Early Years and Education System (EYES) - Funding

Surrey early years and education providers use the Establishment Portal to claim funded entitlements. The portal aligns all early years and education teams in Surrey, gives a single view of a child and supports joint working.

You receive a link to the portal after you register or on the re-direction message on the previous portal page.

Page contents

• Key dates for autumn term 2025 to 2026
• Key dates for spring term 2025 to 2026
• Estimates
• Live Register
• Headcount and Early Years Census
• Custom dates form
• Access - registration and change of details
• Training and guidance
• Sign up to the Childcare and Early Education E-bulletin

Key dates for spring term 2025 to 2026

Estimates

You can choose to submit a request for an estimate payment in advance for all funded entitlements each period. Estimates will be based on the numbers of children you expect to attend your setting in the next period.

Check the calendar within your portal account. It shows when to submit estimate requests each funded period. You will be unable to request an estimate outside of these dates.

See the training and guidance section.

Live Register

Ensure that you keep your Live Register up to date in the Establishment Portal. This makes submitting estimates and headcount requests much easier.

Add children who will be joining you later in the year to the Future Starters section. Then move them onto the Live Register once they attend.

See the training and guidance section.

Headcount and Early Years Census

The Department for Education's Early Years Census takes place each funded period and is attached to your headcount request. You must submit a headcount and Early Years Census each funded period. Check the calendar in your portal account to see when to submit this and read the early years e-bulletin for further instructions. You cannot request a headcount payment outside of these dates.

If you add children after the deadline, you will need to wait for a mid-term payment the following calendar month.

You will need to complete the following information in the Establishment Portal.

Before we make any headcount payments, we must receive:

• the child level census information for each child (your headcount)
• the setting level and staffing information
• In some funded periods we will also require a Census Sufficiency e-form from you.

If you don't submit all the information, you may be removed from the Surrey Directory of Providers and won't be able to claim funded early education.

Before completing the census and headcount, ensure your:

• setting information is correct in the Establishment Portal
• Live Register is up to date.

If any details are incorrect, complete a new registration form and inform Ofsted of any changes.

See the training and guidance section.

School-based nurseries required to complete an early years census

• Schools which operate a nursery where children are not pupils of the school (section 27/governor run provision).
• Nurseries run as a separate business to the school by an academy trust.
• Private providers on school sites.
• Independent schools claiming funded early education
• Schools and maintained nursery schools with a separate Ofsted registration for children under the age of 2 years.

School-based nurseries not required to complete an early years census

The following types of schools are not required to complete an early years census but must submit a termly headcount for 2, 3 and 4 year olds, and a sufficiency e-form when required.

• Schools and academies which have lowered their school age - these schools must return nursery pupils on their termly school census
• Maintained nursery schools admitting children aged 2 years+

For questions about census, contact censusfee@surreycc.gov.uk

For a video on submitting a headcount with census and census sufficiency form, see the training and guidance section.

Custom dates form

The Early Years and Education System (EYES) will be pre-populated with the funded term dates for you. You don’t need to add your own open dates.

Let us know if:

• you operate for less than the maximum funded days per term,
• open for less than 38 weeks per year

Complete a Custom dates form to let us know.

Custom dates form 2025 to 2026 (PDF) autumn 2025 to summer term 2026.

Inset days should be taken outside of funded term dates and are not funded.

Access - registration and change of details

To provide funded early education at your group provider, school or childminder setting complete a new registration form.

Multiple sites or Ofsted registrations

Complete an e-form for each registered site and claim only for the children attending that setting.

For example, a provider operates under 2s and over 2s provision from 2 separate sites with their own Ofsted registration. Claim for the child through the account for the site where the child attends.

Use the form to:

• confirm who will need access to the portal at your setting, so we can set up their account
• indicate which funded entitlements you intend to offer.
  (If you intend to admit 2 or 3 year olds from the date of their birthday, rather than the term after, register for the age group below. For example, to take eligible children from their second birthday, you will need to register to provide funding for under 2s.)
• add or remove users from your existing Establishment Portal account you can do so here
• make changes to your setting details by completing a new registration. Also make Ofsted aware of any changes.

Training and guidance

E-learning is available via the MyLearning training platform to support you with using the portal. You can return to modules as and when you are ready to complete them.

For help with the training platform, visit the Surrey Safeguarding Children partnership and see the Safeguarding training user guide (PDF).

We also run virtual support sessions on the Early Years Census and Census Sufficiency Form submission

Please also see specific video demonstrations below.

Additional YouTube videos

• How to submit an estimate in the Establishment Portal
• How to add a child with an eligibility code to the Establishment Portal
• How to add a child with Universal Funding to the Live Register on the Establishment Portal
• How to submit the Early Years Census and headcount
• How to complete the Sufficiency Form for the Early Years Census

See Files available to download for:

• Answers to your questions
• Portal user guides

Sign up to the Childcare and Early Education E-bulletin

This is where all key information, dates, and training will be published. You can sign up here E-bulletin updates for early education and childcare professionals.

Files available to download

• Early Years Establishment Portal registration guide (PDF)
  This guide shows providers how to register to get on to the Early Years Establishment Portal
• Submit an estimate for funded hours on the Early Years Establishment Portal (PDF)
  This guide shows providers how to submit an estimate for funded hours on the Early Years Establishment Portal
• Add future starters to the Early Years Establishment Portal (PDF)
  This guide shows providers how to add children to the establishment portal that are due to claim funded hours soon.
• Add to the Live Register on the Early Years and Education System (EYES) (PDF)
  A guide for providers on how to add children to their live register, using the Early Years and Education System (EYES), to receive their funded entitlements.
• Glossary of flags and lozenges (PDF)
  A glossary on the flags showing when claiming child funded hours in the live register.
• Amend funded hours on child record (PDF)
  A guide for providers on how to amend funded hours when claiming for children on the live register.
• Remove a child from the live register (PDF)
  This guide is for providers to show details on how to remove a child funding claim from the live register.
• Submit a headcount (with or without census) (PDF)
  This guide shows providers how to submit their termly child claims headcount (with or without census) using the Early Years and Education System (EYES).
• Establishment Portal payments screen (PDF)
  A guide for providers on how to access the portal payments screen, which provides a breakdown of all child funded hours claimed
• Apply for Funded Early Education for 2-year-olds using Parent Portal (PDF)
  A guide for Providers and Parents to apply for 2-year-old disadvantaged funding via the Early Years and Education System (EYES).
• Early Years Census Sufficiency Form (PDF)
  A guide for providers on how to complete the Early Years Census Sufficiency Form including general setting data, staff details and detail on childcare places.
• Funded early education custom dates form 2026 to 2027 (PDF)
  If you operate for less than the maximum funded days per term or are open for less than 38 weeks per year, please complete this form