PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Nurseries: Finance (15 July 2020)

The government recognises that maintained nursery schools are an important part of the early years sector and provide valuable services, especially in disadvantaged areas.

All nurseries, including maintained nursery schools, are benefiting from the continuation of early years entitlement funding during the COVID-19 outbreak. On 20 July, we set out our plans for funding local authorities and providers in the autumn term which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Unlike most state-funded schools, maintained nursery schools typically rely on private income for a significant proportion of their total income. Therefore, they cannot claim for specific costs incurred due to COVID-19, but they can access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as set out in the published guidance available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care.

Maintained nursery schools can also access free school meals vouchers via Edenred.

We are continuing to work with the early years sector to assess the support required to cope with the impact of COVID-19.

We remain committed to funding for maintained nursery schools in the longer term, with appropriate protections in place to accompany any reforms of that funding. Future funding will be considered as part of the next spending review.