Nursery World - Anxiety grows on funding

Nursery schools are under threat because some local authorities do not recognise or understand their benefits, says the organisation that promotes nursery education.

The National Campaign for Real Nursery Education (NCrNE) warns thatdespite Government guidance that nursery schools should be protectedfrom closure, there is 'growing anxiety' about the Early Years SingleFunding Formula (EYSFF), which from April next year will be used tocalculate funding for the free entitlement for all providers.

Some nursery school head teachers say that local authority officers donot understand how nursery schools are run.

Members at the NCrNE annual meeting voted unanimously for the Governmentto monitor the situation amid fears that the formula will threatenmaintained nursery schools and classes.

Pauline Trudell, vice-president of NCrNE, said, 'While some localauthorities do value their nursery schools highly, others have beenforced to make cuts. There is a lot of anxiety. We have heard of somenursery schools facing large cuts in funding, but we won't have thewhole picture for a while.'

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