Childcare sector leaders will be keen to ensure that there is no double-counting going on when figures are released for numbers of children being served.
The guidance seems to cast some doubt on the future of the Early Excellence programme, pointing out that settings outside the designated areas for children's centres will not be able to access funding and saying that further guidance on the next stage for EECs will be released in due course.
Those EECs outside the 20 per cent most deprived wards will feel in limbo as a result.
Nursery schools receive a boost, however, with a strong message to local authorities that rather than closing them down, their quality provision should be built on to offer the full children's centre service.
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