Barnoldswick primary school approved for nursery by DfE

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Barnoldswick is one of 300 across the UK selected under the department's School-Based Nursery Capital Grant scheme.

This provides funding to extend or convert space in primary schools to increase nursery places in areas where there is a shortage.

Natalie Woods, headteacher at St Joseph's, said: "When we consulted parents, they told us about their need for more nursery provision in Barnoldswick and the wider Pendle area.

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Image: Google Maps) "We are delighted that we are going to be able to support our local community further by helping to meet this need, and we are grateful to the DFE for choosing our school and providing the funding to modify the building for a nursery."

The nursery at St Joseph's will provide 10 places every morning and afternoon, and the school aims to have it open in time for the next school year in September 2025.

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Applications for a place in the nursery can be made direct to the school via its website.

Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, said in a video posted on social media: "St Joseph's School in Barnoldswick is going to be one of the first school-based nurseries opened by this Labour government as part of our focus on early years education.

Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe (Image: Archive) "I know childcare is a big concern for many of my constituents and at this election we said we would improve access to childcare.

"When St Joseph's opens, it will give more parents access to 30 hours of funded childcare, saving them more than £7,000 a year.

"Labour is delivering for Pendle and Clitheroe."

The Department for Education said funding for the programme has been more than doubled to £37m, an "important milestone" in the expanded childcare rollout.

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Across the country, school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "Delivering on our promise of a better early years system is my top priority, which is why we've more than doubled our investment in this first phase so thousands more children can benefit from high-quality early education from this September.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson (Image: PA) "We said we'd act, and now we have. But this is just the beginning - we've set a hugely important milestone to get tens of thousands more children every year school-ready by age five as part of our plan for change.

"We're raising the bar for early years, delivering on our manifesto commitments, and building a system that gives every child the best start in life."

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, added: "There should be no higher priority for government than investment in the early years.

"The evidence is clear that high-quality early education can make a lasting difference to children's lives, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds."