CYP Now - Schools to extend reach through more places for two-year-olds

Faced with a shortage of childcare provision in some areas, councils are submitting proposals to allow schools to admit two-year-olds, but some experts raise questions over the quality of early education being provided

Nursery provision in schools fits with the government’s agenda to improve children’s outcomes but there is concern such settings are not well suited for young children. Picture: Brian Díaz/Adobe Stock

Councils in parts of England where there is a shortage of childcare provision are increasingly turning to schools to offer places to two-year-olds, a move branded “misguided” by some early years experts.

In January, CYP Nowreported that private nursery group Reach for the Stars Ltd had closed nurseries on the sites of Pebble Brook Primary School and Underwood West Academy, based in Crewe. In response, Cheshire East Council put forward proposals to extend the age range of the schools to accommodate two-year-olds.

This was not an isolated case, however, with research by CYP Now uncovering dozens of statutory notices from other councils consulting on the same issue.

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