Preet Kaur Gill MP secures new nursery provision in Quinton

Families in Quinton will benefit from new school based nurseries this September, after Preet Kaur Gill MP backed successful bids to expand childcare provision in Edgbaston.

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School and Four Dwellings Primary School have secured Government funding to open new Best Start nurseries, creating more places for local children and making childcare easier to access close to home.

The announcement is part of a major national expansion, with 331 schools across England sharing £45 million to build or expand nurseries. This phase alone will deliver over 6,000 new childcare places, on top of the 7,000 already being rolled out.

For families, the impact is immediate. Combined with 30 hours of funded childcare, Government reforms have already halved costs for eligible working parents saving up to £8,000 a year and bringing costs back to around 2005 levels.

In Edgbaston, this means:

• More nursery places in Quinton

• Simpler school runs with fewer drop-offs

• More parents able to return to work

Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said:

“The cost of living is a real concern for families across Edgbaston, and childcare is one of the biggest pressures.

I’ve been working to increase local nursery provision, so it’s fantastic to see schools in Quinton secure this funding.

This will make a real difference - helping parents balance work and family life, while giving children the best possible start.”

School-based nurseries are already proving popular with parents. New polling shows 37% value being able to drop children at one location, while 59% say it helps children prepare for starting school.

More than one million parents are now using the Government’s funded childcare offer, putting up to £8,000 a year back into family budgets.

Alongside new nursery places, families can also benefit from:

• 30 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents

• Free breakfast clubs, saving up to £450 a year

• Caps on branded school uniform costs

Together, these measures could save families in Edgbaston up to £8,500 a year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, added:

“As a parent, I know how hard it can be to juggle work and family life, especially in those early days where time is precious and sleep is short.

School-based nurseries are already driving a seismic shift in how childcare supports families. Now we’re going even further to build on what works with over 300 new nurseries – cutting childcare costs, simplifying the school run, and helping parents at a time when household budgets are under real pressure.

This is about targeting support where it’s needed most, easing the cost of living and giving every child the best start in life.”

The first children are expected to take up places in the new Quinton nurseries from September.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, said:

“Too many families still struggle to find affordable childcare close to home, making it harder for parents to balance work and family life.

School-based nurseries are already helping fill those gaps in communities where childcare is hardest to find, giving children the strong start they deserve and helping parents access childcare close to home.

By expanding these nurseries further and targeting them at the areas that need them most, we are making sure more families can benefit from quality early education while putting practical support in place to help with the cost of living.

For too long, where a child grows up has shaped what they go on to achieve. This government was elected to change that – starting with giving every child the best start in life and making sure every family can actually access the childcare they need, wherever they live.”