Delivering his first public speech at a Policy Exchange event on pre-school provision in schools, the childcare and education minister Sam Gyimah said, ‘We want to see schools teaming up with PVI nurseries, sharing the best ways to work.
‘That way, families can have the flexibility of private nurseries and the expertise of schools. The best of both worlds.’
Mr Gyimah went on to say that working in partnership with private, voluntary and independent settings would also solve the problem of a lack of space in some schools to offer childcare, as well as guarantee the sustainability of small local PVI settings.
The childcare and education minister also said that through partnership working, schools could learn from the very best PVI providers, particularly when it comes to disadvantaged two-year-olds.
Mr Gyimah went on to give examples where schools and private, voluntary and independent settings are already working together.
One example he gave is St Bede Primary Academy in Bolton, which has an onsite nursery and also runs a private nursery on the same site, along with operating four other settings in the local area.
He also referred to 4Children’s Childcare Hubs, which are bringing together all types of early years providers to work with schools.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said, 'PVI nurseries are experts in delivering high-quality, flexible early education and childcare. As sector leaders they have a lot to offer schools about early learning and childcare for very young children.
'Early years practitioners are experts in caring for very young children 52 weeks a year in an environment that is built for purpose; this is reflected in the 96 per cent of two-year-olds currently taking up their places in PVI nurseries.
'The Government and Ofsted have been clear in their drive for high quality provision and with 85 per cent of two-year-old PVI provision graded good or outstanding in comparison to 78 per cent for schools, any expansion of two-year-old places into schools should be PVI led and not the other way round.
She added, 'To create a system where schools, maintained and PVI provision can work together, there must be a proper infrastructure in place. PVI nurseries, which are performing a public service with free entitlement, have to struggle with increasing business burdens and a funding system which is not fit for purpose. All nurseries providing funded places, whichever sector it is in must be given the same resources and support.'
In a subsequent question and answer session, when asked about the disparity in free entitlement funding between schools and PVI providers, the childcare and education minister said that settings need to be 'more creative' in the way they deliver the free early education places.
Responding to his comments, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PLA), said, 'If the minister wants to build a sector where maintained and non-maintained providers work together in partnership, he needs to make sure that they are on an even footing – but this is clearly not the case at present.
'We are extremely concerned that the Government is still ignoring the fact that the free entitlement offer is severely underfunded. To suggest that providers can address this issue by simply being ‘more creative’ demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the severity of the problem.
'Many early years providers have seen little to no change in funding levels for several years now, and are heavily reliant on fundraising, volunteers and staff working unpaid additional hours to stay afloat. The fact that the vast majority of PVI providers are good or outstanding despite this chronic underfunding is a testament to their hard work and dedication, but it is clear that the current situation is not sustainable in the long term. The Government can’t continue to expect more for less.'
Deborah Lawson, general secretary of Voice the union, said, 'We have heard this before and the idea that schools should work in partnership with the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) day care providers is not new – it was a central plank of the extended schools programme of the last government to provide wrap-around care for pre-school and school age children.
'Praise for the profession and of the crucial role it plays providing the foundation for future learning for our youngest and most vulnerable children is hollow when it lacks substance and is not supported by the resource needed to form effective and productive partnerships as suggested.
'It is not unusual, almost the norm, for early years workers and teachers to undertake planning, preparation, training and development in their own time often in addition to fund raising.
'It is therefore unreasonable to expect more from an already overburdened workforce in early years and childcare and schools to sacrifice more of their own time to develop and establish partnerships to deliver Government targets without sufficient resources.'
