8 new School Nurseries in Merseyside to help cut childcare costs in poorest areas

IN the latest drive by the Government to bear down on the cost of living, thousands more parents saved on childcare costs as the Government expanded childcare to over 300 more Schools from September; including:- 9 in Merseyside.

School based Nurseries were already providing a lifeline for families. Combined with the Government's 30 hours of funded childcare, they were cutting childcare costs in half for working families, making the School run simpler with fewer drop offs during busy mornings, and helping parents return to work.

A further 331 Schools across the country were successful in applying for a share of:- £45 million funding to build or expand Nurseries on their site. The new Nurseries added to the vibrant childcare market and created over:- 6,000 more childcare places for children from:- St Ives to Gateshead, on top of the up to:- 6,000 already being delivered from the 1st phase of the programme.

Schools benefiting are:-

• Brook Acre Community Primary School, Warrington.
  

• Cranberry Academy, Cheshire East.
  

• Everton Nursery School and Family Centre, Liverpool.
  

• Garston Church of England Primary School, Liverpool.
  

• Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Sefton.
  

• Murdishaw West Community Primary School, Halton.
  

• St James' Church of England Primary School, St. Helens.
  

• St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Sefton.
  

• Woodside Primary School, Halton.

New figures published showed over 1 million parents used the Government's funded childcare offer. But the data also revealed lower take-up in poorer communities, highlighting the need to target new places where families faced the biggest barriers to accessing childcare.

School based Nurseries already played a major role in filling those gaps, making up around 35% of childcare provision in the most deprived areas, compared with:- 16% in the least deprived.

The Government went further. From May, the programme moved to a locally led model, with Councils, rather than Schools, invited to propose plans for new places in communities with the greatest need.

For the 1st time, Best Start Family Hubs, which were soon to be opening in every local area, were also able to host School based Nurseries. This brought childcare together with family support, health visiting and early identification of special educational needs and disabilities under 1 roof; meaning more joined up support, for more families.

It came as 10 local areas benefitted from an additional Early Years Pupil Premium funding boost of:- £363 per child; on top of the unprecedented:- 45% uplift, in 2025, and further:- 15% this year; for early years providers to improve the quality of education, raise attainment, and support development of children from more deprived backgrounds.

Alongside new Nursery places, the Government's cost of living measures meant that families were also saving up to:- £450 a year due to free breakfast clubs, with further support from a cap on branded:- School Uniform costs and expansion of free School meals to those on Universal Credit.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:- "As a parent, I know how hard it can be to juggle work and family life, especially in those early days where time is precious and sleep is short. School-based Nurseries are already driving a seismic shift in how childcare supports families. Now we're going even further to build on what works with over 300 new Nurseries; cutting childcare costs, simplifying the School run, and helping parents at a time when household budgets are under real pressure. This is about targeting support where it's needed most, easing the cost of living and giving every child the best start in life."

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:- "Our School based Nurseries are already helping fill the gaps in communities where childcare is hardest to find, giving children the strong start they deserve and helping parents access childcare close to home. By expanding these Nurseries further and targeting them at the areas that need them most, we are making sure more families can benefit from quality early education while putting practical support in place to help with the cost of living. For too long, where a child grows up has shaped what they go on to achieve. This Government was elected to change that; starting with giving every child the best start in life and making sure every family can access the childcare they need, wherever they live."

Sitting alongside the brilliant childcare offered by childminders and private, voluntary and independent settings, new polling showed parents strongly valued the convenience of School based Nurseries.

37% said being able to drop multiple children at the same location was a key benefit, and 59% said they helped prepare for the School transition.

Children growing up in the most deprived communities were more than 20 percentage points less likely to reach a good level of development by age 5.

By targeting the next phase of the programme in areas where need was the highest, the Government was determined to improve children's development and School readiness across the board and give every child the best start in life.

From September, providers in:- Brighton and Hove, Durham, Islington, Leeds, Luton, Nottingham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Torbay and Sandwell were all able to access the additional EYPP funding, through the new test and learn programme designed to make sure the Government's unprecedented uplifts were delivering for children and families on the ground.

The programme, running in another 10 local areas to be announced next year, assessed the different ways providers were making the most of the increased funding through staff training, resources or activities and experiences to improve awareness, take-up and effective use of the funding.

This rollout formed part of the Government's wider programme to support families with the cost of living.