Coronavirus: Option to delay school being explored by UK's largest nursery group

The move comes as disruption to nursery provision due to the Covid-19 pandemic means that many parents are concerned about their child being ready to start Reception in September.

The proposal is not exclusive to Busy Bees and has been shared with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the large providers group.

Busy Bees Childcare’s temporary ‘Fast Track to School’ programme would give children starting school in the new academic year the option to remain at nursery for one or two terms, depending on their age or developmental stage.

For many children, the pandemic means they have missed out on almost three months of nursery ahead of starting school.

Under current law, children in England must be in education from the term after their fifth birthday. Although most start Reception in the September after they turn four, there is a little-known option to delay this for up to two terms, with parents retaining the right to have their child’s school place kept open should they choose to defer.

Following a survey of 945 of its parents, Busy Bees nurseries revealed that 44 percent of parents don’t know whether or not they would defer their child’s place in reception, indicating that parents may need further guidance on the topic. 

Deena Billings, (right), head of quality at Busy Bees, said, ‘At the start of the new school year in September, many children will have only just returned to some form of normality and they will be confronted with further change and instability when they start school for the first time.

‘Experts recognise that for some children, these challenges will impact their wellbeing, and so it may be some parent’s preferred approach to defer their child’s place at school. An extra term at nursery may be all a child needs to get them ready for school life.

‘Each child is different and we recognise that while this may not be the right choice for everyone, we want to ensure that parents understand all of the options available to them in order to make an informed decision.’

While this could be an attractive option for many, funding will be the main barrier to deferral, with only nine percent of parents likely to keep their children at nursery without the availability of the government childcare allowance, which stops when the child reaches school age.

Calling for local authorities and schools to consider its proposal, Ms Billings added, ‘We are not suggesting that this is exclusive to Busy Bees and our proposal has been shared with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the large providers group.’

The Government is yet to announce what, if any, funding support will be available for nursery pupils in the UK. Busy Bees is currently in discussion with local authorities and schools about its proposal, and is exploring what funding options may be available to parents.

Annamarie Hassall, director of the National Children’s Bureau, welcomed the initiative. She said, ‘The priority focus must be on children’s emotional wellbeing as they start school. The unprecedented disruption through the Covid-19 pandemic means that many parents are concerned about their child being ready for Reception.
 
‘By helping parents to look at the options that could work, securing the best transition from nursery to school, Busy Bees puts children’s needs and development first and foremost while showing compassion and understanding for the concerns of parents.’