Demand for staff is outstripping supply

Demand for places in Edinburgh is high, and many nurseries have waiting lists.

In July, the Scottish Executive revealed that 80% of three-year-olds in Scotland were receiving free nursery education.

At the moment, there are different rules for private and council-run nurseries.

In Edinburgh, private nurseries must have a staff to child ratio of 1 to 5, while council nurseries only need to have 1 member of staff for every 10 children.

Performance related pay

The figures vary slightly across the country and the two-tier system is currently under review.

Meanwhile, nursery nurses in the council sector are calling for a review of their pay and conditions.

The last review was in 1988 and after eight years' service a nursery nurse can expect to earn �12,800.

They say they want better pay to reflect the increased educational role of their job.