Elizabeth Truss 'very wrong' over nursery reforms

The Government is facing a backlash from childcare providers over plans to increase the number of children nursery workers can look after.

Under reforms, new staff will be required to have at least a grade C in GCSE English and maths. The aim is to make childcare more affordable by allowing nurseries to employ fewer, but better qualified, staff.

But the measures introduced by Elizabeth Truss, the Education minister responsible for childcare, have been criticised.

Julie Lightley, who owns the Village Nursery in Trafford, called the plans an "insult to those who currently work with children" and said Ms Truss "has got it very wrong".

The Resolution Foundation, which represents people on low to middle incomes, claimed these measures miss the mark. "A good system would help people further down the income scale to be able to take on more hours of work and increase their family living standards," it said.