Harry Barber, leader of the Conservative-led Leicestershire County Council, said last week that the inquiry was expected to take about seven working days. It would look into two main issues - the status of the county's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and its ability to make decisions, and how the nursery education grant for three-year-olds has been managed in the county. He added that Kate McKenna, chair of the EYDCP, supported the inquiry.
The inquiry follows the council's under-estimation of demand for free places for three-year-olds, resulting in a 215,000 shortfall. In September it wrote to 300 providers telling them that some children with free places this term would not have them from January unless they lived in certain postcode areas.
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