The move will see 260,000 two year olds, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds, able to access 15 free hours of nursery education for 38 weeks of the year.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA, said: “We are very pleased with this announcement. Early intervention has been proven to have long term benefits for children, families, society and the economy and investment in early years is the right thing to do for Britain’s future. Most of the children that this move will benefit are not currently accessing any formal early education so this will make a real difference to their future learning and life chances.
“Nurseries will be keen to support this investment and are well placed to provide the high quality early education that is needed, along with support for families. The latest Ofsted Annual Report shows that the quality of childcare in England is improving, with 80% of provision in non-domestic settings, including nurseries, found to be good or outstanding.
“It is vital that the right level of funding is available to support high quality early education and that this funding gets to the frontline in nurseries. There must also be enough good quality places available for two year olds and local authorities will need to work closely with nurseries and other providers to ensure that support is in place.
“NDNA looks forward to hearing more from the Department for Education about this and working with them, local authorities and the nursery sector to ensure that these plans make a real difference to children and families.”
--Ends--
Notes to editors:
• Non-domestic settings are classified by Ofsted as nurseries, playgroups, pre-school provision, crèches, out of school clubs and holiday play schemes.
• National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is a national charity representing children’s day nurseries across the UK, giving them information, training and support, so they can provide the best possible care to young children. NDNA is the voice of the sector, an integral part of the lives of nearly one million children and their families.
• For more information please contact Lindsay Garfitt, Senior PR and Policy Officer, on 01484 40 70 66 or Lindsay.Garfitt@
# # #
National Day Nurseries Association is a national charity representing children’s nurseries across the UK, giving them information, training and support, so they can provide the best possible care to young children.
