Flying Start Childcare

All children living in Merthyr Tydfil  are entitled to a funded childcare place from the term following their 2^nd birthday up until the term of their 3^rd birthday.

Regular part-time attendance at high quality childcare has shown to significantly improve outcomes for children, and we encourage you to take up this offer.

Children are entitled to a 2.5 hour session per day, 5 days a week, term time only. There may be circumstances, such as working families, who wish to use 2 sessions per day to support their work pattern. You can discuss this with your chosen Flying Start childcare provider.

Please refer to the frequently asked questions for further information - https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/resident/learning-in-merthyr-tydfil/early-years-flying-start/flying-start/frequently-asked-questions-flying-start-flying-start-phased-expansion/

Step 1 – Sign up for the Flying Start Programme

Register for the Flying Start programme by submitting a registration form below.

https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/do-it-online/request-or-apply/flying-start-registration-form/

Step 2 - Apply for your child’s Flying Start Funded pre-school place.

Flying Start offer quality Pre-School sessions through both English and Welsh Medium settings – to find out the benefits of your child attending a Welsh Languages setting please see the Being Bilingual leaflet here - Being Bilingual Booklet (merthyr.gov.uk)

Please note that the team can only accept a Childcare application form from the term your child turns 2 – if you apply any earlier the system will not let you proceed. To help you understand when to apply please see the table below. 

Flying Start Pre-School Eligibility Dates

To help you decide which Childcare setting you would like to access please visit the Merthyr Family Information Services website here - https://www.merthyrfis.org/childcare/choosing-childcare/ you will also find a list of the Childcare providers in Merthyr here - https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/resident/learning-in-merthyr-tydfil/early-years-flying-start/flying-start/flying-strat-childcare-settings/?lang=en-GB&

To apply for your child’s pre-school place please follow the link below.

https://schooladmissions.merthyr.gov.uk/CitizenPortal/en

Once your application has been processed you will receive an e-mail from the Flying Team via the Citizen Portal with your application details – if there any details that are incorrect, please contact the team . Upon acceptance of your application, you will need to make contact with your chosen setting to arrange for a settling in session and  to complete their registration paperwork– please note you will need to provide proof of address – either a Council Tax Bill or a utility bill dated within 3 months and also a copy of your child’s birth certificate to your chosen setting when attending your settling in session.

Attendance – for your child to gain the most out of their Flying Start Pre-School experience we ask that your child’s attendance be above 75% - we do understand that children experience illness within Pre-Schools  we will make exceptions for this  , but failure to attend above 75% consecutively will result in the Flying Start administration team making contact with you to discuss any barriers you might be facing, with the possibility of reducing the sessions your child is booked in for or possibly the removal of their place.

Step 3 – Nursery Applications.

Once your child’s Flying Start entitlements finishes (the term of their 3^rd birthday) they will then be eligible for a Nursery Place. To apply for this please follow the link below. Please note, that any questions/queries regarding your child’s Nursery place will need to go directly to the Education Department on 01685 725000.

Pre-nursery and nursery school admissions | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Childcare Offer – Upon entry into Nursery you may be eligible for the 30 hour Free Childcare Offer to find out more information on the Childcare Offer – please click this link - Welsh Government 30-hour Education/Childcare Offer | merthyr.gov.uk | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

If you have any further questions/queries regarding your Flying Start Entitlement, please contact the team on 01685 725000