Under government plans outlined in August, all childcare providers - whether private, voluntary or maintained - will receive the same hourly funding rate from local authorities by 2019.
The announcement of a universal funding rate has raised fears that many nursery schools that are maintained by councils and serve some of the most deprived communities could struggle to stay open.
Nursery schools are typically funded at a higher rate by local authorities than private nurseries to reflect the greater costs of employing qualified teachers.
Although the Department for Education has promised two years of additional funding to help nursery schools transition to the new funding arrangements, it said last month that a further consultation on the future of nursery schools will be held soon.
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