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Conservatives promise that all new primary schools will have a nursery
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May 18, 2017Conservative manifesto pledges to add early years provision to all new schools and confirms commitment to 30-hours offer
The Conservative party has unveiled its latest manifesto, including a pledge to add nursery provision to all new primary schools.
The manifesto also reaffirmed the party鈥檚 commitment to the 30-hours offer, due to be rolled-out nationwide this September. It said that it would 鈥渋mmediately鈥 create a capital fund to 鈥渉elp primary schools develop nurseries where they currently do not have the facilities to provide one鈥.
The Conservative party has pledged to support maintained nursery schools and 鈥渁llow them to take on academy freedoms鈥. The party also said it would consider 鈥渨hat more is needed鈥 for the sector, which it said included 鈥渓ooking at the best ways that childcare is provided elsewhere in Europe and the world鈥.
The Alliance has criticised the announcement that all new primary schools will include a nursery. Chief executive Neil Leitch said: 鈥淧rivate and voluntary childcare providers play an integral role in the delivery of childcare and early education in this country, and yet many have faced a persistent struggled for survival as the result of insufficient funding. As such, it beggars belief that the Conservative manifesto makes no attempt to address the issue, but instead, chooses to concentrate its funding efforts on increasing the number of school nurseries.鈥
Neil added: 鈥淚f the 30-hour funded offer is to have any chance of succeeding and actually providing the places promised to parents, then the Conservative Party simply must ensure that adequate funding is available to all providers, not just a select few. Ignoring the needs of the private and voluntary sector, which for years has been the backbone of the childcare sector in the country, is thoughtless, offensive and rash.鈥