Fears over future of nurseries in Birmingham as Government to reform funding

Nov 30 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

THOUSANDS of Birmingham families could be facing a childcare crisis amid fears for the future of nurseries across the city.

Concerns that nursery schools could be forced to close were aired following changes to the way early years education is to be funded.

Birmingham City Council education officials were told some council-run nurseries, as well as nursery classes in primary schools, could lose almost a third of their funding, in some cases amounting to more than £150,000.

The crisis was said to have arisen because of Government plans to equalise funding between public and private nursery providers.

Birmingham funds all full-time places in its 27 council-run nursery schools, as well as nursery classes in primary schools.

But the scheme will effectively mean local authorities will only be able to fund part-time places in future, with more of the pot going to the private sector. The council is hoping to ease the pressure on nursery and primary schools by introducing a two-year “safety net” of 90 per cent of this year’s budget.

But a nursery headteacher told councillors the scheme would prove ruinous for some facilities.

Fran Munby, head of St Thomas Children’s Centre Nursery in Lee Bank, said: “We are faced with having to close schools and make staff redundant. At the moment in Birmingham, between 50 and 70 per cent of children who attend council-run nursery schools and nursery classes are full-time and are funded by the city. Many are set up in deprived places offering places to disadvantaged children.

“This is something we should be proud of in Birmingham as the Government has only ever funded part-time places.

“But now the Government wants to give more money to the private sector, which has been lobbying to say they want more money.”

Nigel Baker, of the National Union of Teachers, speaking on behalf of the joint unions, said school closures were inevitable.

He said the Government formula failed to recognise that high quality early years education was more expensive due to the cost of qualified teachers and nursery nurses.

“This is an ill-thought out proposal that nobody wants,” he added.