Please find below a comment from the Early Years Alliance on the news that the government’s school-based nurseries rollout is “on track to deliver over 4,000 places this September”.

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:

“While we fully recognise that there is an urgent need to boost the number of early years places, we are both disappointed and frustrated that government policy continues to focus almost exclusively on school-based nurseries, especially given this provision accounts for a relatively small proportion of places.

“With providers from across the sector collectively delivering nearly 1.3 million places to under-fives, it’s clear that the addition of 4,000 places – while welcome – is unlikely to have a significant impact on accessibility overall. What’s more, the extent to which school-based settings will be willing and able to meet the needs of families requiring care and education outside of normal school hours, or during the holidays, remains unclear.

“With private and voluntary providers delivering the vast majority of early years places – particularly those taken up by younger children – it’s clear that the government simply cannot continue to overlook and undervalue this vital part of the sector.”