Funded early education useful dates 2025 to 2026

If you are:

• An Ofsted-registered group provider or school, or
• An Ofsted or agency-registered childminder
  and you have registered with Surrey County Council to offer funded early education entitlements,
  you can find your key payment and submission dates below.

Funded periods

• 1 September to 31 December
• 1 January to 31 March
• 1 April to 31 August

Funded dates

Please see the PDF calendar available at the bottom of this page for the 2025 to 2026 funded dates.

Estimate submissions

The estimate submission windows for the 2025 to 2026 academic year are as follows:

• Autumn Term estimate 2025: 2 June – 6 July 2025
• Spring Term estimate 2026: 3 November – 7 December 2025
• Summer Term estimate 2026: 23 February – 27 March 2026
• Autumn Term estimate 2026: 1 June – 6 July 2026

These windows will always open the Monday after half term. This allows the FEE team sufficient time to process estimates and make payment.

Find out more about submitting an estimate on Early Years and Education System (EYES) - Funding

Headcount submissions

The headcount submission windows for the 2025 to 2026 academic year are as follows:

• Autumn Term 2025: 16 – 22 September 2025
• Spring Term 2026: 16 – 22 January 2026
• Summer Term 2026: 16 – 22 April 2026

Find out more about submitting a headcount on Early Years and Education System (EYES) - Funding

Estimate payment dates

Check the Provider Agreement to see exactly what this means.

• By 31 August for autumn
• By 31 December for spring
• By 31 March for summer

Headcount payment dates

• By 15 October for autumn
• By 15 February for spring
• By 15 May for summer

Payments will only be made by these dates for those who have submitted a headcount by the published deadline.

Follow on payment dates

The dates are, on or around:

• 15 November for all data in the portal by 31 October
• 16 December for all data in the portal by 30 November
• 15 January for all data in the portal by 31 December
• 14 March for all data in the portal by 28 February
• 15 April for all data in the portal by 31 March
• 16 June for all data in the portal by 31 May
• 15 July for all data in the portal by 30 June
• 15 August for all data in the portal by 31 July
• 15 September for all data in the portal by 31 August

Key reminders for providers

• Please ensure you are aware of all the key dates for the upcoming year, including estimate and headcount submission windows.
• It will not be possible to extend submission deadlines. Missing a deadline may result in late payment or no payment.
• All dates are available in the Establishment Portal Calendar under "Key Dates" and are pre-populated for the academic year.  Please see Early Years and Education System (EYES) - Funding for more information and portal guides.
• A PDF calendar version of the key dates is also available at the bottom of this page to help you keep track of deadlines.

Files available to download

• Headcount dates 2025 to 2026 (PDF)
  Calendar for providers of funded early education showing the headcount dates for the upcoming year 2025 to 2026
• Early years funded dates calendar 2025 to 2026 (PDF)
  Surrey County Council calendar of funded early education term dates for the academic year 2025 to 2026 for providers.