Help for children in Halcon ward of Taunton thanks to funding

The centre will be built thanks to new funding, it was announced on Tuesday by childcare minister Sam Gymiah.

Somerset County Council made the successful bid for the £10,000 grant from the Department for Education to create a new setting for children by September 2016.

It will replace a setting rated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted and will be run by the Stepping Stones Nursery which was rated as an ‘outstanding’ provider.

The centre will be created in Halcon, which is among the 5% most disadvantaged areas of England.

Despite the need for early years care, 50% of all eligible children leave Halcon to access funded childcare places elsewhere in Taunton.

Mr Gymiah said: “Every child in Somerset should be able to fulfil their potential, whatever their background.

Before they have even worn their school uniform for the first time, a child’s life chances are being decided.

“Early education not only sets a child off on the right foot at school, but has effects that last right into the workplace.

“We are committed to providing flexible, affordable and good quality childcare, giving parents in Somerset more of a choice about where they can send their children so that they can get the best start in life.”

The money is part of the Department for Education’s ‘Improving Early Years Outcomes in Disadvantaged Areas Project’, which sees £10,000 allocated to deprived areas where there is a clear demand for additional outstanding early years places.

Successful bids have to demonstrate they have the ability to develop new provision and a viable and sustainable business model for setting up, opening and running the new setting.”

Cllr Frances Nicholson, cabinet member for Children and Families at Somerset County Council said: “This is really good news for young children living in Taunton’s Halcon area, who are set to benefit from us working in partnership with an outstanding provider in Stepping Stones Nursery."