Hundreds of nurseries to shut if Government’s free childcare plans go ahead, says survery
Nurseries across the UK face closure as Tory manifesto pledge will 'cease to make them financially viable'
HUNDREDS of nurseries are at risk of closure if ministers plough on with plans to offer parents 30 free hours of childcare, a survey has found.
A study by the Early Education charity said pre-schools in England would “cease to be financially viable” when two years of taxpayer support ends.
Plans to double the free childcare entitlement for families from 15 hours to 30 hours from September next year was a top Tory manifesto pledge.
But the flagship Government election promise has been challenged over fears it’s not adequately funded.
The joint analysis with the school leaders union the NAHT found areas with the highest number of nurseries in Birmingham, Lancashire and Hertfordshire were most at risk.
General Secretary Russell Hobby said after the Government’s initial two year funding ends, the nurseries could close in a “body blow” for early years education leaving families high and dry.
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He said: “There is additional funding available, but only for two years. After that point, England’s nursery schools will cease to be financially viable.
“The 30 hours offer will be doomed before it even gets started, additional places won’t materialise and current places will be lost as nursery schools across England close their doors for good.
The government has the data - it must rethink before thousands of families, many in the poorest areas of the country, are left high and dry.
“In contrast to grammar schools, high-quality nursery education is a proven method of helping the most disadvantaged families. It is inexplicable that a government serious about social mobility would focus on one at the expense of the other.”
The Treasury estimated the costs of the programme to be £365million in 2017-18 rising to £670m in 2020-21.
But independent research has predicted the annual costs of the scheme would be closer to £1.6bn.
The Government’s consultation on the plan to extend early years funding for three- and four-year-old children ends today.
In April, a poll of childcare providers carried out by the Pre-school Learning Alliance found almost half feared they could be forced to close as a result of the 30-hour offer.
Valerie Daniel, headteacher of Washwood Heath Nursery School in Birmingham said nurseries faced worrying uncertainty.
She said: “The Government seems to recognise the quality of early years education such settings provide, but has no plans to secure their future beyond the two years of transitional funding set out.
“This will lead to a massive loss for nursery schools, with larger settings potentially losing more than £200,000 from their current budgets, which have already been hit by local budget cuts.”
Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said: “The nursery schools now at risk provide vital support to the youngest children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of our country.”
And Lib Dem education spokesman John Pugh added: “This lethal combination of haphazard planning and prejudice will decimate one of the most treasured and valued sectors of our educational system.”
A Department for Education spokeswoman said they would be consulting with nurseries on future funding “in due course.”