Tom Hayes, MP, Visits Tops Day Nurseries Bournemouth to Discuss Funded Childcare Expansion and Environmental Sustainability
Tom Hayes, MP, visited Tops Day Nurseries Bournemouth, based onsite at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Thursday 22nd August, to meet with the children and Founder and Chair, Cheryl Hadland and Chief Executive Officer, Sam King to discuss the upcoming expansion of funded childcare for parents, Education for Sustainable Citizenship, and the recent move to becoming an Employee Ownership Trust.
During Tom’s visit to the Tops Day Nursery in Bournemouth, he actively engaged with the children in a creative activity where they crafted a beach scene using sustainable materials. Afterward, Tom read a book to the children that highlighted various sea animals, sparking their curiosity. The session emphasised the importance of sustainability, focusing on keeping our beaches and oceans clean. This theme was a central topic of discussion among both the children and colleagues, encouraging everyone to reflect on their role in protecting the environment.
Tom also had important discussions with Cheryl, Sam and the colleagues at Tops Bournemouth, focusing on the crucial role of the Early Years sector, the expansion of funded childcare spaces being rolled out from April 2024, and the benefits of the EOT for the nursery.
Cheryl and Tom discussed:
- How day nurseries and parents can help with financial and environmental sustainability as well as provide significant developmental support through supporting children to be nappy free earlier.
- There is now a national shortage of nursery staff which is reducing availability of nursery places and damaging the quality of education.
- Means testing for funding for early years places and funding could enable all children to attend for 30 hours instead of just those whose parents are working.
- The very heavy load of paying business rates.
- The land and water pollution being caused by water companies allowing sewage into the environment, causing sickness, and stopping children’s access to the seas, and the one use plastic and micro plastics now in our food chain causing infertility and disease in humans and injuring and killing birds, whales, turtles, dolphins.
- Air pollution, which is causing asthma and lung disease in small children.
- The lack of option to choose oat milk, fruit and vegetables instead of dairy milk in English nurseries, despite some children being dairy intolerant, and obesity being a major problem for increasing numbers of children.
- Waste costs of disposable nappies being 4% of the domestic rates bill for everyone plus £1000 per nursery p.a. Should have a washable nappy programme for all day nurseries in Dorset – funding available from the EU.
- The positive impact that Tops Day Nurseries (Queens Award) has on children and their families lives in Dorset, good and outstanding teaching, healthy, safe environments.
Speaking after the official visit , Cheryl Hadland said:
“We were delighted to welcome Tom, our new MP, into the Tops nursery and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. He gave us the opportunity to describe how we need more from government on funding for our 2-4 year olds and particularly for children with SEND. We look forward to hearing him advocate for the early years sector to his colleagues in government, emphasising the importance of sustainable day nursery education for children and their parents and how funding needs to improve significantly to ensure early years staff can be recruited and retained in the sector so that all children can benefit from the opportunities we can offer.”
Tom Hayes, MP commented: “It was a pleasure to visit Tops Bournemouth and meet their wonderful children and colleagues. It was eye-opening to learn about the ways the nurseries are adapting to meet the evolving needs of today’s children, as well as the challenges they face, particularly in terms of funding and staffing and I am keen to learn more to support the sector with the changes they need. I was impressed by their commitment to reducing environmental impact and the steps they are taking to support educating not only their children on this topic but the wider sector and communities as a whole”.
Tops Day Nurseries provides eco-sustainable Early Education and Care for children aged 3 months to school age. They have over 30-day nurseries across the South and Southwest. Tops also offer before, after-school and Hi5 holiday clubs for children up to the age of 11.