Two Stafford primary schools, Rowley Park Primary Academy and St Paul’s Church of England Primary School, are set to receive investment into nurseries, as Labour confirms a further 331 new school-based nurseries across England.
The funding will enable Rowley Park to offer an initial 10 new places, and St Paul’s will be adding 15 new places. It will a have significant impact on local children and families, building on the outstanding provision the schools already offer for primary-aged pupils.
School-based nurseries mean children can stay in the same environment all the way through to age 11, giving kids a seamless, familiar start to their education, while cutting the stress of the school run for parents with children of both nursery and school age.
The announcement is part of the Government’s second wave of school-based nursery expansions, which is delivering thousands of new places for families who need them most. Recently, new research found that since taking office, the Labour government has saved the average family £8,000 on their childcare and reversed two decades’ worth of rising costs in two years, bringing the cost of a place back to 2005 levels.
Leigh Ingham, MP for Stafford, Eccleshall, and the villages, said: “This is great news for local families – and I want to say a huge congratulations to Rowley Park and St Paul’s on their successful bids.
“I’m really pleased that these schools are getting investment to expand what’s on offer locally. It will mean more nursery places, close to home, in schools that families already know and trust.”
Annika Beaumont, Headteacher at Rowley Park Primary Academy added: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for government funding to establish a new two-year-old provision at Rowley Park Primary Academy, and we are already fully engaged in planning to ensure the very best start for our youngest learners.”
Jane Gaskill, Headteacher at St Paul’s Church of England Primary School, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant. This funding will enable us to give nursery aged children in our‑ area the very best possible start, building on the outstanding provision we already offer for primary-aged pupils.”
Labour has announced several policies to help children and families, including 30 hours of Government-funded childcare, the opening of 200 Best Start Family Hubs, the cap on branded uniform items and the rollout of free breakfast clubs.