Overview
- The Department for Education will invite schools to bid for up to £150,000 each from a £45 million fund to create or expand on‑site nurseries, targeting up to 7,000 additional places by September 2026.
- This month, 189 of the first 300 school-based nurseries are operating, adding about 4,000 places for the current school year.
- From September 1, eligible working parents in England can claim 30 hours a week of funded childcare for children aged nine months and over.
- Sector bodies warn that staffing shortages could constrain capacity, with NFER urging action and NDNA reporting around 70% of nurseries carrying an average of four vacancies.
- To support recruitment, early years teachers in disadvantaged communities will receive a £4,500 payment, with overall early years funding reported to rise to £9 billion next year.