The Department for Education has named the teaching schools that will join up with local nurseries to share good practice.
Funding can be used to support training and continuing professional development, including through specialist leaders of education and developing leadership skills.
Ministers said that all partners would be able to learn from each other to provide better early education and care for children and families and support the transition for children between nursery and primary school.
The names of more schools and nursery schools that have also been successful in securing a share of the £5m funding be confirmed in mid-February.
On a visit to St Pauls Nursery School, part of the Bristol Early Years Teaching Consortium, childcare minister Sam Gyimah said the scheme would help ensure children receive ‘the very best early years education.
‘We know the first few years of a child’s life can be make or break in terms of how well they go on to do at school and beyond – and the sharing of expertise and best practice is vital to driving innovation and raising standards.
‘This is a fantastic example of local schools, nurseries and private providers pulling together to improve the fantastic services on offer to families, helping their children to thrive.’
The National Day Nurseries Association welcomed the new funding and has pledged to encourage its members to get involved.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘Learning is not a one way journey from schools to other provision and this scheme recognises the expertise private and voluntary nurseries can share with schools and one another as specialists in providing for under-fives. It will be important that we learn from this programme and explore how the expertise of PVI nurseries can bring benefit to more children by enabling and supporting their role as lead partners in future schemes. We will be urging nurseries to find out about their local programmes and get involved.’
- The full list of Teaching Schools that have been awarded funding so far is here
