The introduction of the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) in April was intended to remove discrepancies in funding between the private, voluntary and maintained sectors.
But NDNA’s survey of nurseries in 133 local authorities in England found that the EYSFF is failing to deliver consistent levels of funding for PVI nurseries and that the ‘base rate’ - the minimum nurseries receive from local authorities for providing free entitlement places - varies widely throughout the country.
As an overall average, nurseries in the private sector were being paid a base rate of £3.51 per child per hour, compared to £3.55 for voluntary nurseries and £3.96 for maintained settings.
The lowest base rate was found in North Tyneside, where private nurseries receive just £2.05 an hour compared with the highest base rate found of £5 an hour in Slough.
There are also wide variations between nurseries in neighbouring areas. Nurseries in Leeds, for example, receive a minimum of £3.70 an hour, while those in Bradford receive £4.63 an hour.
Other key findings from the research are:
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
