In the first round of funding, grants will be available to up to 300 schools to deliver new or expanded nurseries.
Money will be allocated to successful schools in spring next year, when the first extra places will be made available.
It is the first step in the Labour government’s manifesto pledge to deliver 3,000 nurseries in primary schools.
How much is available?
A total of £15mn is available in the first round, with schools able to bid for up to £150,000 to use solely for capital expenditure, to convert surplus space within a school building so that it is suitable for nursery provision.
Who can apply?
Applications for grant funding are open to state-funded primary-phase schools in England who already offer some early education, such as a reception class.
Maintained nursery schools and special schools cannot apply because they do not have spare space created by declining primary school rolls. They are however encouraged to register their interest to open new nursery places in the future.
To qualify, a project must meet all the eligibility criteria, which includes securing support from their local authority and obtaining consent from the landlord or relevant freehold landowner where necessary.
How to apply?
An application, including all supporting documents, must be submitted via an online portal by midday on 19 December 2024.
Applicants will need a Department for Education sign-in account. Those without one must request this by 12 December 2024.
Interested but not ready?
For schools interested in opening a school-based nursery in the future but are not yet able or eligible to apply, they can register their interest on the online application service. This includes schools who:
Do not meet the current eligibility criteria
Are considering opening a nursery within a more extended timeframe
Are facing other challenges at this time which prevent an application being made.
Registrants should include details of why they want to open or expand nursery provision, the key challenges that prevent them from doing so, and what support may help to achieve this in the future.
What’s next?
Ministers will evaluate this first phase of funding to improve future funding rounds.
Another focus of evaluation will be to ensure funding is supporting areas of disadvantage, which are “often experiencing the lowest access to provision”, according to the DfE.
The department has pledged to “engage with the sector on the most appropriate model to extend the programme across the country in its second phase”.
It is recommending interested schools start discussing increasing nursery places on their site with their local council, governors and local community.
What’s the reaction been?
“It is absolutely right that the government looks at how it can increase provision to ensure that every child can access and benefit from early education and care,” said Early Years Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch.
But, he added, “it must not be forgotten that private and voluntary nurseries, pre-schools and childminding professionals still provide the vast majority of early years places”.
The National Day Nurseries Association chief executive Purnima Tanuku urged the government to ensure the roll out of extra early years places in schools is “properly planned”.
“The early years sector is already struggling with a workforce crisis and underfunding of places for three- and four-year-old children,” she said.
“Any new nursery must not threaten the sustainability of provision which already exists in that locality, nor displace staff from existing nurseries.”
Peter Lampl, founder of social mobility charity the Sutton Trust, welcomed the scheme’s focus on improving access in areas of disadvantage.
“We now urgently need a plan to equalise entitlements for children from poorer backgrounds,” he said. “These children stand to benefit most from early years education but are excluded from expanded provision.”
More from: www.gov.uk/guidance/school-based-nursery-capital-grant#who-can-apply
