Business Support

The funding paperwork should be submitted on the following dates:

• Term 1 - Friday 20 June 2025

• Term 2 - Friday 28 November 2025

• Term 3 - Friday 13 March 2026

Confirmation of Hours Forms

The confirmation of hours form should be completed by the parent/carer at the start of Term 1 for all children looking to access funded early learning and childcare hours. 

• Confirmation of hours - fully funded (attending Funded Provider only)

• Confirmation of hours - blended placement

For Terms 2 and 3 this is only required for any new starts and for changes to the funded hours from Terms 1 and 2.  

Please note:

•  The start date on the form should be the child's funding start date.

•   Funded hours only should be clearly noted on the form. 

• The parent should confirm the number of funded meals their child receives each week.  Please note funded meals can only be taken on days that the funded hours are being accessed in line with your funding model e.g. if funding is taken as 2 full days and 1 part day then a maximum of 3 meals can be claimed.

• Floating Days/Hours - if you offer these, please ensure the number of hours/days are communicated to parents in advance and they confirm their acceptance of this by ticking the relevant box on the form. Please refer to the Floating Hours calculator for details of the number of floating hours/days due each term. 

• You are not required  to sign each Confirmation of Hours form but please sign the register to confirm you have checked the information for each child against their form.

NAMS application form and advice notes

• NAMS Application Form 2025-26

• NAMS Application Advice Notes 2025-26

      NAMS forms should be completed for every new child and the record entered on the NAMS system (nurseries and community groups only. Childminders should upload the NAMS forms to Objective Connect for the early years team to enter the records on NAMS). 

      We do not require a copy of the NAMS form or birth certificate, however you need to keep a copy of the NAMS form. The birth certificate should not be kept so it is important that you record the birth certificate number correctly on the NAMS form and NAMS system.  Please refer to the guidance on how to identify the birth certificate number.  Forms must be signed by the parent/carer and by the Nursery Manager.

      Please ensure all your children are enrolled on NAMS when they start with you (nurseries only).  You can check your current children by selecting Records/Edit/Add To List which will bring up a list. This should be checked against your register to ensure a match.

      Generic NAMS tutorials are available on the SEEMiS website  www.seemis.gov.scot/index.php/training/videos/nams 

      If you require further instructions on how to enter/accept and enrol children on the NAMS system please let us know.

Registers

      We require separate registers for:

• 3-5 year old - Fully Funded (attending Funded Provider only)

• 3-5 year old - Blended Placement

• Eligible 2 year olds

      Pease note:

• Registers must be in excel format with the names in alphabetical order by surname.

• List deferrals, current children and new children separately where indicated on the register.

• Highlight any adjustments required to the previous term’s funding in orange and put the date the change occurred in the relevant column on the register.

• The Term  Funding Start Date should be the start of the current term unless a child has joined you in the previous term and funding is required to be backdated.  If this is the case please highlight the start date in orange.

• Any children who have left the nursery during the previous term (prior to the term's funding end date) should be shown on the new term register with a leave date, highlighted in orange.  These should then be removed from the next term's register.

• Enter only the funded hours on the register and ensure these match what is on the Confirmation of Hours form.

• Confirm the number of funded meals provided each week.  Please note funded meals can only be taken on days that the funded hours are being accessed in line with your funding model e.g. if funding is taken as 2 full days and 1 part day then a maximum of 3 meals can be claimed.

• Registers are named properly on Objective connect e.g. “Blended Register Term 1 V1”

• CHILDMINDERS ONLY - Please note all holidays for that term on the register. If none, please state "None"

• Sign the register to confirm the information is correct and agrees with the Confirmation of Hours forms. We can accept electronic signatures.

Submitting the paperwork

All documents should be sent electronically through Objective Connect. Please do not use the funded provider mailbox to send this information as it is not secure.

     Create a folder for the relevant term and add the individual documents into this.   This keeps the paperwork together, and also allows us to delete the folder and contents in one click when the task is completed.  New folders can be created during the ‘add’ stage, i.e. by clicking the green circle plus sign, and then selecting ‘create’.

     Please ensure the documents are named appropriately so we can identify who they relate to. For the Confirmation of Hours forms please upload these individually (one per child) and use the surname and first initial of the child e.g. “Smith G  CoH” – this facilitates a match with the registers as often there is more than one child with the same initials.

          If revised versions are uploaded remember to mark them V2, V3 etc. This means we can see which is the most recent.

     If there are any additions/amendments after the initial paperwork has been uploaded please email fundedproviders@eastlothian.gov.uk to advise us to ensure these are not missed.

     Tutorials for Objective Connect can be found on the Objective website Tutorial Videos Objective Corporation

Funding Calendars

The funding calendars show the funding start and end dates for each term.  It is important you refer to these so the correct start dates are used for your funding paperwork.  Please ensure parents are made aware of the funding dates each term to enable them to complete the Confirmation of Hours Forms correctly and to ensure they know what funding they will receive. 

Funding Calendars 2025-26

• 40 weeks Funding Calendar 2025-26

• 50 weeks Funding Calendar 2025-26

• First Step Funding Calendar 2025-26

• Gullane Children's Community Hub Funded Calendar 2025-26

Blended Models 2025-26

      Details of the blended placements that can be offered for 2025/26 can be found on our website Blended Placements.  Please refer to the blended model table for details of funded hours per week/10 hour days available each term. 

      Funding Rates 2025-26

•  3-5 year old:                 £7.25 per hour

• Eligible 2 year old:        £8.77 per hour

Eligibility Dates

Please ensure that you carefully check the funding eligibility dates.

Eligibility Dates 2025-2026 

Eligible 2 Year Olds

Please do not agree to start an E2 child unless their application has been approved by us and the offer of a place accepted.  If you are unsure please check.  There is a separate register for E2s but the same NAMS and Confirmation of Hours forms should be used.  Further information on Eligible 2 year olds can be found on our website  Your entitlement to free early learning and childcare for two year olds | Early Learning and Childcare | East Lothian Council.