The creation of a pupil premium specifically for use in the early years was widely welcomed by the sector as a way of offering additional support for children in the crucial pre-school period. However, a consultation document on how to implement the £50m fund has sparked concerns that the money will be used to plug the financial hole in the free childcare scheme rather than deliver extra support.
The Department for Education's Early Years Pupil Premium and Funding for Two-Year-Olds consultation reveals that childcare providers will be free to spend the funding how they wish.
Some believe that this freedom will allow nursery providers to use the cash to offset their loses from delivering free childcare places for disadvantaged three and four-year-olds.
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