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School early years and 14–16 funding arrangements 2008–2011 'An opportunity missed' warns the Pre-school Learning Alliance

NEWS RELEASE

25 June 2007

School early years and 14–16 funding arrangements 2008–2011 'An opportunity missed' warns the Pre-school Learning Alliance

In responding to the changes announced by the Government today following the consultation on funding for Schools, Early Years and 14-16, Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance said,

“The Pre-school Learning Alliance welcomes the government’s decision to introduce formulae to equalise the methods by which both pupil numbers and funding allocation are calculated for maintained and PVI settings. This will undoubtedly help to correct many of the current imbalances in how Nursery Education Funding (NEF) is distributed to different types of setting. We are also delighted that the government is committed to greater monitoring of local authority resourcing of early years via the publication of annual benchmarking data containing estimated expected spending. While welcoming these measures as a step in the right direction though, we are unclear how the government intends to ensure their take up given that local authorities appear to be being ‘encouraged’ rather than required to introduce some of the elements in full.

However, the Alliance is extremely disappointed that the government did not take the opportunity to ring-fence, or at least separately identify, a specific amount of money to be allocated for early years within the Direct Schools Grant (DSG). This means that NEF may still be arbitrarily ‘topsliced’ by local authorities into other services, which is the root cause of many of the current problems in funding the free entitlement in the PVI sector.

Although guaranteeing an early years voice on local schools forums will help to make a case for appropriately resourcing NEF, the Alliance is sceptical whether this membership will be adequately placed to represent all of the varied interests in the sector (e.g private, voluntary, independent and maintained settings; full daycare and sessional care settings) or have the necessary power within the forum to challenge decisions to topslice early years funding. We are hopeful, though, that the government will consider introducing broader mechanisms in the future to strengthen the role of early years in determining how the DSG is allocated.

The Alliance also believes that the timescales under which these proposals are intended to take effect may be too little too late to save the increasing number of PVI providers who have already stated that they can no longer afford to provide the free entitlement at current levels.

We fear that unless more responsive action is taken sooner to close this ‘funding gap’, the government may have to prepare for many in the PVI sector withdrawing from the free entitlement scheme or even going out of business altogether. If this were allowed to happen it would not only serve to derail the government’s laudable achievements so far in developing the early years sector, but would represent a travesty for thousands of parents and children who benefit from these services.”

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
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