Sarah Champion MP welcomes funding for top-quality childcare at new school-based nurseries in Rotherham

Sarah Champion, member of Parliament for Rotherham, has welcomed the news that Greasbrough Primary School, Rockingham Junior and Infant School and Thorpe Hesley Primary School are part of the first wave of Labour’s new school-based nurseries, giving children the best start in life and getting them ready for school. 

Families across Rotherham will soon benefit from the scheme to roll out 300 new or expanded school-based nurseries by converting classrooms into top quality early years spaces. 

From September, working parents will get 30 government-funded hours of childcare a week, from 9 months of age right up to starting school - saving parents up to £7,500 a year. These new nurseries will help deliver additional places needed for the programme. 

The first 300 schools will see an average of 20 childcare places per site, with up to 4,000 of these available by September and a further 2,000 later this autumn. Places will be focused in childcare ‘deserts’, where up until now families have been missing out due to a shortage of places. 

This announcement comes alongside the rollout of breakfast clubs in primary schools, with the first 750 schools set to launch later this month – saving families up to £450 a year. 

This is the first step to delivering the 3,000 school-based nurseries Labour promised in its election-winning manifesto, giving parents choice, and helping every child get the best start in life. 

Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, said: 

“School-based nurseries are an essential plank of Labour’s Plan for Change, giving

every child the best start in life. 

“While the Tories made a childcare pledge without a plan, Labour is delivering on

its promises. 

“Alongside our plans to roll out free breakfast clubs, these high-quality childcare

places will get thousands more children school ready, breaking the link between

background and success for families across the country.” 

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: 

"I am so pleased that three schools in my constituency will benefit from this funding in the first roll out of school-based nurseries.   

"Well done to these three schools for securing this opportunity.  I hope that Rotherham families will feel relieved to have affordable, quality childcare available to them in their own neighbourhoods." 

ENDS