Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement logo Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement
Sign in

Sign in to Southwark Education, Learning and Achievement or Complete a task any time of day with your dedicated, personalised account Create account

Early Years Inclusion Fund (EYIF)

Eligibility

Children  

  • The Early Years Inclusion Fund (EYIF) is for children from 9 months-4 years olds+ who are taking up any number of hours of their Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) places.
  • Those children who are not eligible to access this fund are children with a completed Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP), children not eligible to access a FEEE funded place and children who are in Reception class.

Providers

All Ofsted registered early years providers in Southwark who are eligible to receive funding for the free early education entitlement are also eligible to receive support from the EYIF for children taking up their free entitlement.

Applications can therefore be made by:

  • An Ofsted registered nursery or pre-school from the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector
  • An Ofsted registered childminder
  • A school where childcare falls outside of educational statutory provision
  • A school providing registered nursery provision or a nursery school.

Conditions of funding 

From Academic Year 2026-2027

The Early Years Inclusion Fund (EYIF) is aimed at supporting the inclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their early years. The EYIF provides additional funding to Southwark early years providers to help them meet the needs of children with SEND and ensure that they have access to high-quality early education and care. The EYIF is administered by the Local Authority (LA) and is allocated to providers based on the level of need and the additional costs of ensuring an inclusive provision all eligible children, outside of your Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP). 

Conditions of Funding 

By accepting the EYIF, you, the early years provider is agreeing to adhere to the following conditions of funding:

  • The EYIF is used solely to provide additional support or intervention for the eligible child or cohort of children, as specified in the EYIF application form. 
  • That the additional support or intervention is delivered by suitably qualified and experienced staff, and that the quality of the provision is monitored and evaluated regularly.  
  • You comply with the relevant legislation, regulations, and guidance on early years provision, SEND, and data protection.  
  • You notify the LA of any changes in the child's circumstances, such as a change of early years setting, a change of hours, or a change of need or provision. 
  • That you work in partnership with the child's parent or carer, and any relevant professionals, to plan, implement, and review the additional support or intervention for the child. 
  • You keep accurate and up-to-date records of the funding received and spent, and the impact of the additional support or intervention on the child's learning and development. 
  • You cooperate with the LA in any EYIF / FEEE audits, inspections, or evaluations of the EYIF funding and provision. 

The LA reserves the right to withdraw or reclaim the EYIF funding if the early years provider fails to comply with any of the conditions of funding, or if the LA finds any evidence of fraud, misuse, or mismanagement of the EYIF funding.