Written question asked by Gill Furniss (Labour) on Thursday, 26 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 April 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Monday, 13 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Pre-school Education: Sheffield

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the equity of the Early Years funding formula on families and childcare providers in Sheffield.

Answer

The department uses the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to allocate early years entitlement funding to local authorities in a fair and transparent way.

The formulae ensure each area receives a base rate for each age group individually, regardless of location or individual need. On top of this, additional needs funding is allocated to reflect the proportion of children in each area who are disadvantaged, have English as an additional language, or have more complex special educational needs, recognising the higher costs of supporting these groups. An area cost adjustment is also applied to account for local variations in staffing and premises costs.

Through this approach, the department aims to ensure funding reflects children’s needs and local cost pressures throughout England, including in Sheffield.

We have committed to reviewing early years funding, including the national funding formulae, to ensure funding continues to match needs. We will consult the sector on changes by summer 2026.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 124138
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Finance Pre-school education Sheffield
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Pre-school Education: Sheffield

Secondary information

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