Thousands of families are one step closer to accessible, affordable and high-quality early years provision in their local area, as the first stage of the Labour’s plan to deliver 3,000 school-based nurseries began this week.
Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said primary schools can now apply for up to £150,000 of £15 million capital funding, with the first stage of the plan set to support up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England.
This comes as 321,462 additional children are now accessing 15 hours of government-funded early education per week, since the Labour government delivered the second phase of the childcare rollout last month.
The work forms part of Labour’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity, which will break the link between background and success – starting with giving every child the best start in life and resetting the relationship with the early years sector to boost life chances for children and work choices for parents.
The Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson, has promised a new era of child-centred government and will work alongside the sector to deliver meaningful long-term reform of early years, whilst building the places and workforce that are required for the next more challenging phase.
Commenting on the announcement Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, said:
“I know from speaking with families across Portsmouth how childcare can put pressure on household finances. I also know they want to give their children the best possible start in life.
“That’s why I know this measure will be welcomed, expanding early years education will help us give parents better work choices and children better life chances.
“The rapid progress this Labour government has made is a signal of our determination to put education back at the heart of national life and usher in a new era of child-centred government.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“All children should have the opportunity of a brilliant early education, no matter who they are, where they’re from or how much their parents earn.
“Our new school-based nurseries will provide thousands of additional places where they are needed most, plugging historic gaps and making sure geography is no barrier to high quality childcare.
“Whilst some parents may not get their first-choice place next September, I’m determined that every parent is able to access and afford the hours that they are entitled to.”
While all parts of the sector are valuable to delivering the quality care that our children need, schools are at the heart of our communities.
Proportionally, school-based nurseries currently look after more children with special educational needs and offer a higher number of places in the most deprived areas.
School-based nurseries currently have lower turnover and the option to use some staff more flexibly between reception and early primary, and the government is working with the early years sector through our expanded recruitment campaign to attract more people to a career in early years.
To make sure the programme is delivered in a way that continues to support or most vulnerable children and builds on the important offers of the existing market, the school-based nursery funding will be available to projects that are school-run or delivered by private and voluntary providers or childminders.
So that the government can ensure new provision is in the right places and meets the needs of parents, children and schools, schools who are interested in expanding but are not currently ready to apply will be able to register an interest for future phases of the programme.