Extra nursery places thanks to school expansions

Two nurseries are expanding and another is opening after they secured a share of a £45m government fund.

Parents will have more options from September following nursery expansions at Four Acres Academy in Withywood, Bristol, and Locking Primary School in Weston-super-Mare.

Bailey's Court Primary School in Bradley Stoke, Bristol, is to open a nursery, also in September.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said the extra places would help working parents, adding: "I know the juggle that so many parents and carers face, especially when childcare so often does not work."

The schools are among those across the country that have successfully applied for a share of the government's £45m fund to build or expand nurseries.

Godwin said the extra places would have "a big impact for families in those areas".

Seven further new or expanded nurseries were announced last summer, including two in Fishponds, Bristol, and one in Peasedown St John in Somerset.

Catherine Gibbons, deputy leader of North Somerset Council, said: "Families in North Somerset tell us how important it is to have the right childcare in the right place.

"These extra places will give parents more choice and help more children get the best start in life."

Parents in the West face an average journey time of 19 minutes to get their children to school, with many have to do drop-offs in more than one location, according to the West of England Combined Authority (Weca).

Increasing access to funded childcare can make it easier for parents to get to work.

Families in the West could earn an additional £46.8m per year if more parents could return to work or increase their hours, according to Weca.

Working parents in England are currently able to access 30 weekly hours of free childcare for children aged nine months to four years, for 38 weeks of the year.

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