Maintained nursery schools in some of the most deprived areas of Warwickshire could be at risk without ongoing financial support

Maintained nursery schools in some of the most deprived areas of Warwickshire could be at risk without ongoing financial support.

That was the message from education officers at the county council as they explained that all except one of their maintained nurseries were expected to be in a financial deficit by the end of the year.

A report considered at Monday's Warwickshire County Council’s children and young people overview and scrutiny committee meeting added that a number of smaller rural schools also faced financial problems and that a strategy for those was being developed.

Officer Helen Redican said: “For maintained schools it is our responsibility to ensure that they don’t have deficit budgets, working with the governors to ensure that is the case.

“In legislation it says that we cannot pay off deficit budgets. The local authority will accept a recovery plan - it is about what action is taken to ensure that they can get back within three years.”

And her county council colleague Kim Garcia added: “The maintained nursery schools are very much part of the scaffolding and structuring in Warwickshire for providing the early years support. They have a key role.”

Councillors were told that at the end of the summer term there were 12 schools predicting a deficit which was a reduction from 14 in the spring term. Five of those were maintained nurseries.

Cllr Corinne Davies (Lab, Camp Hill) said: “It is really worrying that these nursery schools are potentially not going to continue.

“We all know that they are in the most deprived areas. We should continue to lobby the government for funding because for me it would be something criminal to see it go and once that provision has gone it's not something that is easy to get back.”

And Cllr Colin Hayfield (Con Coleshill South and Arley), the portfolio holder for education and learning, added: “They need to be supported because they are carrying out critical work for us in being able to look after our more vulnerable early years children and in spotting, and where possible addressing, some of the early years needs that they have at an early stage.

“I can’t stress too strongly how much I believe in the maintained nurseries and our need to try and support them in the county.”