Save nursery schools now

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson

Nursery schools give 40,000 children the best start to school. The majority of these schools are located in the poorest parts of the country and for many children this is their only opportunity for early education.  

After years of chronic underfunding, the very survival of nursery schools is under threat. Only 389 nursery schools remain open across England today.

Unless the Government changes course, even more nursery schools may be forced to close their doors.

In October 2019, the Government accepted that nursery school funding is insufficient and allocated stopgap funding to plug the holes. While the supplementary funding is welcome, this money runs out in 2021.

This means severe cuts to the education and services that nursery schools provide. In many cases, these will put nursery schools at risk of closure.

The Government must make a funding commitment in the Spring Budget on 11 March that secures the long-term future of maintained nursery schools.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson must guarantee proper funding until the end of Parliament and ensure no more nursery schools are forced to close because of insufficient budgets.  

Sign this petition to save our nursery schools.

Sponsored by

To: Prime Minister, Boris Johnson
From: [Your Name]

The survival of maintained nursery schools in England is under threat.

Nursery schools give around 40,000 children the best start to school. The majority of these schools are located in some of the poorest parts of the country and for many children this is their only opportunity for early education.

Unless the Government changes course and guarantees long-term funding for nursery schools, many will face closure and all will suffer damaging cuts to the quality of education and services they provide.

The Government has already recognised that nursery school funding is inadequate, allocating stopgap funding to plug the holes in October last year. But this funding runs out in 2021 – and nursery schools have received no guarantee for their future beyond this period.

The Government must make a funding commitment in the Spring Budget on 11 March that secures the long-term future of maintained nursery schools. Specifically, it must:

1. Guarantee the survival of maintained nursery schools until the end of this Parliament

2. Work in consultation with local authorities and the early years sector to develop a viable, sustainable and permanent funding solution for maintained nursery schools that can be implemented beyond the end of this Parliament

The closure of maintained nursery schools is a huge loss for communities. The education they provide helps close the achievement gap between the most disadvantaged children and their peers.

If nursery schools are forced to close, tens of thousands of children could lose their place in early education. Children from working families will be left with nowhere to turn.

Nursery schools don’t need another stopgap, they need certainty.

We’re asking you, the Prime Minister, to ensure no more nursery schools are forced to close because of impossible budgets, so we can ensure our children receive the best start to school.

Thank you,
The undersigned