The Government's flagship scheme to create 3,000 new school-based nurseries in England faces a significant gap between ambition and delivery, according to a landmark report by the Sutton Trust and the Social Market Foundation.
The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that just 20% of schools without a nursery have a plan in place or are likely to open one, with 70% saying it is unlikely they will do so. Barriers cited by school leaders include a lack of suitable indoor space (51%), high start-up costs (50%) and concerns over financial viability (46%).
The report also raises serious questions about whether the programme is reaching the children who need it most. New nurseries funded through the scheme have lower proportions of free school meal eligible pupils — 23% — than pre-existing school-based nurseries (28%), and are around a third less likely to be in the most disadvantaged schools.
The authors are calling on the Government to prioritise disadvantaged areas in the roll-out, increase the eligibility threshold for the 15-hour disadvantage entitlement for two-year-olds to reflect inflation, and clarify whether the programme's primary purpose is expanding childcare places or improving access to high-quality early education.
Carl Cullinane, Director of Research and Policy at the Sutton Trust, said the initiative was ‘facing a reality check on its implementation’ and needed to be ‘far better targeted where it can make the most difference.’
A Department for Education spokesperson said the Government had ‘learnt from the early stages of the rollout’ and that from 2027 funding would be better targeted to where it meets the greatest need.
