Education Secretary confirms the roll out of new nurseries and breakfast clubs – Usdaw welcomes a further step towards wraparound childcare

Addressing delegates in Liverpool, Bridget Phillipson MP – Education Secretary said: “Our manifesto pledged 3,000 new school-based nurseries. Today I can tell you that change begins, delivery begins, those extra places start opening next year. The first phase of our new nurseries, of high quality early education, boosting life chances for children and work choices for parents.

“I promised that the next Labour Government would bring breakfast clubs to every primary school. And I am proud that breakfast clubs will start to roll out for every child in primary schools from April, with hundreds of schools set to become early adopters this school year. Change begins, delivery begins.”

Responding to the speech, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “Usdaw members have long struggled to secure hours of work that fit around childcare and, rather than getting easier over time, the challenges in finding affordable and accessible childcare are as acute as they ever were. Retailers continue to demand ever-greater flexibility from their staff as they revise and re-organise working hours in response to changes in consumer spending and the shift to online sales, difficult economic conditions and record numbers of store closures.”

“So we welcome today’s confirmation from Bridget Phillipson of the roll out of free breakfast clubs and new nurseries in primary schools, they are important and early steps achieved by this new Labour Government towards wraparound childcare. 

“Usdaw is also campaigning for 30 funded hours of flexible childcare for all pre-school age children, raising awareness of free entitlements and benefits that support working parents and the meeting upfront costs for low-income families. Now that we have a government that listens, we remain hopeful that we can achieve these important policy aims to help working parents contribute to the country’s economic growth.”