One of the defining characteristics of the last government seemed to be its inability to genuinely listen to the sector and understand its challenges. It ploughed on with its policies in a way that was often frustrating in the extreme. It’s not surprising that many in the sector felt disenfranchised.
There was also a sense that the last government never really got to grips with the complex make-up of the market. Despite the growth of the big groups, settings with 15-plus sites still only account for under 20 per cent of the overall PVI market. The remainder comprises a hugely variable range of sizes and models. Understanding this has to be key to making policies viable.
It has to be said that right now things feel a lot more hopeful. We need a government which is prepared to engage and listen in a way that includes all early years stakeholders – and not rush blindly into policy moves that meet a rigid agenda. It’s early days, but the portents are good. There is certainly a lot to be thinking about already – no less than 40 Bills were contained in the King’s Speech (online news, 17 July). While the argument for lifting the two-child benefit cap is currently eclipsing all debate around child-related issues, there are a slew of other proposals which are designed to have a direct bearing on key areas such as boosting child health and wellbeing and reducing disadvantage.
One of these is the idea to use spare primary classroom capacity for nursery provision. In our analysis on page 6, we investigate initial reaction from nurseries and schools and unpick some of the concerns about partnership working. In the grander scheme of things, attaching nursery provision to existing schools could increase capacity and deliver wider benefits – but many questions still need to be posed and answered. Not least of these is how delivery will be managed and funded.
Hopefully there will be a consultation in the offing.
