DfE plots law change to speed up school projects
The government plans to change the law to allow schools to open new nurseries more quickly and will waive a requirement that some settings contribute 10 per cent of set-up costs. The Department for Education has published guidance for schools for the first round of funding in its drive to open 3,334 nurseries in empty primary school buildings. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced last month that she was making £15 million available for conversion costs for up to 300 nurseries that will open in the 2025-26 academic year. The DfE said today that schools would be able to bid for grants of up to £150,000 to cover set-up costs. That tight timeframe means the government is having to change the rules that normally apply to schools opening new nursery provision. DfE considers legal workaround Local authority-maintained schools have to follow a specific consultation process known as “prescribed alterations” if they are expanding their rolls by more than 30 pupils. It involves publishing a notice of their proposal, a four week consultation and a council decision …