Nursery World - Early years workers express fear and frustration over Government decision to keep nurseries open

Nurseries and early years workers have reacted in anger and disbelief at the Government’s decision to keep early years settings open to all children, while at the same time closing schools, as England enters a third national lockdown.

Early years settings in England remain open to all children

In his address to the nation on 4 January, Boris Johnson said that all early years settings would remain open to all children, but that all primary and secondary schools would close except to the children of key workers and vulnerable children.

Asked for further clarification as to whether the Government could force early years settings to stay open and what would happen to their funding if they decided to close, a DfE spokesperson said, ‘As the PM set out, all EY settings should remain open and we would encourage them to stay open. Settings that choose to close will not receive early entitlements funding as they will not be delivering places.’

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