One in three nurseries ‘on brink of going under’

ALMOST a third of nursery schools say their future is on a ‘knife edge’, with some already closing because of funding problems.

Many have ‘ significant concerns’ about their finances and rely on supplementary government funding which ends in 2020.

The findings have been released as a campaign to safeguard the future of nursery schools was unveiled yesterday.

The Government has previously admitted the new Early Years Funding Formula will not cover the costs of maintained nursery schools.

Ministers agreed to provide interim funding of £ 0 million a year until 2019-20. This was designed to help ease nursery schools into the new system and to maintain funding at 201 - 17 levels – the year government guidance was published.

But many nursery schools say they already have a lower budget in 2018-19 than in 201 -17.

The Early Education charity asked the country’s 397 maintained nursery schools about their financial situation.

Three in ten of the 271 schools that responded said their future was on a ‘knife edge’, with 13 already in discussions with local authorities about possible closure. One said: ‘With our deficit due to worsen this year, based on current funding, we will struggle to last beyond this financial year.’

Children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi said: ‘I regularly meet with maintained nursery school leaders. I urge councils not to make premature decisions on the future of these nurseries as this work continues.’

‘We will struggle to last’