The Cat is out of the Bag! – More than 1 in 10 nursery schools in England could close according to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nurseries.
Nursery schools in England are facing the prospect of more than one in 10 closing in the next few months, according to a new survey by the all-party parliamentary group on nursery schools.
Just 400 maintained nursery schools, run and funded by authorities, remain.
And research has found that 45 of those believe they will be forced to close by July, and almost 67% say their nurseries will be unsustainable once an addition £56m transitional funding, provided by the government to ease the crisis, ends at the close of this parliament.
Lucy Powell, the Labour MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on nursery schools, said: “These findings offer a stark warning to government of the threat these outstanding providers face from… reduced funding through the national early years funding formula and drastic cuts to local authority budgets.”
Ashmore Park Nursery School- Three Inspections on the trot declared Outstanding by Ofsted Inspectors
Councillor Phil Bateman – said today that whilst Ashmore Park Nursery is unlikely to close in the next few months. It is like all the rest of the Nursery School provision in England under threat, whilst the Government dithers with regards to the funding of Nursery Schools. This Government just does not recognise the brilliant start that Nursery Schools like Ashmore Park Nursery School gives to young children with Early Years Education that really works to set them up for their full school days. It is shameful really.
The uncertainty of the threat will quickly de-moralise staff, and create great concerns amongst parents if the All Party Group of MP’s predictions come true. I have raised my concerns inside the Wolverhampton City Council about the funding of our Nursery Schools, with the Managing Director of City of Wolverhampton Council and Councillors at a special meeting for Councillors only on Monday night of this week.
Wolverhampton Nursery Schools give a great education to the children that attend. All Wolverhampton Nursery Schools are ‘Good or Outstanding’ according to Ofsted.
The uncertainty generated by Parliamentary reports predicting the demise of Nursery schools, really does have a very sapping effect on school moral.
This Conservative Government should say this week, that they are committed to this form of education, and commit to funding England’s Nursery School provision properly.
I know parents of children at Ashmore Park Nursery will be concerned at these reports. I want to re- assure them this Nursery is not in the 45 Nursery schools that the Parliamentarians suggest will close in July 2017.
But I will be calling on our community to defend this Three Times Ofsted Outstanding Ashmore Park Nursery if it does becomes threatened moving forward.
