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By Shannon Pite

Alliance CEO Neil Leitch has written to early education minister Stephen Morgan criticising the promotional messages used in the DfE's announcement of 300 new school nurseries.

Social media posts shared by the Department for Education's official accounts today (2 April 2025) included claims that school-based nurseries provide ā€œhigh-quality early education in familiar school settingsā€, that they give children ā€œa smoother transition to reception yearā€, and that they are at ā€œthe heart" of the governmentā€™s "Plan for Changeā€.

Writing to the early education minister, Neil said:

Dear Minister

Iā€™m writing to share my concern and frustration over the statements made by the Department for Education as part of todayā€™s announcement of the first wave of 300 new school-based nurseries.

These statements include assertions that school-based nurseries provide ā€œhigh-quality early education in familiar school settingsā€ and give children ā€œa smoother transition to reception yearā€, and that school-based nurseries are at ā€œthe heart [of the governmentā€™s] Plan for Changeā€.

As far as I can tell, there seems to have been no consideration given to the impact of these messages on the thousands of dedicated, hard-working early years professionals working in private and voluntary settings.

To be clear, those working in the PVI sector also provide high-quality early education, and ensure that children have smooth transitions to school. Whatā€™s more, many operate for far greater hours during the day than many schools, as well as during typical school holidays, providing vital support to working families. As such, Iā€™m in no doubt that they too should be at the heart of the government ā€˜Plan for Changeā€™, particularly given that they continue to deliver the vast majority of early years places.

Given the vital role that PVI providers will play in the ongoing rollout of the early entitlement expansion to younger children ā€“ and I know from my own direct conversations with department colleagues that the DfE is well aware of this ā€“ I cannot understand why the government continues to put out messaging that suggests that our vital part of the sector is held in such disregard.

With settings already struggling in the face of national insurance rises, minimum wage increases and updated charging guidance, morale in the sector is as low as Iā€™ve ever seen it. As such, alongside urgent discussions around the need to secure additional financial support for the sector in this yearā€™s Spending Review, I think it is vital that we also meet to discuss the Departmentā€™s school-based nursery policy and how we can ensure that the promotion of work in this area does not end up insulting those working in the PVI sector, as it has done today.

I look forward to arranging a time to discuss this further.