Nursery World - Labour reveals plans to convert 3,334 classrooms into school-based nurseries

A Labour Government would create 3,300 new school-based nurseries, utilising spare capacity within primary schools due to falling birth rates.

Labour wants to convert spare primary school classrooms into nurseries, PHOTO: Adobe Stock

Unveiling the plans, Labour leader Keir Starmer and shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the party will convert 3,334 classrooms to accommodate 100,000 additional childcare places, focusing on ‘under-served’ areas and to meet anticipated additional demand from the expansion of the funded hours, which Labour has committed to delivering.

The new school-based nurseries, which would be paid for by revenue raised from ending tax breaks for private schools, could be run by schools themselves or local PVI providers. Labour estimates it will cost an average of £40,000 to retrofit individual classrooms into school-based nurseries.

The party says its plans will give children a better start to life, helping them to prepare for school. They will also improve the availability and quality of childcare for families in areas with severe shortages of available places, or childcare ‘deserts'.

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