London's specialist nurseries 'at risk of closure in funding crisis'

A file image of a woman taking her child to nursery, as a report claimed schools which look after some of the capital’s most vulnerable children are at risk of closing
Brian Lawless/PA
Anna Davis @_annadavis17 September 2018

Nursery schools that look after some of the capital’s most vulnerable children are at risk of closing within the next two years because of a funding crisis, London Councils has warned.

Research by the body, which represents all London boroughs, found that the future of many maintained nursery schools is under threat.

A new London Councils report said if the Government does not provide additional money the nurseries will either have to close or stop taking children with the most complex needs.

Maintained nursery schools work with the most disadvantaged children and take high numbers of children with special educational needs. They are obliged to employ more qualified, specialist teachers and therefore cost more to run than other nurseries. They have the same status as schools so must employ a headteacher, deputy, governing body and special educational needs co-ordinator, which also costs more.

The Government gave maintained nursery schools supplementary funding to cover these extra costs but it runs out in 2020. London Councils said it wants a guarantee that the money will be continued beyond 2020.

Nickie Aiken, London Councils executive member for children’s services, said: “These schools are specialists in their field and need to be funded accordingly to ensure that this valuable resource is not lost.”

London Councils is also calling on the Government to provide emergency funding for maintained nursery schools under immediate threat of closure. Its report, called Hidden Value, has interviews with staff from 19 of London’s 80 maintained nursery schools.

Most headteachers said they would not be able to stay open past 2020 and if they did, it would be because they were accepting fewer children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), or by reducing the support available to these children.

Children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Government was providing councils £60 million a year up until 2020 to protect maintained nursery schools funding.

He added: “I regularly meet with maintained nursery school leaders and we work closely to better understand the value these nurseries offer, so I would urge councils not to make premature decisions on the future of these nurseries as this work continues. Decisions about what happens after this will be taken as part of the next spending review.”

Chantel Gyasl and son Grayson

Chantel GyasI sends her three-year-old son Grayson, who does not have any special educational needs, to Effra nursery near their home in Brixton.

She said: “I chose Effra because it is a maintained nursery school. It’s important to me that the staff are well qualified. I am very happy with the way Grayson is developing. I am planning to send my youngest son Chase there when he is two."

The adult education teacher said that if Effra nursery closed “it would have a massive impact. There is already a shortage of good nurseries around”.

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