The DfEShas granted Blackburn with Darwen Council a two-year extension of arrangements for seven of its nine maintained nursery schools as part of its children's centre programme. Since the council introduced the new governance system in 2004, all seven nursery schools have lost their headteachers and most have been absorbed into children's centres.
But Early Education is calling for an evaluation to assess the impact that removing the school's governing body would have on children's education.
Education consultant Pauline Trudell said, 'The nursery head positions were gradually disestablished so that they were effectively forced out of their jobs. The most negative thing is that, according to EPPE research, the best children's centres are built around nursery schools and here it has been based on a different model. So not only do they lose the nursery schools, but they also produce inferior centres.'
Gladys Rhodes, the council's assistant director of early years, said, 'From early May we can continue delivering an alternative governance model for our maintained nursery schools, in particular those incorporated within children's centres. Families find it an easier model and it feels a bit more user friendly.'
A DfES spokesman said, 'The council replaced existing governance arrangements for seven of their nine MNS with a model of inclusive and participatory decision-making by a wide partnership involving parents, local authority staff and other key stakeholders.'
