Nursery World - Making Ends Meet Part 2: Delivering the funded offer in Scotland while remaining sustainable

In part 2 of our series, we look at how settings in Scotland are coping with the country’s funded offer. By Leah Jones

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Funding rates provided by the Scottish Government are designed to be sustainable, but many private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nurseries in Scotland say they are anything but.

Scottish families can access up to 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) a year for three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds.

But according to National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland, funding rates for three- and four-year-olds do not cover costs for 70 per cent of nurseries, while 74 per cent of nurseries are making a loss on eligible two-year-old places.

Partner providers

Funded places are delivered through council-run services, or ‘partner providers’, in the PVI sector. Any setting can become a partner provider if they meet various criteria, including the National Standard.

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