Nord Anglia chief executive Andrew Fitzmaurice said it cost 15,000 to create a nursery place and added, 'If there is all this spare capacity why doesn't the Government just save that money and get local authorities to procure existing private and voluntary sector nursery places.'
The growing crisis facing private nurseries is typified by the plight of the Laurels Day Nursery in Barnsley, which has seen occupancy levels slump from 85 per cent to 50 per cent, leaving owner Linda Mills facing mounting financial losses.
She said the number of children coming to her neighbourhood nursery had declined because younger children were going into nursery classes in schools while she faced 'unfair' competition from heavily subsidised daycare set up by Sure Start and children's centres.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here