Skip to content

High contrast

DfES National Evaluation of Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative

NEWS RELEASE

30 March 2007

DfES National Evaluation of Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative

Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, the leading voluntary provider of childcare, Steve Alexander said:

“As the largest voluntary provider of neighbourhood nurseries operating in the most disadvantaged areas, the Alliance is pleased to see that the recommendation in the DfES report echoes our direct experience – that operating sustainable neighbourhood nurseries requires longer public funding than the three years ‘pump-priming’. This government subsidy is soon to come to and end and the Alliance has been calling for this subsidy to continue.

Childcare providers who are enabling families in disadvantaged areas to reap the benefits of affordable quality childcare face specific factors such as low income and ‘employment culture’ which impact on occupancy, demand, fees and, ultimately, operational costs. Reaching these families with sustainable services therefore needs a long-term commitment and investment, a point the Alliance made in our response to the Budget.

We concur that further support needs to be made available for nurseries in the non-maintained sector. There currently exists an inequality of resourcing which in turn impacts on quality. We are concerned that this has resulted in an unlevel playing field between the maintained and the private, voluntary independent (PVI) sector.

To address this inequality, the Alliance is calling for a minimum allocation of money within the Direct Schools Grant to be ring-fenced for early years services and that, within this funding, an amount to be earmarked for the PVI sector.

We are concerned at the recommendation that qualified teachers are needed to work with younger children (under 3 and a half years). The Alliance believes that practitioners with the Early Years Professional Status, with their background in child development, are better placed to meet the needs of this group of children.

We support the recommendation for more training for the childcare workforce and, in addition, call for funding to be available for staff cover. Finally, we would use this opportunity to urge against tax changes which adversely affect those on lower incomes and working in traditionally under-paid professions of which childcare, unfortunately, is one.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Kate Summerside
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7697 2502
Out of hours press calls: 07956 499621
E: Kate Summerside

Notes for Editors:

  1. The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
  2. Through direct provision and its membership of 15,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
  3. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: www.pre-school.org.uk
1