I am thrilled that Grosvenor Park Primary School has been given funding as part of Labour’s plan to enhance young children’s development and school readiness through school-based nurseries, coming alongside the introduction of 30 government-funded hours of childcare and free breakfast clubs.
When I visited the school in January it was clear that the headteacher Mr Fern and all the staff go above and beyond to provide a school full of enthusiasm and a strong sense of community, and it was fantastic to meet with the pupils of the school parliament who actively participate in school governance, setting a great example and creating the young leaders of the future.
I know from speaking to families across my constituency the need for high-quality education that is available nearby and doesn’t break the bank, and I look forward to visiting the nursery to see the new placements. The government’s plans for school-based nurseries, free breakfast clubs and increasing free childcare hours present the a generational opportunity to boost early-years provision, and it’s great to see this happening in our doorstep.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
Delivering on our promise of a better early years system is my top priority, which is why we’ve more than doubled our investment in this first phase so thousands more children can benefit from a high-quality early education from this September.
We said we’d act, and now we have. But this is just the beginning – we’ve set a hugely important milestone to get tens of thousands more children every year school-ready by age 5 as part of our Plan for Change.
We’re raising the bar for early years, delivering on our manifesto commitments and building a system that gives every child the best start in life.
This comes as new research released last month shows that early education is vital for children’s development and school readiness, particularly for those who may need extra support.
School-based early education tends to be more inclusive – with a higher proportion of children with special educational needs than other settings. And in areas where deprivation is higher, having early years provision embedded within a primary school helps children settle into learning in a familiar and trusted environment.
According to the IFS, teachers report that this continuity supports children’s development, strengthens relationships with families, and leads to smoother transitions into Reception — helping to close development gaps before they widen.
Alex Armstrong, Headteacher at Bloemfontein Primary School who will be using their allocated funding to open a new baby room on site said:
We wanted to address the shortage of nursery places in our local area and to provide the community with high-quality early education for our youngest learners. This funding will enable us to transform unused school space into an engaging and vibrant environment, offering year-round childcare for children from birth to five.
There are so many benefits to school-based nursery provision, including continuity for children and their families and the opportunity to develop expert-led learning which will provide our children with strong foundations for lifelong success.
Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind said:
Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.
With more reach into the lives of parents and schools than any other charity, we know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children.
Some of the best performing schools are now expanding into early years to deliver an excellent education, and the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:
There should be no higher priority for government than investment in the early years. The evidence is clear that high quality early education can make a lasting difference to children’s lives, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It is therefore extremely positive to see the first wave of new and expanded school-based nurseries being announced today. Schools play a vital role in the early years ecosystem, and this should help strengthen that further.
As part of wider work to break down barriers to opportunity for every family, from this week providers are due to benefit from the largest ever uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium, helping ensure the most disadvantaged children are accessing the high-quality early years education they need. This is part of an over £2 billion extra investment going into the sector next year, bringing total investment to over £8 billion.