In the lead up to the Spending Review this month, APPG officers and MPs have written to the Chancellor to call for a long-term funding settlement for maintained nursery schools (MNS), following a recent survey which revealed that 64 per cent expect to be in deficit in the current financial year.
The Department for Education has yet to propose a viable long-term funding formula for maintained nursery schools to replace the stop-gap arrangements put in place in 2017, but ministers have indicated that proposals are dependent on the spending review.
Delays to a revision of their funding formula has left MNS facing real-term cuts and rising costs over the past four years, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic, according to the sector.
Jack Dromey, secretary of the APPG and MP for Birmingham Erdington, told Nursery World, ‘Maintained Nursery Schools have outstanding track records for improving the life chances of some of the most disadvantaged children in the country.
‘But year on year they have had to fight for funding to stay open, and now many are on the brink of closure. If this were to happen, we will be letting down a whole generation of children.
‘During a year in which disadvantaged children have suffered the most from the impact of coronavirus, the Treasury must finally bring the uncertainty to an end and deliver a secure, long-term settlement for Maintained Nursery Schools.’
The letter, signed by Mr Dromey, MP Theresa Villiers, vice-chair of APPG, and MP Steve Brine, treasurer of APPG, states, ‘The vast majority of MNS remained open during the pandemic and took in children from other settings which were closed. By remaining open to meet the needs of vulnerable communities they have incurred additional costs and lost vital fee income. As a result, 64 per cent expect to be in deficit in the current financial year, compared to 33 per cent which were in deficit at the end of 2019-20. Nursery schools have already made extensive cuts: for example, pupil:teacher ratios have increased from 16 to 23 pupils per teacher between 2010 and 2018. Significant further efficiency savings are simply no longer possible. Funding reform is needed now.’
CASE STUDY: CASTLE VALE NURSERY SCHOOL
Sally Leese, head teacher at Castle Vale Nursery School in Birmingham told Nursery World about the difficulties she faces with the funding. ‘The biggest problem for us is taking on children at the age of two or three without knowing for a fact that they will complete their education with us. From term-to-term we don’t know if we might have to close because of the lack of funding - and without that I don’t know if I can continue to employ teachers or run the building.
‘As a school we have to produce three-year budget plans to show that we are sustainable as a school. How can I possibly do a three-year plan if I don’t know what funding I will have next term, let alone next year?
‘We are always on a cliff edge, it just moves. The last time the funding was committed was in April, the end of financial year. But obviously we work in school years so we didn’t have any commitment for the Summer term, which made planning extremely difficult.’
