Nursery owners have been voicing their frustrations that the new Government has so far failed to suspend the Code of Practice, despite a pre-election promise by the Conservatives to allow them to charge supplementary fees while the crisis in nursery funding is resolved (News, 24 June and 8 July).
Martin Bradley, chair of the Montessori Schools Association, said, 'We welcome the review but have particular concerns because it doesn't include issues around funding - not just funding for individual schools and settings, but the cost of bureaucracy for the Early Years Single Funding Formula.'
He said the Government 'needs to look at the overall cost of provision', as well as how to cut down on bureaucracy.
Mr Bradley said that the Association was hearing that local authorities were having to devise a wide variety of methods for implementing the Code. 'We're going to find significant variations as local authorities struggle to maintain the number of places.'
On Nursery World's online forum, 'Sheila21' commented, 'Funding is something the Government really needs to focus on, rather than the EYFS. With the increase from 12.5 to 15 hours, with total flexibility to be provided for parents as to when they take their hours, these are the issues that are really going to affect the sustainability of settings.'
Another nursery owner said, 'Without suspending the Code nurseries face a bleak future.'
Meanwhile, Buckinghamshire County Council has confirmed that 14 nurseries have notified it of their intention to pull out of the free entitlement scheme from September, with a loss of up to 400 childcare places, because nurseries fear the extension of the scheme is financially unsustainable.
