Funding for maintained nursery schools

In August 2016, the Government launched its consultation on the creation of an early years national funding formula. Among the issues the new funding formula sought to address included that “some councils … unfairly differentiate the funding rates that they pay to different types of providers which leads to a non-level playing field between those from the maintained sector and those from the private/voluntary sector. This matters to 30 hours delivery, as the majority of 30 hours places will need to be delivered by the private/voluntary sector”.

In response to the consultation, analysis by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) “shows that hundreds of nursery schools across England, which are most often in areas of high social deprivation, would be forced to close if the government doesn’t adjust its proposals”. After the consultation had closed in September 2016, an E-Petition was submitted on 3 November 2016 entitled “Save State-Funded Nursery Schools”.

In December 2016, the DfE published the Government response to the consultation. On maintained nurseries, it was announced that the £55 million of annual additional funding would be extended from the original timeframe of two years in the consultation document to “at least” the end of the current Parliament.