The government’s “most transformative infrastructure project” in this Parliament is in jeopardy because of a failure to plan how it will work financially and practically, Scottish councils have warned.

Local authorities are calling for the Scottish government to set out “a clear delivery plan” detailing how it will meet its ambitious target to increase free nursery hours from 600 to 1,140 hours per year by 2020.

Ministers claim the move will help to close the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children.

But without a clear programme of implementation, the councils’ umbrella body Cosla has told TESS, the SNP manifesto commitment is at risk.

Headteachers’ groups have also expressed concerns over the impact, in terms of finances and workload, on schools, many of which have nurseries operating on their sites.

They have warned that school leaders will need “additional and protected management time” to organise nursery staff shifts to cover extended hours during holidays, weekends and after school. Teachers and school leaders work a 35-hour week and the change must not rely on “goodwill”, they have told the government.

David O’Neill, Cosla’s president, said: “We need a plan and we don’t have a plan. The potential consequence is a manifesto commitment made to the public might not be delivered.”

The government recently announced that £60 million will be made available in the coming financial year to pay for additional workforce and infrastructure. But funding beyond 2018 has not been confirmed, with the government yet to calculate how much the change will cost - although it has committed to fully funding the move. The previous move from 475-600 hours has cost the government £329 million over the past three years up to 2016-17.

Frank McAveety, the leader of Glasgow City Council, has called on the government to “put their money where their mouth is”.

‘Show us the money’

Mr McAveety told TESS that Glasgow was on track to deliver the increase in free nursery hours but added that confirming funding only for the first year was “just not good enough”.

“How can we build new nurseries and recruit with no certainty of funding long term?” he said.

“If the Scottish government are serious about their commitment and expansion of early learning and childcare, then they need to put their money where their mouth is.”

Primary headteachers’ organisation AHDS, meanwhile, has said that it is opposed to the increase in free hours.

It is “a very expensive intervention” that will lead to “no better gains for children than part-time” and prioritises quantity over quality, the body said (see “Early years ‘is about quality, not quantity’” box, below).

The school leaders also accused the government of planning the expansion of free nursery based on a low-paid, overwhelmingly female workforce. The government has said its hopes that workers in the sector will be paid the living wage of £8.25 an hour but there has been no commitment to funding the move (see “What’s the best way to increase nursery hours?” box, below).

AHDS called for “a more specific focus on educational quality”.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called the change - which will effectively give three- and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds the same entitlement to education as school-aged children - “the great infrastructure project” of the current Parliament.

‘Frustration and uncertainty’

In its submission to a consultation on the policy - which ended this week - Glasgow City Council said: “At this stage, we would have expected a clear delivery plan with milestones and associated capital and revenue funding streams.”

In its response, Cosla said it was “extremely concerned” at the way the programme of expansion was being developed.

“There are a number of serious concerns around the lack of definitive information regarding timescales, specifically funding information and associated milestones,” the body said. “This is causing frustration and uncertainty, and causing a great deal of problems with forward planning.”

The Scottish government said work had already begun on planning for the expansion but it needed to consult before taking “final decisions on implementation”.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Our commitment to increase free early learning and childcare to 1,140 hours by 2020 is this government’s most transformative infrastructure project. Work has already started and we will continue to work with our partners as we take forward our ambitious pledge.”

@Emma_Seith