Children's centres may be opening apace, but the bigger challenge is then their successful operation of high-quality services and their ultimate sustainability. Nonetheless, we could well see Sure Start and the children's centre programme being cited by Tony Blair as an important part of his 'legacy' as he nears the end of his premiership.
Local authorities may be congratulated on reaching the one million mark, but the large figures being thrown up by the Single Status Agreement fiasco - such as a potential 3bn in back pay - are cause for alarm rather than congratulation. Turn to our Special Report (pages 10-11) to see the scale of the problem of tackling local authority pay rates.
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