Enter your setting's numbers and get a 13 week cash forecast, your break even occupancy, a wage cost check against sector benchmarks, an agency check and a view of where each age band makes or loses money. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent anywhere.
Weekly averages per child. If you stretch funding across the year, enter the stretched weekly figure. Leave a band at zero if you have no children in it.
| Age band | Children | Funded hrs / wk | Paid hrs / wk | Hourly fee £ | Funding rate £ / hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2s | |||||
| 2 year olds | |||||
| 3 to 5s |
Staffing is allocated to bands using statutory EYFS ratios: 1:3 for under 2s, 1:5 for 2 year olds, 1:8 for 3 to 5s. The 1:13 ratio for over 3s only applies where a level 6 qualified practitioner works directly with the children, so this tool uses 1:8.
Whole setting, per calendar month. Staffing means total payroll including employer NI and pension, but not agency, that goes in its own box.
This drives the 13 week forecast. Timing matters as much as the amounts.
Check your numbers. You need registered places, at least one age band with children, hours and a fee, and your monthly staffing cost.
Your monthly position
£0
Monthly contribution after ratio weighted staffing and food. A negative bar means that band costs more to staff than it brings in.
In priority order, based on your figures.
The small print. This is an illustration built from monthly averages and standard timing assumptions, not financial advice and not a substitute for management accounts. Funding rates, payment schedules and supplements vary by local authority. Staffing allocation uses statutory EYFS ratios and treats payroll as fixed within the 13 weeks, which matches how most settings actually run. VAT, loan repayments, holiday pay accruals and capital costs are not included. Wage cost benchmarks reflect published sector data: staff costs typically run at 60% to 75% of turnover across UK nurseries, with around 70% widely treated as the warning level.
This tool shows you where to look. The £495 Nursery Business Health Check goes through your actual accounts, occupancy and staffing with a senior pair of eyes and gives you written findings within 10 working days.
See the £495 Health Check Thinking about a fee rise? Try the fee calculator