Funding handbook for Coventry Schools: Early Education Entitlement Funding

Deposits

Schools may ask parents to pay a ‘refundable’ deposit, to secure a child’s early education entitlement place.

Deposits in academies and free schools

Deposits in Academies and Free Schools The deposit must be refunded to parents by the end of the first term in which the school receives the remittance payment of government funding for the named child, from Coventry City Council.

Deposits in Maintained Nursery Classes, Voluntary aided /Voluntary Controlled and Maintained Nursery Schools

The school must refund the deposit, to the parent, upon receipt of the first quarterly bank advance from Coventry City Council, following the child being admitted to nursery. Schools will not be required to refund the deposit where;

• parents have secured a place, but the child does not attend before the termly headcount date
• the child has been attending the provision but moves to a new provider/school after the start of a new funding term, but before the termly census and/or headcount date

Charging policy

The school’s policy for optional charges must be published on their website or Coventry Family Information Directory no later than January 2026. This is applicable to all provisions that have 10 or more children in attendance at any one time. The charging policy must identify any charges made for:

• cost of additional ‘privately paid for’ hours
• food consumables
• non-food consumables
• activities

This policy should include a breakdown of what is included within each charge and highlight what happens in circumstances where the school is closed, the child is absent, or the child relocates to another setting.

The policy will need to provide parents with options for alternatives to additional charges, including allowing parents to supply their own, or waiving the cost of these items. Please note where parents have opted out of additional payment for activities, children must continue to receive provision that complies with the EYFS.

Although charges for additional items and services must be optional for parents, in order to support business sustainability schools are able to ask parents to agree these on a term-by-term basis, in advance of the forthcoming term. Written agreements with parents should include a section to show whether the parent has opted in or out, and for how long e.g. termly. Coventry’s Early Years Annual Parent Funding Agreement may be used for this purpose.