Clause 17 - Charges for early years provision at maintained school
Childcare Bill
5:30 pm
Nick Gibb (Shadow Minister, Education; Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Conservative)
We touched on issues relating to the clause when we discussed amendment No. 17. However, it would be helpful if the Minister set out the position regarding charging by maintained schools for child care of children below the age of four. To what extent do primary schools have such facilities? Is the provision of chargeable child care a growing trend? What will the mechanics be for making such charges?
Is there a concern that popular primary schools will be able to insist that parents send their young children to the pre-school setting on the grounds that if they do not, their children will not be admitted to reception class when they turn four? That could enable the school to charge hefty fees as a way of raising extra funds. How do we prevent that from happening and are there such stipulations in the revised admissions code to prevent that?
I know that the Government have withdrawn the admissions code for various, internal, Labour party reasons—[Interruption.] That sneaks out occasionally. It would help if the Minister put the Committee’s mind at rest that use of a pre-school child care setting in a maintained school will not result in such consequences.