The expertise within maintained nursery schools and their capacity to expand their services can continue to play a vital role in the Government's proposals to deliver 'enhanced opportunities and services for children and families across the country', as Catherine Ashton, the early years minister, put it last month in a letter to all local authorities in England following the spending review.
Many maintained nursery schools already contribute as part of the Early Excellence, Sure Start and Neighbourhood Nurseries schemes. But many are not in the designated 'deprived' wards and do not meet the specific criteria for developments focused on disadvantaged areas. Some are in pockets of disadvantage, often on housing estates surrounded by middle class housing.
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