Budget – Wraparound childcare

Following the recent budget the government has set out an ambition that the parents of all primary-age children will be provided with ‘wraparound’ childcare in school by September 2026.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that the Treasury would fund schools and local authorities to “increase supply of wraparound care so all parents [of school-age children] can drop their children off between 8am and 6pm”.

Mr Hunt said that one in three primary schools did not offer childcare at both ends of the school day and that he wanted all schools to do this either on their own or in partnership with other schools by September 2026.

The government will provide £289 million of start-up funding to councils and schools for this ambition to be achieved through a ‘national rollout’ over 2024-25 and 2025-26. The indications are that funding would be provided to local authorities and schools and would taper until 2026. From 2026, it is expected that most schools would be able to deliver provision self-sufficiently, funded by charging parents.

Reacting to the Budget, Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governance Association (NGA) is reported as saying that the wraparound childcare commitment was welcome but added that “NGA is extremely disappointed the chancellor has failed today to invest further in England’s schools”, she goes on to say “ While investment in childcare is long overdue and very welcome, it does not tackle the pressures on schools being felt by their leaders and their governing boards.”