New school-based nursery to ease childcare costs in Colchester

A NEW school-based nursery is set to launch in Colchester to help families with the cost of living. The "Best Start" nursery will open at Unity Primary School in September and isdesigned to offer more affordable and accessible childcare for families in Colchester. The scheme is part of a national expansion of school-based nurseries aimed at easing the cost of living for working families. Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester, said: "The cost of living for families in Colchester 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. "There's more we can do to make childcare more accessible and affordable. "That's why I wrote to local schools, encouraging them to join the Best Start scheme and open up new nurseries. "Today, we're seeing the benefits of a Labour MP working with a Labour government, to back our schools with funding, back our families with support, and give children growing up in Colchester the best start in life." The new nursery at Unity Primary is part of a wider programme that will see 331 schools across England share £45 million in funding to build or expand nursery provision, creating more than 6,000 additional childcare places. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "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." The expansion is expected to deliver up to £8,000 in annual cost-of-living support for parents. It also forms part of Labour's broader childcare reforms, which the party says have already halved costs for eligible families. The scheme aims to make it easier for parents to balance work and family life. Similar nurseries have already opened at three other Colchester schools: St James, St Teresa's, and Kings Ford.