As the build-up to the general election builds momentum the Labour Party today announced their plans for early years and childcare.

The Labour leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson unveiled plans to make high quality childcare available to thousands more families by creating over 3,000 new school-based nurseries based in primary schools. 

Labour said they will use spare capacity within primary schools, growing across the country due to falling birth rates, to provide more on-site nurseries as part of its plans to drive high and rising standards in early years. 

This, they said, represented the next stage in its long-term plan to deliver a modern childcare system that better supports parents from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school. 

They have stated that the expansion will see the creation of 3,300 high quality nurseries from converted classrooms, which the Party says will help deliver both the immediate demand for childcare in under-served areas, and anticipated additional demand from the expansion of government-funded childcare entitlements announced in the 2023 Budget which Labour is committed to delivering on.

Read Labour’s full manifesto, published on 13 June 2024 here. 

Keir Starmer, announcing Labour’s plans for childcare, said:

“Childcare is critical infrastructure. It’s vital for children’s opportunities, and essential for a stable economy. 

“After 14 years of Conservative government, too many children are starting school already behind, and too many parents are being held back from fulfilling their career ambitions. 

“This election is about change. Labour will roll up our sleeves and take the tough decisions needed to support parents’ progression, improve kids’ life chances and ultimately, drive growth. We will create the childcare places needed to turn the page, and rebuild Britain.”

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said: 

“Families up and down the country are yearning for high quality early years education but they are stuck on waiting lists, left paying over the odds for childcare and failing to secure the places and free hours they were pledged by the Tories, let down time and again by a Conservative government that makes promises that it cannot deliver. 

“They look to a changed Labour to deliver better life chances for their children and better choices for them in the workplace. The Tories have broken childcare, so Labour will fix it. 

“The evidence is clear: school-based nurseries deliver high quality education which enables children to achieve and thrive when they are at primary school. 

“The 3300 new nurseries we announce today will be key to delivering Labour’s mission for half a million more children to hit the early learning goals by 2030, giving them the firm foundations from which to succeed. 

“Labour is the only party with a plan to deliver what parents need from our early years system and the only party of high and rising standards in education.”

Helen Donohoe, PACEY Chief Executive, said:

‘’We of course welcome the recognition from Labour that the next government must be ambitious if we are to deliver the high-quality early education and childcare that every child deserves and we recognise that today’s statement was an introduction to their plans, which I understand will be much further reaching.

‘’If we are to give all children the very best start in life that they deserve, we must invest in the skilled and dedicated workforce, be it in nurseries or childminder settings. Should Labour form the next government we look forward to working with them to ensure that they finally get the recognition and reward that they deserve.

‘’Further, we know that no two children are the same and what is fundamental for young children is the right setting for them. Any moves to expand childcare places must recognise the plurality of types of provision and the importance of choice. For some children, including those with SEND, a home-from-home childminder setting will ensure that they flourish. For other children it will be a larger scale setting. PACEY will be working steadfastly with the new government to ensure that all elements of the early education and childcare sector are given the resources that they need to thrive.’’