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Is My School Eligible For The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
In October 2024, the Government announced it's plans to deliver 3,000 new school-based nurseries across England. During this time, a plethora of schools wanted to know how to access new school-based nursery funding, which led to Pentagon Play creating a helpful guide.
As the deadline gets closer and closer, more primary schools are starting the application process to receive the funding and expand their offerings. But, one question seems to be on every school's mind. Am I actually eligible for the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
In this guide, we're going to cover who is a suitable candidate for this great opportunity and what key criteria's have to be met for a school to be eligible for the school funding.
Who Can Apply For The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
According to the information provided by the DfE, primary-phase schools in England can apply for the grant, but they must be state-funded and already offer early education (such as reception classes). For those who may not know, this includes schools like:
- Community-owned schools
- Foundation schools
- Trust schools
- Voluntary aided (VA) schools
- Voluntary controlled (VC) schools
Alongside this, the state-funded primary-phase school should also have surplus space within the school building that they are looking to utilise by transforming the space into a nursery provision. The surplus space should be able to be effectively adapted to meet the needs of the nursery, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage standards.
To see if your space is suitable for a nursery, your school should consider the following factors:
- Suitability - is this space suitable for a nursery?
- Structural integrity - is this space safe for a nursery?
- Location on the school site - how far is the space from the centre point of the school building?
- Accessibility - can the space be easily accessed by children of all abilities?
- Potential - is there a potential to create an effective learning environment for early years education in this space?
If your school is a primary-phase state-funded school and it has surplus space within the school building that is suitable for a nursery, then your school is the intended applicant for this grant!
Who Can't Apply For The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
According to the information available to us, SEN schools and maintained nursery schools cannot apply for the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant of 2024 to 2025. The reasoning for this is how these schools will not have spare spaced freed up by falling primary school rolls, meaning they wouldn't be able to create an effective nursery.
However, the Government has advised these types of schools to register their interest in wanting to open new nursery places in the future, as the level of interest shown by other schools will affect the future development of the programme.
What Criteria Does Does Your School Have To Meet?
Not only does your school need to be a primary-phase state-funded school, but it must also:
- Be able to provide Early Years education
- Be actively looking to repurpose surplus space
- Be aiming to have an operational nursery for 2025 to 2026
- Be supported by your local authority
- Be given consent from landlords or freehold landowners
All 5 of these key criteria must be met for a school to be eligible for the funding scheme. If a school does not meet one or more of these points, then the school will not be accepted for the funding scheme. These key eligibility criteria ensure that the funding is allocated effectively and in line with the Government's objectives for this programme.
Your School Must Already Provide Early Years Education
Mentioned previously, your school must already offer early years education, such as reception classes. By your school already offering early years education, the school is demonstrating it's experience within early years education and can leverage existing resources and expertise within the school.
In addition, it ensures that there is a smoother transition for children from nursery to primary education, as the school can prepare the children earlier and more effectively. Before you apply, ensure that your school is offering early years education and support already.
Your School Is Looking To Repurpose Surplus Space
The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant has been designed specifically to help schools repurpose any surplus space within their school building.
A lot of schools across England have noticed the significant decrease of primary school rolls, which has led to the majority of schools being left with abandoned classrooms and empty spaces. By making use of these pre-existing rooms, schools can avoid having to spend a lot of money on building new structures for nursery facilities.
Your School Should Aim To Have An Operational Nursery For 2025 to 2026
The Government has made it clear that any school who wishes to take part in this programme should be aiming to have their school-based nursery operational in the 2025/26 academic year.
Not only does this give schools a year to acquire all the necessary furniture and resources for a nursery room, but it also ensures that the programme can progress to more advanced stages as quickly as possible, helping the demand of nursery care to be met as efficiently as possible.
Your School Must Be Supported By Your Local Authority
To be considered as an applicant for the funding, your school must secure the support of your local authority. This is a crucial requirement as your local authority will help validate the project's viability and provide confidence to the Government that your school is a great candidate for the funding.
The local authorities will also help the project align with local communities and their childcare needs, helping the school understand the necessary strategies that need to be in place to deliver effective nursery care. The Government hopes that it will also improve relationships between schools and local authorities.
Your School Must Obtain Consent From Landlords Or Freehold Landowners
Finally, your school must gain consent from it's landlords or freehold landowners that the school can take part in the programme.
Not only will this consent prevent legal complications during and after the project is completed, but it ensures that all stakeholders are informed about the change and are in agreement. Doing this ensures that the school and the funding body are safe from potential disputes or issues.
How Do I Apply For The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
To apply for the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant, schools just have to follow the following instructions:
- Visit the Apply for a School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant page
- Ensure that you have a DfE sign-in account by December 12th, 2024
- Complete the application form, providing all the required information and supporting documents
- Submit the completed application by midday on December 19th, 2024
Once you have completed the steps described above, applicants will have to wait until Spring 2025 until they are notified of the outcome of their application. Successful bidders will receive grant letters at this time, and the project can begin.
What's The Deadline For The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant?
The official deadline for all applications is the 19th December, 2024, but schools will need a DfE sign-in account. It's important to note that after the 12th December, 2024, schools will no longer be able to create an account.
We recommend working towards the 12th December, 2024, deadline to avoid any disappointment.
Apply Before It's Too Late!
If you believe that your school is eligible for the funding and wish to apply, it's highly important that you begin the application process as soon as possible. The deadline is fast approaching and currently, no one knows if they'll be another opportunity for schools to try again.
