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Market position statement

Since April 2024, working parents of children aged two to five have been eligible for 570 hours of funded childcare. This is usually taken as 15 hours per week, for 38 weeks of the year, term-time, but some providers will allow families to ‘stretch’ their claim to enable fewer hours to be taken per week over a longer period.

From September 2024, 15 hours of government-funded childcare will be extended to all children of working families from the age of nine months.

From September 2025, all working parents of children aged nine months up to three years old can access 30 hours of funded childcare per week.

This phased approach will give childcare providers time to prepare for the changes, ensuring there are enough providers ready to meet demand.

Sufficiency in Cambridgeshire

The Education Capital and Place Planning Team continually monitors the data available to ensure that there are sufficient early years and childcare places for families to access their entitlement in a way that best meets their needs.

Where pressures are identified, these are shared with the market so that those interested can explore the potential for growing their childcare business/starting up.

Providers wishing to develop or expand in response to this market position statement are strongly encouraged to carry out their market research and analysis of available data to safeguard their interests. Please see the early years business sustainability: supplier list and guides for further support.

Location

District

Type

Cambridge City, north of the river

Cambridge

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Cambridge City, south of the river

Cambridge

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Northstowe

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Wraparound

Cambourne

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

St Neots

Huntingdonshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Whittlesey

Fenland

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Wisbech

Fenland

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Littleport

East Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Cheveley

East Cambridgeshire

Sessional provision or full daycare, nine months to five years

Fordham/Isleham

East Cambridgeshire

Sessional provision or full daycare, nine months to five years

Location

District

Type

Darwin Green

Cambridge

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Marleigh

Cambridge

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Waterbeach New Town

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Sawston

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Alconbury Weald

Huntingdonshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Wraparound

Grange Farm

Huntingdonshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Wintringham Park

Huntingdonshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Ramsey

Huntingdonshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

If you have an interest in expanding or setting up new provisions, please contact the Education Capital and Place Planning Team at placeplanningreferrals0-19@cambridgeshire.gov.uk who can provide further information and support.

What financial support is available?

To support the expansion of the working parent entitlements for children aged from nine months to five years, alongside the launch of the wraparound childcare programme, capital funding is now available for all providers who offer (or are looking to offer) provision that supports the roll-out of either or both of these programmes.

Funding requests will only be considered for capital works and must not be used for revenue expenditure such as staffing, or staff training.

Please read the Cambridgeshire Childcare Capital Expansion Grant process to find out more and to determine if you are eligible for funding.

To apply, please complete the Cambridgeshire Early Years and Wraparound Childcare Programme Funding Grant 2024-25 application form.

Cambridgeshire childcare capital expansion grant

To support the expansion of the working parent entitlements for children aged from nine months to four years, alongside the launch of the Wraparound Childcare Programme, applications are now invited for capital funding from all providers who offer, or are looking to offer, provisions that support the roll-out of either or both of these programmes.

Whilst applications for provision across the county will be considered, we are particularly keen to hear from providers who are looking to expand, or establish provision in the following areas, where there is already an identified pressure for additional places:

  • Cambridge City.
  • Cottenham and Willingham.
  • Fordham, Isleham, and Kennett.
  • Mepal and Witcham.
  • Sutton and Witchford. ​
  • Ramsey and Bury.
  • Warboys.
  • Manea.
  • St Ives.
  • Whittlesey.
  • Wisbech.

Early years entitlement and wraparound project board meetings

This section contains the agendas from the early years entitlement and wraparound project board meetings, which commenced in January 2024, shared for transparency and information. The project board plays a vital role in providing strategic direction and governance for the early years expansion and wraparound project. Its key objectives include:

  • Providing strategic direction and governance for the project.
  • Evaluating the work of workstreams and updating elected members on progress.
  • Understanding the impact of the project on families with protected characteristics.
  • Overseeing the allocation and use of capital and capacity funding.
  • Governing the wraparound grants programme.
  • Ensuring stakeholder voices, including those of children, are heard and considered.

The project board is composed of representatives from across the early years and education landscape, including:

  • Project senior responsible officer – Head of Cambridgeshire Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service.
  • Project administration.
  • Project manager.
  • Places and planning lead.
  • Senior adviser for quality improvement.
  • Senior adviser for intervention, safeguarding and sustainability.
  • Senior adviser for inclusion and vulnerable groups.
  • Area education officer for Huntingdonshire and early years.
  • Strategic finance manager.
  • Head of targeted support.
  • Public health.
  • Cambridgeshire Skills.
  • Health representatives
  • Voluntary sector.
  • Private nursery provider.
  • Coram PACEY.
  • Pinpoint.

If you would like more information about any of the agenda items, please contact Genna.Neal@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, project manager for Huntingdonshire and early years, or earlyyears.service@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Agendas

How are opportunities in council-owned premises advertised

The council uses its Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System (PDPS) to identify suitable providers of early years and childcare to run settings in council-owned premises. It enables a streamlined method of selecting the most suitable provider while minimising gaps in provision for Cambridgeshire’s families. 

If you or your organisation are interested in securing contracts to run early years and childcare from council premises, including schools, you should apply to join the PDPS.