providers by:

• offering individual support, advice and guidance on childcare options
• contacting childcare providers on behalf of parents and carers to check for vacancies
• building partnerships with all types of childcare providers to meet the needs
• supporting parents and carers wishing to return to work or training by signposting them to employment support services

How to request help

To request support, please complete our online request form.

You can also contact Childcare and Early Years by email: childinfo@bury.gov.uk.

Visit The Bury Directory for more information if you are thinking of starting a childcare business, including childminding.

Wraparound childcare is before and after-school childcare for primary school-aged children aged 5 to 11 years old in England during term time.

This includes breakfast clubs and regular after-school provision until 6pm or later.

The care is aimed at helping parents access more childcare and work the hours they want to. It should be available every school day outside of regular school hours.

From September 2024, there has been an increase in the number of wraparound childcare places available across the country.

For more information, please contact our Family Information Service at childinfo@bury.gov.uk.

Wraparound care eligibility

All parents in England with primary school-aged children are able to access wraparound care in their local area.

The fees will be set by providers. Parents eligible for Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare will be able to use the support to help pay for wraparound care. See this post from Gov.uk about The Education Hub for more details.

When contacting out of school providers check to see if they are registered with Ofsted which means that you can apply for help with childcare costs.

Supporting Children and Young People to Overcome Barriers to Attendance in Bury

Updated: March 2025

The following is information about the current support available in Bury to support children and young people experiencing barriers to attendance or wellbeing in school (also known as EBSA).

Teams in Bury Supporting Children and Young People Facing Barriers to Attendance

Community Educational Psychology Service (CEPS)

Provides psychological support through promoting communities of practice alongside schools, families and children/young people. We are currently organising locality area cluster meetings to plan how we can work with schools and communities encountering various challenges including those related to school attendance and wellbeing. A link assistant educational psychologist will be contacting schools to invite them to cluster planning meetings. For further information or queries please contact EdPsych@bury.gov.uk.

Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Provides early intervention mental health support in a number of education settings in the Bury area, for an overview of the offer and schools covered please visit their website. Bury CEPS and the MHST are working together to deliver targeted services such as training and support which will be available across all school settings.

School Attendance and Exclusions Team

Termly advice for schools on attendance, discussion of cases and support for attendance processes and compliance. Schools can contact their allocated link Attendance Officer directly for guidance or contact the team via schoolattendanceteam@bury.gov.uk.

Inclusion Team Support

For young people in Bury schools with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are experiencing significant emotional or social needs impacting attendance, the Inclusion Team may be able to offer advice or support for planning, assessment and advice for the young person.

A request for the involvement of the Inclusion Team can be submitted to the Multiagency Inclusion Panel (MIP). Pupils should already be at SEN Support with cycles of Assess, Plan, Do, Review in place and the school should be implementing a graduated approach to supporting their social, emotional or mental health needs. For further information contact MIP@bury.gov.uk.

Schools can email the Inclusion Support Mailbox inclusionsupport@bury.gov.uk where there is risk of placement breakdown.

Family Help (formally known as Early Help)/Team Around the Family (TAF)

Where a child, young person and/or parents are experiencing multiple and complex needs which are impacting attendance, and where Early Family Help from universal services i.e., schools have not achieved positive changes then the family help team may be best placed to support. Schools can contact one of our dedicated Family Help Consultants for an informal discussion at EarlyHelp@bury.gov.uk who will be able to offer guidance. Where a Story So Far has been completed by a school or other agency, and this has identified that the family require targeted support from the neighbourhood family help teams then a referral can be made via MASH Bury Safeguarding Hub | Bury MASH. 

Bury Youth Service

Offer a wide range of universal and targeted Youth Groups across the borough including in some of our secondary schools. For full details of available sessions please see Bury Youth Service or the dedicated Facebook page.

Support Available for Children/Young People, Schools and Families

Guidance for schools

A new set of regional guidelines is being developed to support those experiencing barriers to attendance. Pending the updated guidance, you can still access the existing EBSA resources for schools and parents on the Bury Pages:

• EBSA - Good practice guidance for schools and support agencies
• EBSA - Information for parents and carers.

Training

Training on Barriers to Attendance/EBSA for schools can be provided through your Educational Psychologist (EP) organised school cluster. To request information about training on supporting students with either current or potential barriers to attendance please contact your link Assistant EP – details of link Assistant EPs are available via the Bury CEPS - EdPsych@bury.gov.uk.

Emotionally Friendly Settings (EFS)

The EFS programme is a whole setting/school approach to making schools and other educational settings more emotionally responsive to all students supported by Bury CEPS and the MHST team. Settings can choose to enrol on this programme, and following enrolment training is provided to all staff. Settings are then supported to create an action plan for the development of emotional health and wellbeing in their educational setting. This includes surveying parents, educational staff, and children and young people, and then using this information to make changes within the educational setting. Any settings that enrol on the programme are also able to apply Bronze, Silver, and Gold Level accreditation, where an independent panel will evaluate the setting’s arrangements and support for the development of emotional wellbeing and mental health. To find out more about the EFS programme contact: EFS@Bury.gov.uk or tracy.hamiltonhall@nhs.net.

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA)

Emotional literacy support assistants - or ELSAs - are teaching assistants that undergo an extensive training programme to provide emotional and social skills support to children. Trained members of staff are further supported through regular supervision. Bury CEPS are providing an ELSA training programme and coordinating supervision for school support staff. To find out more about ELSA programme please contact EdPsych@Bury.gov.uk.

Psychoeducation for Young People

Bury CEPS are offering small group education on understanding anxiety for young people in secondary settings. To request a psychoeducation group in your school please contact your Link Assistant EP - details available via Bury CEPS EdPsych@bury.gov.uk. Alternatively, MHST schools (including primary settings) may also be able to access psychoeducational support via their MHST worker.

Overcoming Programme (Psychoeducation for Parents)

From January 2025 Bury CEPS and MHST are offering the Overcoming programme. This is a six-week programme of learning designed to help parents of children aged 5-12 to understand anxiety in their children and support them. Schools can support parents to access the programme if there are shared concerns. If you are interested in finding out more about the Overcoming programme, please speak to the link Assistant EP for your school area cluster or contact R.Carr@bury.gov.uk.

Family Information Service

Bury’s Family Information Service is where you can find services, support and activities in Bury and national information to help parents, carers and their families. For more information contact us at childinfo@bury.gov.uk.

Find for a childcare provider

You can find details of the different types of childcare available at The Bury Directory.

What's On?

Find information on events and activities for parents/carers and their families in Bury.

Leisure and recreation in Bury

Bury 2 Gether

Put your service in the directory

If you work for an organisation that has activities or services for children, young people and families and want to be included in the directory then please contact us at childinfo@bury.gov.uk.