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Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, responded to a report by the Education Committee on early years education

“We are pleased the Education Committee recognises the important role maintained nursery schools play in supporting disadvantaged children and backs our call for them to get the funding they need.

“Councils have grave concerns about the future of maintained nurseries if the current funding does not continue beyond 2020. This could have a detrimental impact on disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs, for whom maintained nurseries provide a lifeline of vital support.

“This provision is now under threat unless government commits to an extra year of funding in 2020/21 as part of wider work to find a long-term sustainable funding solution in the Spending Review.

“Good quality early years education is vital in helping children get the best start in life, and despite the good intentions of the 30 hour free childcare scheme, insufficient funding is impacting on the quality of provision and support for children with special needs, as providers struggle to balance budgets.”

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