The effect is that the place is held for that child and is not available to be offered to another child. In its response to the report, the government says that a quarter of local education authorities do this. The childcare review was ordered by the Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, Margaret Hodge, back in March. There had been increasingly strident complaints from private and voluntary nurseries and playgroups of unfair competition from schools setting up nursery classes. Anomalies in the rules mean that higher minimum staffing ratios are required for pre-schools, childminders and nurseries than for school reception classes catering for children of the same age.
Some providers are subject to more than one form of regulation.
The review says school admission policies have also had a major impact. The review panel recommend that financial incentives for schools to recruit children early should be removed as part of a funding shake-up. They also want a return to two or more admission times during the school year. The government is sceptical but says it will reconsider the funding arrangements. The review says playgroups also need to do more to help themselves.