Financial tools for nursery owners and managers

Free tools for everyone. Paid tools are free during beta — sign up to keep access when we launch.

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Lock in £19/month for life — for the first 50 members. Price goes to £29/month after launch.

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Why use this tool?

92% of nurseries say government funding doesn't cover their costs — but most owners don't know exactly how much they're losing per child, per hour. This tool calculates your real funding gap in under 3 minutes, using numbers you already know.

Find out if you're losing money on funded hours
See your annual shortfall in pounds
Know the break-even rate you need from your LA
Takes under 3 minutes
1

What does your local authority pay you per hour?

This is the hourly rate your council pays for funded children — not what parents pay. You'll find it in your LA funding letter. Not sure? Start with £6.00 — that's close to the national average.

Check your LA funding letter or use the LA benchmarker tab
2

How many children take funded hours at your nursery?

Count all children using their 15-hour or 30-hour government entitlement. Not sure? Count your register.

Most children take 15 hrs. Working parents get 30 hrs.
3

What does it actually cost you to look after one child for one hour?

You don't need exact figures. Pick a preset below as a starting point — staff is always the biggest cost.

Quick start — pick your nursery type:

Wages + NI + pension ÷ total hours worked
Rent + rates + utilities ÷ hours open
Meals, nappies, art supplies etc.
Insurance, software, training etc.

Your results

Your total cost per hour

£6.20

Gap per funded hour

−£0.20

Annual loss / gain

−£2,280

Break-even LA rate needed

£6.20/hr

You're losing money on funded hours

Based on your inputs, each funded hour costs more than your LA pays.

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What rate is your council passing through to you?

There are two different funding rates — what the government pays your council, and what your council actually pays you. Most nursery owners only know one of them. This tool shows both, tells you if your council is keeping more than it should, and lets you compare against every other LA in England.

See the government rate your council receives
Enter your actual rate to see what your council keeps
See if your council is meeting its legal pass-through obligation
Evidence for raising the issue with your local authority
⚠️

Important — two different rates

The government pays money to your local authority — then the council sets its own rate for providers like you. These are two different numbers. The EYNFF rate below is what government pays to the council. Your actual provider rate (from your funding letter) is usually 95–97% of this — but can vary. Enter your actual rate below to see the real picture.

Step 1 — Select your region and council. Step 2 — Enter the rate from your funding letter. See instantly how much your council is keeping.

What does your funding letter actually say you receive? (£/hr)

Your LA should have sent you a letter or email confirming your provider rate. It's different from the government rate — usually a few pence lower. Enter it here and we'll tell you exactly what your council is keeping and whether that's legal.

Leave blank if you don't know — the EYNFF rate will be shown instead

EYNFF rate (govt to council)

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Your provider rate

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National average (EYNFF)

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vs national average

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All councils in your region — ranked by government (EYNFF) rate · Orange bar = your actual provider rate

Select your region and council above

Your comparison will appear here instantly.

About these figures: The rates shown in the chart are EYNFF rates — what the government pays to each council. They are not what nurseries receive. Your council then sets its own provider rate using a local formula. In 2025/26 councils must pass through at least 96% to providers (rising to 97% in 2026/27). Enter your actual rate above to see the real comparison. Sources: DfE, NDNA, Early Years Alliance 2025/26.

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Why use this tool?

LA funding doesn't arrive every week — it comes in one or two lump sums per term. But your wages go out every month like clockwork. This tool shows you the weeks where your cash is dangerously low, before you're caught out.

See your cash position week by week
Spot danger weeks before they hit
See the impact of negotiating LA payment timing
Know the minimum cash reserve you need
1

What money comes in each month?

Use your typical monthly figures. For LA funding, enter the total per term and select when it arrives — this timing makes a huge difference to your cash flow.

All fee income from parents per month
Total LA payment you receive each term
Quick add:

Enter week 1–13 and the amount for each LA payment. Amounts are % of total LA funding — they'll be scaled automatically. Or enter exact £ amounts if you know them.

2

What goes out each month?

Wages are almost always the largest cost — include all staff costs including NI and pension contributions.

All staff — wages, NI, pension
Rent, rates, utilities
Food, insurance, supplies, software
3

What's in your bank account right now?

Your balance at the start of term. Don't know exactly? Estimate to the nearest £1,000.

Your cash position this term

Monthly income

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Monthly outgoings

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Monthly surplus

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Lowest balance this term

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Week by week — 13 week term

Money in Money out Running balance
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Which rooms are making money?

Most nursery owners and managers know their overall profit — but not which room is generating it and which is silently losing money. Baby rooms are almost always the biggest loss-maker. This tool breaks down income and costs by room so you know exactly where to focus.

See profit or loss per room in plain English
Understand what's driving losses
Simple view for managers, full detail for owners
Each room shows whether it's making or losing money. Tap a room to understand what's driving it — and what you could do about it.
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Independent plan — free during beta · £29/month after launch

What are your staff really costing you?

Staffing is 70%+ of costs but most nurseries only know the total wage bill. This tool shows what each room's staff truly costs — including employer National Insurance — and whether the room is making money once wages are included.

True cost per room including employer NI
One row per pay grade — part-timers and full-timers
See profit/loss per room including wages
Each room shows what staff are costing you per week — and whether the room is making money once those costs are included.
Independent plan — free during beta · £29/month after launch

What happens if I change something?

Before you raise fees, take on more funded children, or cut staff costs — see the annual profit impact. Use the quick buttons for instant answers, or enter your own numbers for a precise calculation.

See annual profit impact of any change
Quick buttons for common scenarios
Current vs scenario side by side
How to use this: Use the quick buttons below to try common changes. See instantly how much better or worse off your nursery would be.
Independent plan — free during beta · £29/month after launch

How full does each room need to be?

You have fixed costs whether a room is half full or completely full. This tool tells you exactly how many children each room needs before it covers its costs — and what happens if occupancy drops.

Break-even children and occupancy % per room
See annual profit at full capacity
Understand which rooms are most vulnerable
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