Lucy Powell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

November 1, 2022 admin Lucy Powell, Parliamentary Question

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Powell on 2014-04-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 414W, on pre-school education, who the 43 early years providers are who have been granted full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

Elizabeth Truss

Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure free early years provision for eligible children in their area. Local authorities determine which providers should receive early education funding in accordance with statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education. Since September 2013, local authorities have been expected to base their decision on whether to fund providers to deliver early education places solely on a provider’s most recent Ofsted judgement.

Exemptions to the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can only be made in one of two circumstances:

When the provider is a good or outstanding independent school.
When the provision is governed by established principles relating to learning and development and those cannot be reconciled with an element or elements of EYFS, for example in Steiner schools.

Exempt providers remain subject to inspection and any independent school which subsequently falls below ‘good’ loses their exemption. The first exemption was introduced in 2012. The second exemption was in place under the previous Government.

The Answer of 10 April 2014 (Official Report, col 414W, on pre-school education) explained that Departmental records showed there were 43 early years providers with full or partial exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS, that were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at the time the exemption was granted to the provider.

34 of these are still in receipt of local authority funding for early education. A further five providers with a full or partial exemption are now in receipt of early education funding but were not at the point their exemption was granted. One further provider has received an exemption since the previous PQ was answered and is in receipt of early education funding. Of these 40 providers, 33 are exempt under the exemption in place under the previous Government, only 7 are exempt under the exemption introduced in 2012. These 40 providers are listed below.

Providers who were in receipt of local authority funding for early education at the time their exemption was granted and continue to receive such funding:	Reasons for Exemption
1. Apple Star Early Years (Community Interest Company), Reading	Steiner – established principle route
2. AZBUKA Russian Nursery, London	Language – established principle route
3. Beechtree Steiner Kindergarten, Leeds	Steiner – established principle route
4. Botton Village School, North Yorkshire	Steiner – established principle route
5. Brighton Steiner School	Steiner – established principle route
6. Bromsgrove (Pre-Prep and Nursery) School, Worcestershire	Independent – Good
7. Buttercups Little Kindergarten, Cambridgeshire	Steiner – established principle route
8. Calder Valley Steiner School, Calderdale	Steiner – established principle route
9. Cambridge Steiner School Kindergarten	Steiner – established principle route
10. Children of One End Street, Gloucestershire	Steiner – established principle route
11. Children’s Garden, Exeter	Steiner – established principle route
12. Children’s Garden, Richmond	Steiner – established principle route
13. Children’s Garden, University of East London	Steiner – established principle route
14. Cobnuts Steiner Kindergarten, Kent	Steiner – established principle route
15. Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School, Dudley	Steiner – established principle route
16. Falkner House, London	Independent – Outstanding
17. Greenwich Steiner School	Steiner – established principle route
18. Hoathly Hill Kindergarten, West Sussex	Steiner – established principle route
19. Kingsley School, Bideford	Independent – Good
20. Lancaster Steiner School	Steiner – established principle route
21. Laurel Farm Kindergarten, Bath	Steiner – established principle route
22. Michael Hall School Kindergarten, East Sussex	Steiner – established principle route
23. Michael House a Steiner Waldorf School, Heanor	Steiner – established principle route
24. North London Rudolph Steiner School	Steiner – established principle route
25. Rowan Tree Kindergarten, Bristol	Steiner – established principle route
26. Rudolph Steiner School, Kings Langley	Steiner – established principle route
27. St Albans Steiner Kindergarten	Steiner – established principle route
28. St Michael Steiner School, London	Steiner – established principle route
29. St Paul’s Steiner School, London	Steiner – established principle route
30. Sunlands Kindergarten, Gloucestershire	Steiner – established principle route
31. The Ryleys School, Cheshire	Independent – Outstanding
32. Waldorf Steiner of South West London	Steiner – established principle route
33. Willow Tree Steiner School, Bristol	Steiner – established principle route
34. York Steiner School	Steiner – established principle route

The following five providers are now in receipt of early education funding, but were not at the point their exemption was granted:	Reasons for Exemption
1. Elysia Children’s Garden	Steiner – established principle route
2. James Allen’s Preparatory School, London	Independent – Outstanding
3. Oswestry School (Bellan House), Shropshire	Independent – Outstanding
4. The Linden Kindergarten, Gloucestershire	Steiner – established principle route
5. Wynstones School, Gloucestershire	Steiner – established principle route

One further provider has received an exemption since the previous PQ was answered and is in receipt of early education funding:	Reasons for Exemption
1. Finton House, London	Independent – Outstanding

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