Nursery World - Fruit scheme 'discriminates'

Nursery schools and pre-schools in London are up in arms because they have been excluded from a scheme giving children aged four to six a free piece of fruit each day. The 42m School Fruit Pilot Programme, financed by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), is providing fruit to children in nursery classes in schools - but not to four-year-olds in local education authority nurseries.

The 42m School Fruit Pilot Programme, financed by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), is providing fruit to children in nursery classes in schools - but not to four-year-olds in local education authority nurseries.

Outraged nursery heads have urged MPs to put pressure on the Department of Health and the NOF to remove a clause from the conditions of the NOF funding which state that 'LEA nurseries are ineligible to participate'.

Jane Cole, support headteacher to the Forum for Maintained Nursery Schools, said, 'At first I thought this was just an administrative blunder, but after putting pressure on the Department of Health for weeks now, I have hit a brick wall. I have been given no explanation for this discrimination and I am absolutely furious.'

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