Stretched funding calculator
Funded hours are a yearly total: 30 hours a week for 38 term-time weeks is 1,140 hours a year. A nursery open all year can “stretch” them, giving you fewer funded hours each week but in every week, for example 22.35 hours a week over 51 weeks.
Example: 30 hours stretched over 51 weeks
22.35 hours a week
About 4.47 funded hours on each of 5 days.
The working
- Funded hours a year
- 30 hours × 38 weeks = 1,140 hours
- Stretched over
- 1,140 ÷ 51 weeks = 22.35 hours a week
- Per day
- 22.35 ÷ 5 days = 4.47 hours
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Next steps
Assumptions
- The yearly total is fixed at 38 weeks' worth; stretching changes how it is spread, not how much you get.
- Not every nursery offers a stretched offer, and some stretch over 48 or 50 weeks. Ask which weeks they count.
- Hours are rounded to two decimal places; nurseries often round to the nearest quarter or half hour.
Questions parents ask
How many hours a week is 30 hours stretched?
1,140 hours a year spread over 51 weeks is about 22.35 hours a week; over 50 weeks it is 22.8 and over 52 weeks about 21.92.
Is the stretched offer worse value?
No. You get the same 1,140 hours a year either way. Stretching suits all-year nurseries; term-time only suits pre-schools and school nurseries.
Can I use my hours at two nurseries?
Often yes, split between up to two providers a day, depending on your council's rules. The total across both cannot exceed your entitlement.
Sources
- Free Childcare for Working Parents checked 11 November 2026
- 15 hours for 3 and 4-year-olds checked 11 November 2026
By The Toddly editorial team · Rules checked 11 November 2026