Stretched vs Term-Time Funded Hours: Which Model Is Right for You?

When you accept a funded childcare place in Scotland, one of the first decisions you face is whether to take your 1,140 hours as term-time delivery or as a stretched, year-round model. Both add up to the same total entitlement, but they suit very different families and very different working patterns. This guide explains how each model works, who benefits most from each, and the catch that catches many parents out: you may not actually have a free choice.

The two models at a glance

Both models deliver exactly 1,140 hours per year. The difference is purely how those hours are spread.

Term-time delivery in detail

Term-time delivery follows the school year. Your child attends roughly 30 hours a week for 38 weeks, usually in line with the local school calendar. That typically means:

• Starting mid-to-late August
• Breaking for the October week
• A two-week Christmas/New Year break
• A February mid-term break
• A two-week Easter break
• Breaking up in late June for around 7 weeks of summer

During the breaks there are no funded hours. If you still need childcare in those weeks, you pay the setting's full hourly rate (often £5-9 per hour) or arrange other cover.

This model works well for:

• Parents whose work patterns also follow the school year, such as teachers and school support staff
• Families with older school-aged siblings whose holidays would coincide anyway
• Stay-at-home parents who use the funded hours for early learning rather than to enable employment
• Parents with strong family support during holidays

Stretched delivery in detail

Stretched delivery spreads the same 1,140 hours over the full 52-week year. This typically gives around 22 hours a week of continuous attendance, with the setting closed only for bank holidays and a short Christmas/Easter shutdown (usually one week each). Some private settings deliver as little as 2 weeks of closure per year.

In practice, stretched delivery looks like:

• Three full days (8am-6pm) per week, or
• Five mornings or five afternoons per week, or
• A custom pattern agreed with the setting

This model works well for:

• Working parents in year-round jobs
• Self-employed parents who cannot take long summer breaks
• Single parents whose income depends on continuous childcare
• Families without school-age siblings or family help during holidays

The choice that may not be a choice

Scottish Government policy says parents should have meaningful flexibility — but availability of each model varies hugely between councils and providers.

As a rough guide:

• Council nurseries — most still operate term-time, with a growing number adding stretched options
• Family centres and ELC centres — usually term-time aligned with the local school
• Partner-provider private nurseries — usually stretched, as they operate year-round commercially
• Funded childminders — almost always stretched, working around the childminder's own schedule

If your council nursery only offers term-time and you need year-round cover, your options are to switch to a partner-provider, split your hours across two providers (one term-time, one for holidays), or buy in additional paid hours during school breaks.

Cost implications

For a working parent, the choice often comes down to which model leaves you paying the least for extra hours. A worked example for a parent working 35 hours a week:

• Term-time model: You receive 30 funded hours in term-time, leaving 5 hours a week to pay for. During the 13-14 weeks of school holidays, you pay for all 35 hours a week.
• Stretched model: You receive 22 funded hours every week of the year, leaving 13 hours a week to pay for, but with no big summer bill.

In most year-round work scenarios, stretched delivery results in lower out-of-pocket costs. Term-time wins for parents who can take school holidays off without losing income.

How to find out which model your council offers

Each Scottish council publishes a list of funded providers and the delivery patterns each one offers. Search for "[your council] early learning and childcare partner providers" or ask the family information service. Many councils also publish a model comparison on their website. Before applying, phone two or three settings on the list to confirm whether they offer term-time, stretched, or both, and what session patterns are actually available — published lists are often out of date by a term or two.