Early Education provides the Secretariat to the APPG on nursery schools, nursery and reception classes.
If you'd like to be added to the mailing list, please email us.
You can also follow @APPG_Nursery on Twitter for updates.
Officers
Chair: James Daly MP
Vice-Chairs: Theresa Villiers MP, Ian Mearns MP
Secretary: Jack Dromey MP
Treasurer: Steve Brine MP
Next meeting
Monday 18 October 2021, 2.00-3.3
Programme to be confirmed. Register to attend.
Latest news and campaign updates
October 2021
Join Early Education, NAHT, NEU and Unison for a rally and march on 19 October to present a petition on maintained nursery school funding to the Chancellor.
June 2021
February 2021
Letter from the APPG Officers to the Chancellor
January 2021
Briefing on the impact of COVID-19 on the early years sector - safety concerns and funding
December 2020
- On Thursday 3 December, there was a parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall on the future of nurseries and early years settings, sponsored by the officers of the APPG for Nursery Schools, Nursery and Reception Classes jointly with the APPG for Childcare and Early Education This follows on from the spending review announcement of £44m to increase hourly rates for the free entitlements and the subsequent confirmation of £60m for maintained nursery school supplementary funding in 2021-22. Further announcements on the latter are expected in the next few weeks.
November 2020
- APPG officers have written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury regarding the potential impact of a one-year spending review on the future funding of maintained nursery schools. Reply from Vickky Ford.
October 2020
- APPG officers and MPs have signed a letter to the Chancellor. Reply from Vicky Ford.
- Download our briefing on the Spending Review and the funding crisis for maintained nursery schools.
September 2020
- Survey for maintained nursery schools - please complete by Friday 11 September
- Early Education draft submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review
June 2020
- Maintained nursery schools national campaign: online public meeting - 30 June, 5-6pm View flyer Register here
- Write to your MP - download a template letter to adapt
- Read our letter to the Prime Minister
February 2020
- APPG officers' letter to the Chancellor re nursery school funding
- Minutes of the AGM, 5 February 2020
January 2020
- Briefing on maintained nursery schools funding
- Letter to Nick Gibb from Early Education, NAHT and NEU
October 2019
- Letter to the Chancellor from headteachers and chairs of governors - view text and sign now
- Queen's speech briefing for MPs
- 17 October - Lancashire nursery schools' summit and lobby
September 2019
- Sign the School Cuts petition to Save Our Nursery Schools Now
- Download a campaign pack
June 2019:
- Campaign pack, June 2019
- National launch of the joint campaign with partners including NAHT and NEU as well as Early Education and the NAHT, Birmingham, 21 June - flyer (PDF); sign up to attend
18 April 2019: Latest campaign resources:
- Write to candidates in the local elections - download sample letter to local council candidates
- Write to thank your MP for supporting our campaign, or if they haven't yet been involved write to let them know about the campaign and how they can support it - download sample letters to MPs
11 March 2019: mass lobby of MPs and march on Downing Street: press coverage from the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, TES, Nursery World
31 January 2019: Watch the Backbench Business Committee debate on maintained nursery schools. Download our briefing on the national funding position and the House of Commons Library briefing.
26 November 2018: support our campaign by starting a petition: download the model Petition and instructions to find out how to co-ordinate your petition with us at national level.
19 October 2018: Read our pre-budget briefing for MPs and a report out today from seven Yorkshire and Lincolnshire maintained nursery schools on the "hidden benefits" of maintained nursery schools.
21 September 2018: A letter to Nadhim Zahawi and Liz Truss about funding for maintained nursery schools has been signed by a cross party group of 75 MPs - read the letter, read coverage in the Observer and the Independent and the response from Nadhim Zahawi.
Papers from past meetings
Tuesday 6 July: The role of maintained nursery schools in supporting children's recovery
- Read press release and survey report on the impact of cuts on supporting children with SEND
Thursday 25 February 2021
- Download pre-budget briefing for parliamentarians
- Presentation from London Councils and link to their report: The best start for young Londoners: Strengthening London’s early years education offer following the Covid-19 pandemic
Monday 14 September, online meeting: The impact of COVID-19 on the early years and future funding of maintained nursery schools
Maintained nursery schools (MNS) have been left in limbo with stop-gap funding arrangements since the introduction of the Early Years National Funding Formula in 2017. The upcoming spending review provides an opportunity to provide long-term stability for this crucial part of the early years sector. This meeting will include an update on the funding needs of maintained nursery schools in the context of the wider impact of COVID-19 on the early years sector.
- Watch the video of the meeting via Facebook live
- Download the presentation
- Note from Frontier Economics on the impact of the pandemic on MNS, which supplements and should be read alongside the IFS Report Challenges for the childcare market: the implications of COVID-19 for childcare providers in England
March and Rally, joint with NAHT, 11 March 2019
Papers from the meeting on Wednesday 21 November 2018
- Summary of meeting
- Letter to Nadhim Zahawi following the meeting
- Programme
- Briefing on funding issues
- "What has our nursery school done for your child and family?" - a selection of comments from parents and carers
Papers from the meeting on Wednesday 4 July 2018
- Summary of the meeting
- Programme
- Campaign pack
- Sample letter to MP
- Briefing on Maintained Nursery School funding
- Results of APPG survey on Maintained Nursery School funding
- Parent comment form - "How has our nursery school helped your child and family?"
- MPs joint letter to Nadhim Zahawi and Liz Truss
Papers from the meeting on Tuesday 24 April 2018
- Programme
- Chair's briefing
- Briefing on the Treasury Select Committee report on childcare
- Summary of the meeting
- Workforce presentation from Jane Payler
- NAHT report on the 30 hours
- Presentation from pre-meeting event on federation and contractual collaboration
Papers from the meeting on 16 January 2018
- Summary of the meeting (PDF)
Papers from the meeting on Tuesday 10 October 2017
- Programme
- Statement from the Minister, Robert Goodwill MP
- Presentation by Steve Wyler
- The Sutton Trust's report "Closing gaps early" by Kitty Stewart and Ludovica Gambaro
- Lesley Curtis's presentation on Nursery School Teaching Schools
- Julian Grenier's paper "Collaborative quality improvement: the way forward for England's maintained nursery schools?"
Papers from previous APPG meetings
- Speech from Barbara Riddell on 27 June 2017
- Paper on academisation presented on 27 June 2017
- Briefing 24 January 2017
- Briefing November 2016
- Press release July 2016
- Briefing note from BWB on legal structures
- Press release May 2016
- Summary of meeting March 2016
Additional resources
The unique and added value of Birmingham's maintained nursery schools, May 2019
A report from seven Yorkshire and Lincolnshire maintained nursery schools on the "hidden benefits" of maintained nursery schools.
Hidden Value: A report exploring the role and future of maintained nursery schools in London, London Councils, September 2018
State of the nation 2016: social mobility in Great Britain - report of the Social Mobility Commission, including commentary on the value of maintained nursery schools in supporting social mobility
Government plans will reallocate nursery funding from poorer to richer children – and no one seems to notice - blog by Kitty Stewart and Ludovica Gambaro
Maintained Nursery Schools: the State of Play was launched in March 2015 at a parliamentary reception hosted by Graham Stuart MP and supported by MPs of all parties. Read more.