Nursery World - Nursery owner recommends opting out of free entitlement

A nursery owner who pulled out of the nursery education funding scheme after the first Code of Practice was published four years ago is urging other providers, who fear the new Code will force them out of business, to opt out.

Simon Burman, who runs the Pre-school Centre in Richmond, Surrey, with his wife Nikki, stopped offering the free entitlement to parents of three-and four-year-olds in September 2006.

Mr Burman has been talking about his experiences in response to the reaction from those early years providers who have contacted Nursery World to express anger and dismay over the new Code, which many have found to be confusing and restrictive.

He was the first provider in his area to withdraw from the funding because of what he called increased 'interference' in the running of the business and because the grant only covered one-third of the cost of fees (News, 20 July 2006).

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