Funded places mix-up faces council inquiry

An internal inquiry has been launched into what led a council to withdraw funded pre-school places from three-year-old children from the start of next term. Harry Barber, leader of the Conservative-led Leicestershire County Council, said last week that the inquiry was expected to take about seven working days. It would look into two main issues - the status of the county's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and its ability to make decisions, and how the nursery education grant for three-year-olds has been managed in the county. He added that Kate McKenna, chair of the EYDCP, supported the inquiry.