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Market position statement

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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

Great and Little Paxton

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

Cheveley

East Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Fordham and Isleham

East Cambridgeshire

 Full daycare, nine months to five years

Location

District

Type

Darwin Green

Cambridge

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Alconbury and Grange Farm

Huntingdonshire

 Full daycare, nine months to five years

Northstowe

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Cambourne West and Bourn Airfield

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Waterbeach New Town

South Cambridgeshire

Full daycare, nine months to five years

Cambridgeshire childcare capital expansion grant

Applications are no longer being accepted for Capital Grant Funding, with all funds now allocated towards existing or proposed projects. However, if you are considering expansion, we would still love to hear from you. Please contact 0-19placeplanningreferrals@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

All early years and childcare providers, including both wraparound providers and childminders, who are registered with Ofsted, or legally exempt from registration, were eligible to apply for funding.

This capital funding was in addition to the revenue grants for the wraparound programme.

How was the funding allocated?

Funding was allocated to a variety of providers, childminders, sessional provision and full day care, and enabled the creation of places in all districts.

Examples of projects funded to date:

  • Expansion of a modular nursery building, creating an additional 24 early years places (£50,000 contribution).
  • Provision of resources to support wraparound care (£4,458.99).
  • Resources to deliver 30 new wraparound childcare places (£3,962.67).
  • Funding to establish a new nursery provision offering 50 places (£202,631.41).
  • Expansion of an existing nursery extension, providing an additional 32 places (£80,000 contribution).
  • Resources to support the expansion of a sessional provision, creating 46 additional places (£29,396.42).

How were applications scored?

Each application was considered on a case-by-case basis and scored as follows.

Scoring

Criteria

Outcome

Priority one

Meets eligibility criteria.

Funding sources explored and utilised, where applicable.

Sufficiency data suggest that additional places are required in the area.

Existing provision in the area considered and not negatively impacted.

Detailed breakdown of cost and delivery timescales provided, including who will be responsible for managing the project.

Consideration of Special educational needs and disability (SEND), vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two.

Funding agreed

Priority two

Meets eligibility criteria.

Funding sources explored and utilised, where applicable.

Detailed breakdown of cost and delivery timescales provided.

But sufficiency data suggest that additional places are required in the area. However, other projects are in the pipeline and not confirmed.

Or

The proposal lacks consideration of SEND, vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two.

Or

There are other factors which require consideration prior to a funding decision being made.

Postpone the funding decision until the next meeting, when details of the pipeline projects are clear.

Declined

Does not meet eligibility criteria and/or

Funding sources not explored or utilised, where applicable.

Sufficiency data suggest that additional places are not required in the area.

Other known projects already underway, which would address the deficit of places/concerns that other provisions would be negatively impacted.

Decline, feedback provided.

I have received my feedback and want to discuss it further. Who should I contact?

Please contact 0-19placeplanningreferrals@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

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.