A septet of Lincolnshire schools have been selected to spearhead the nationwide rollout of new nurseries, as part of the government’s ambitious plan to provide 30 hours of free childcare weekly. Starting this September, working parents with children under five can look forward to this government-funded childcare provision. The scheme aims to boost parental employment by enhancing childcare availability and is projected to save parents an average of £7,500 annually. An additional £450 per year could be saved through complimentary breakfast clubs in schools. The government, addressing the task of meeting this demand, has announced the initial launch of 300 school-based nurseries across the country beginning this September. The East Midlands will be home to 26 of these sites, with Lincolnshire housing seven, Nottinghamshire nine, Derbyshire four, Leicestershire two, and Northamptonshire four. Each nursery, offering approximately 20 places, is also expected to better prepare children for school. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasised the commitment to upgrade early years education, setting a crucial milestone to ensure tens of thousands more children are school-ready by age five under the Plan for Change. This is the first step in fulfilling manifesto commitments and building a system that proffers every child the best start in life.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk.
