Editor's view

Could it be that the worst is over for the private nursery sector, in terms of their fears for their survival? Certainly, several speakers at last week's Laing and Buisson conference thought that might be the case, and it is possible to detect a glimmer of cautious optimism among some providers these days. The decision by a local authority in the Manchester area to buy in some Sure Start places from a local Leapfrog nursery with spare occupancy is an interesting move (see News, page 4), especially if it is replicated across the country. If the message that local authorities...