As of August 2019 children that are entering nursery placements in Peebles are facing a postcode Lottery as to whether they will be able to access a funded allocation of 600hours or 1140hours for the year. 

Currently children who access ELCC 3 & 4 (anti-pre and preschool) are entitled to 600 funded hours rising to 1140 hours as of August 2020 as per the Scottish Government policy. We are of the understanding that Scottish Borders Council have been asked to roll out the extended hours to those children whose families live in ‘more deprived’ areas starting in August 2019. 

The decision was made that because the north of Peebles contains a few streets of ‘more deprived’ families; children living in the North of the town, specifically the Kingsland Primary School catchment area, would be eligible for the extended funded hours. 

Peebles has a population of approximately 8,400 (2011 census) so it is a small community and the decision to divide the town in this way is detrimental to the people living here. Not only that but the Kingsland School catchment area encompasses some of the most affluent families in the town according to SIMD.scot. It’s worth noting that the few ‘deprived streets’ in Peebles according to SIMD are 4 or 5 in the 10 point scale where 1 is deprived and 10 is not deprived. 

With this in mind, We would like it to be known that the disparity in education for the children of the town is discriminatory. For some it equates to an extra year at current level. 

The scenario where two children in the same nursery room get vastly different provision is quite frankly Dickensian and no more acceptable than racial or gender discrimination. The current proposal means  for example that someone mortgage free in a 4 bedroom detached home in the Kingsland catchment can acces 1140 ‘free’ hours of education for their child/children whereas someone living in poverty in the Priorsford catchment would only have 600 ‘free’ hours. 

We would suggest that the phase in would have been far fairer if the hours for ALL children were increased. If not to the full 1140 hours in 2019 then perhaps 850 hours or some other agreeable midpoint, with the intent to give all children the 1140 hours as per government policy in 2020. This policy has been in the pipeline for years so the excuse of not having provision or facility for an increase isn’t going to cut it. If the council can fund one catchment for double hours then surely it can fund both catchment areas for half the increase? 

We look forward to hearing from you on the subject. 

Thank you for reading.