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EYSFF poses threat to nursery classes in schools

Nursery classes attached to primary schools in some parts of England may face closure because of changes to their funding arrangements under the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) and the end of place funding.

A consultation is underway in South Gloucestershire on the future of five of its eight nursery classes, which the local authority claims are unsustainable in their current form. The number of children attending maintained nursery classes in South Glouces- tershire is reported to have fallen since 2001, with only 262 out of 502 available places occupied in October 2008 and only 230 places forecast to be filled from September 2010.

The nursery classes under threat are those at Tynedale Primary School in Yate, South Gloucestershire, and Coniston, Gillingstool, Beacon Rise and Parkwall Primary Schools, which are all in Bristol.

The consultation document says that parents are increasingly opting to use PVI settings, which offer more flexible opening hours and patterns of attendance.

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