MP Gareth Snell welcomes new Best Start nursery for Heron Cross Primary School
More children in Stoke-on-Trent will get access to childcare close to home, as the Labour Government announces Heron Cross Primary Academy will receive funding to open a Best Start school-based nursery.
In the latest drive by Labour to bear down on the cost of living, thousands more parents will save up to £8,000 a year as the government expands childcare to over 300 more schools from September.
School-based nurseries are already providing a lifeline for families. Combined with Labour’s 30 hours of funded childcare, they are cutting childcare costs in half for working families and helping parents return to work.
The announcement follows a report published last week showing Labour’s childcare reforms have halved costs for eligible working parents since 2024.
New figures published today show over a million parents now use Labour’s government-funded childcare offer – putting up to £8,000 a year back into family budgets.
Gareth Snell said: “The cost of living for families in Stoke-on-Trent is at the forefront of my mind as your MP. That’s why the news that childcare costs have halved under Labour is so welcome.
“The new Best Start nursery at Heron Cross Primary Academy will give families access to high‑quality early years provision right within the existing school setting. It will make the school run simpler for busy parents and help put money back in their pockets.”
New polling shows parents strongly value the convenience of school-based nurseries. More than a third (37%) say being able to drop multiple children at the same location is a key benefit, and nearly six in ten (59%) say they help prepare for the school transition.
This rollout forms part of Labour’s wider programme to support families with the cost of living.
Alongside new nursery places, families can also benefit from 30 hours funded childcare for eligible working parents, free breakfast clubs saving families up to £450 a year and caps on branded school uniform costs.