Nursery World - Wraparound care 'will cost'

Childcare and educational establishments have welcomed the Government's commitment to the extended schools initiative, while warning that 'it can't be done on the cheap'. Speaking at 'Every Childhood Matters', a 4Children conference held in London last week, education secretary Charles Clarke outlined plans for all schools to offer wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm for 48 weeks of the year.

Speaking at 'Every Childhood Matters', a 4Children conference held in London last week, education secretary Charles Clarke outlined plans for all schools to offer wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm for 48 weeks of the year.

He said, 'We need to create a universal, one-stop service for parents, and schools will be at the heart of this.'

4Children estimates that 10bn a year for ten years would be needed to ensure that the extended schools initiative is sustainable across primary and secondary schools in England.

A 4Children survey published last week reveals that half of all primary schools want to become extended schools in the next two years. But their key concerns include finding suitable premises, staffing issues and how they will pay for it all.

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