While the funding promised by North Northamptonshire Council to Pen Green is more than originally planned for 2022/23 at £350,000, it still represents a reduction of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Earlier in the week, the council announced it would use £650,000 from its contingency budget to share between Pen Green - the first-ever Sure Start created - and three other maintained nursery schools, giving them a temporary reprieve so they can continue operating into the next financial year.
It comes after the local authority proposed axing £520,000 from Pen Green, 78 per cent of its funding, for 2022/23 to prop up its three other maintained nursery schools – Highfield, Croyland and Ronald Tree. A move which Pen Green, an award-winning setting, said would lead to its closure.
During a meeting this week, the council’s executive recommended a one-off grant of £650,000 – taken from its contingency budget – be awarded to the four maintained nursery schools. They recommended that Pen Green, based in Corby, be awarded £350,000 and the other three settings £100,000 each.
The council said the award of funding for 2022/23 will allow the maintained nursery schools ‘time to adapt’ while the local authority moves towards a ‘participation-based’ funding model.
Pen Green's joint heads of centre, Tracy Gallagher and Angela Prodger, said, 'The council have agreed to give us £350K but this is only for a year and they have redistributed £523k of Pen Green’s historic core integrated Centre funding to maintained nursery schools in neighbouring towns. We will continue to work with the local authority, DfE [Department for Education] and ministers to secure our much needed funding. Corby is the 70th poorest town in the country according to IMD [Index of Multiple Deprivation] data.'
Council leader Jason Smithers, commented, ‘It is essential that we ensure all four of our nursery schools are funded fairly from the resources available so that they can provide the support for children in their formative early years.
‘Listening to all of the debate, it is clear that we do need to review the maintained nursery funding and provision, as set out in the recommendations, especially as the overall level of grant funding has reduced from previous years.
‘I am committed to supporting all four nurseries through the proposed funding changes over the next year whilst the Scrutiny Review takes place.’
Councillor Scott Edwards, executive member for children, families, education and skills, added, ‘All four nurseries do exceptional work but if the current arrangements continue as they are it will most likely lead to the closure of some of these nurseries.
‘The recommendation to Council to provide transitional funding is the best way forward and gives everyone the time they need to adapt during what are difficult financial times for all.’
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) stressed that the council also needs to ensure adequate funds for PVI settings who are 'struggling'.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘It’s important that North Northamptonshire Council invests much-needed funds into its maintained nursery schools, but equally important for them to consider other types of early years providers who are also struggling.
‘We would ask the council to consider supporting and investing in their PVI nursery sector too to make sure that there are enough flexible, all-year-round childcare places that working families need.’