Nursery World - Neighbourhood units anger Staffs settings

Private nursery providers in Staffordshire are up in arms over the development of Neighbourhood Nurseries as they say the nurseries are poaching staff by offering inflated salaries and threatening their viability by creating over-provision. About 50 private providers attended a meeting convened by the North Staffordshire Nursery Network, which is affiliated to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), to voice their concern over the development of nine Neighbourhood Nurseries and a further 500 nursery places in Stoke-on-Trent. The Network has organised a survey of providers to measure the decline in occupancy levels, which is already being exacerbated by falling school rolls, so that it can present its case to the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

About 50 private providers attended a meeting convened by the North Staffordshire Nursery Network, which is affiliated to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), to voice their concern over the development of nine Neighbourhood Nurseries and a further 500 nursery places in Stoke-on-Trent. The Network has organised a survey of providers to measure the decline in occupancy levels, which is already being exacerbated by falling school rolls, so that it can present its case to the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP).

Nick King, Network co-chair, said two of the Sure Start-backed nurseries were being opened within half a mile of the 54-place Dresden nursery, which he has owned for the past 12 years.

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