From September 2010, maintained settings in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and in Greenwich, London, which currently offer free, full-time places, will only be funded to provide the 15 hour per week free entitlement, in line with other sectors.
Dee Teasdale, headteacher of Walkergate Early Years Centre, in Walkergate, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said, 'We may end up only opening for morning sessions and it could mean significant job losses. I'm furious about it. I think it threatens the future of our whole community. Many of our parents are on low incomes and we will not be able to look after their children while they are working or studying. It goes against all early years ideology regarding early intervention and erodes all the fantastic work that has been done here over the years.'
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