Nursery World - PM defends decision to keep nurseries open

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was 'very important' to keep early years provision open for key workers, but failed to mention that childcare settings are currently open for all children, during yesterday's Downing Street press conference.

Boris Johnson speaking during the Downing Street coronavirus press conference on 7 January 2021

The Prime Minister was asked by a member of the public ‘how early years provision could be safe, when primary schools were deemed a vector for the virus’, and whether keeping settings open 'did not defeat the purpose of this lockdown'.

Mr Johnson responded to the question, from Judith in Leeds, by referring only to the need for early years provision to be kept open for key workers during the pandemic.

That led to the Early Years Alliance to question, ‘Does Mr Johnson really not know his own Government's policy?’

Early years settings have been asked to stay open as normal to all children, with funding being withdrawn if parents choose not to take up their Government-funded place this term.

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