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by ZoĂ« Varenne and Jess Gibson

Primary schools that have forced private, voluntary or independent (PVI) early years settings to leave their premises to apply for school-based nursery funding should not be allowed to participate in the government scheme, the Early Years Alliance has said. 

During the recent Spending Review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that the government is pushing ahead with its plans to deliver 3,000 new or expanded school-based nurseries – which it says are at the “heart” of its Plan for Change – confirming ÂŁ370m in funding for the scheme over the next four years. 

This follows an initial phase in which 300 school-based nurseries received ÂŁ37m in government funding to repurpose spare space for new or expanded nursery provision. 

While the government has said that school-based nurseries are intended to supplement – rather than replace – PVI provision, the Alliance has received numerous case study reports of primary schools terminating leases with PVI providers operating on their premises to open their own provision and apply for funding under the government scheme. 

Earlier this year, the Alliance filed a Freedom of Information request to the Department for Education (DfE), asking how many of the primary schools awarded school-based nursery funding have had PVI providers operating on their premises over the past two years, and how many had served notice on PVI providers operating on their premises over the same period. However, the DfE has since confirmed that it does not hold that information. 

Commenting, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch said: “The government has said time and time again that school-based nurseries are intended to work alongside, and not replace or displace, private and voluntary settings – and yet, as the response to our Freedom of Information request shows, this simply isn’t being monitored. 

“We have heard far too many reports of high-quality PVI providers, many of whom have previously enjoyed positive relationships with their local school – being told at very little notice that they must find new premises because the school in question now wants to apply for government funding to open their own provision. 

“With the full rollout of the school-based nursery scheme now confirmed by government, it is absolutely critical that safeguards are put in place to ensure that any new school-based provision is not at the expense of existing PVI provision. This means ensuring primary schools who have served or intend to serve notice on PVI providers in order to apply for school-based nursery funding are not eligible to do so. 

“We’re clear that PVI settings are an absolutely critical part of the early years sector, especially at a time when the government is looking to significantly expand provision for younger children. 

“We therefore urge policymakers to work with us to review and improve the school-based nursery application process to ensure that the ongoing rollout of this policy does not put a single PVI setting at risk.”