Decision Maker: Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
This report needs to follow the February
Schools Forum on the 12 Feb 2026 but before 28th February. This
report sets the budgeted funding rates for Early Years Payments to
settings for the Financial Year 2026/27.
The Cabinet Member considered the report which indicated that Early Years Providers and Schools Forum were consulted on the Early Years
Funding Formula, and the overwhelming response was to pass on the increase in hourly rate in full to providers.
Resolved to:
a) Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers
(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 3- and 4-year-old provision with an underlying hourly rate of £6.04 (excluding the supplements, SEN Inclusion Fund and Contingency).
b) Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers
(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding Formula for 2-year-old working parent provision at an hourly rate of £8.29.
c) Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers
(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-olds of families receiving additional support at an hourly rate of £8.29.
d) Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 9 Months to 2-year-old provision at an hourly rate of £11.33.
Report author: Jane Billington
Publication date: 24/02/2026
Date of decision: 24/02/2026
Decided at meeting: 24/02/2026 - Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
Effective from: 28/02/2026
Accompanying Documents: