Flexible funded hours that fit real life

At Tops, we know family life doesn’t always fit neatly into fixed nursery sessions. Parents have told us that shift work, hybrid working and changing weekly routines can make it hard to use funded childcare in a way that truly works for them.

That’s why, from 2 February, we’re launching a fully flexible funded hours pilot at Tops Newport and Tops Exeter – designed in direct response to parent feedback. This pilot gives families more choice over how they use their funded hours, while keeping the routines and learning that help children thrive.

What does ‘fully flexible funded hours’ mean?

Our new model allows you to use funded and private hours flexibly across the day, rather than being tied to rigid morning or afternoon sessions. To support consistency, care and learning, we still structure the day around core learning blocks, which must be booked in full:

• Morning learning block: 9:00–11:45
• Afternoon learning block: 1:00–2:45

Outside of these learning blocks, funded and private hours can be mixed more flexibly to suit your family’s needs.

Real-life examples of how families might use flexible funding

• Short mornings across several days, alongside one or two longer nursery days
• Different attendance patterns each week to reflect shift work
• Funded hours used across mornings, afternoons or longer days, rather than fixed sessions

The key difference is that your funded hours can now flex around your life, while your child still benefits from high-quality early education.

Please note: the minimum of 11 funded hours per week still applies.

What stays the same for your child

While the hours are more flexible, the things that matter most for children remain unchanged:

• Consistent daily routines
• A familiar key person who supports your child’s development
• Structured learning blocks that support focus, friendships and progress
• The same high-quality early education, care and environments

This balance ensures children feel secure and confident, even when attendance patterns vary.

Why voluntary charges matter

Government funding does not cover all of the costs involved in delivering high-quality childcare.

Items such as nappies, wipes, sun cream, toothbrushing resources and eyLog (our parent communication app) are classed as consumables and sundries, and are not included within funded hours.

For this flexible model to work, the pilot depends on enough families choosing voluntary charges and/or meals, helping us to cover these additional costs while keeping childcare sustainable.

Why we’re trialling this as a pilot

This is a pilot scheme, created in response to parent feedback and the growing need for flexibility.

We’ll be carefully reviewing:

• How the model works for families
• How it supports children’s learning and wellbeing
• Whether it is financially sustainable for our nurseries

Based on this review, the offer may be extended, adjusted or refined before being rolled out more widely.

Find out more about fees and funded childcare at Tops

If you’d like to explore how flexible funded hours could work for your family, visit our Fees and Funded Childcare page for full details.

This pilot is currently available at Tops Newport and Tops Exeter, and we look forward to working closely with families as we trial a more flexible way forward.