2 April 2025, 15:31

By Marcia Steele

Keir Starmer and Bridget Phillipson have promised thousands of new nursery places from September 2025 as part of the first wave of 300 school-based nurseries.

However, this falls drastically short of the 70,000 new childcare spaces Phillipson pledged by September. Nurseries themselves have warned that due to government underfunding, they will lack the staffing and resources to meet childcare demand.

Instead of pouring billions into struggling schools, the government must invest in childminding - an existing, high-quality workforce that could provide childcare solutions far more efficiently.

Phillipson’s plan ignores childminders, even though 97% of childminder settings were rated Good or Outstanding - the highest percentage of any early years provision........

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