The recent move by a primary school in south London to open a baby unit, funded and run by the school itself, raises quite a few issues, especially with current concerns about how local authorities are working with the private and voluntary early years sectors (see News, page 4). Is running a day nursery for under-threes really a task that the head teacher and governors of a primary school want to take on, and indeed, that they have the time and/or expertise to do? Will important decisions about the operations of this daycare provision be swamped on the agenda for governors' meetings by the myriad pressing concerns that are involved in running a primary school?
The recent move by a primary school in south London to open a baby unit, funded and run by the school itself, raises quite a few issues, especially with current concerns about how local authorities are working with the private and voluntary early years sectors (see News, page 4).
Is running a day nursery for under-threes really a task that the head teacher and governors of a primary school want to take on, and indeed, that they have the time and/or expertise to do? Will important decisions about the operations of this daycare provision be swamped on the agenda for governors' meetings by the myriad pressing concerns that are involved in running a primary school?
Can the school provide the right environment for a baby unit? This issue is one that is a general concern in terms of extending provision on school sites, whoever provides the care. Good outdoor facilities for the youngest children will be particularly hard to provide at an urban school.
And where does this launch fit in with the local authority's strategy for childcare development, particularly with the requirement (in theory at least) that local areas should be working in partnership with other sectors and existing providers?
