Nurseries
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department is making towards delivering 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
This government is boosting availability and access through the school‑based nursery programme, backed by £400 million capital investment to deliver tens of thousands of places by supporting school‑led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites, helping more families access funded childcare and giving children the best start in life.
We have already made a real impact, awarding £82 million in capital funding to 631 primary and maintained nursery schools, including three in Fylde. This investment will deliver over 11,000 new nursery places by September 2027, 5,000 of which were available from September 2025.
In Phase 3, local authorities are leading on developing multi-year funding proposals to create or expand school-based nurseries between 2027 and 2030, with the first places available from September 2027. This is a fundamental shift to prioritising local need, ensuring investment goes where childcare demand and disadvantage are greatest.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →