Nursery World - Early excellence gets 17m boost

The number of Early Excellence Centres is to triple over the next three years with the help of 17m additional funding, education and employment secretary David Blunkett revealed last week. The number of centres is to expand from 29 to 100 by March 2004. The extra money brings the total invested in the programme to 45million.

The number of centres is to expand from 29 to 100 by March 2004. The extra money brings the total invested in the programme to 45million.

Mr Blunkett named six new centres, one of which, First Steps Nursery in Twerton, Bath, is the first member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance to gain Early Excellence status.

First Steps Nursery, which opened less than four years ago and was profiled by Nursery World in March 1998 as an example of good practice, is in a deprived area and provides a range of family support services, including free access to courses for parents.

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