The nurseries that charge more than top private schools

Soaring cost of early-years education now accounts for a quarter of average household income, survey reveals

The children are not taught Latin, Greek or philosophy, and a place at Oxbridge is not guaranteed. Instead, there is finger-painting, learning to count and potty training.

Sending a toddler to one of Britain's most expensive nurseries now costs more than sending a child to the country's most successful school.

A report published tomorrow reveals that the typical cost of a nursery place for a child under the age of two is £134 a week. The most expensive will set parents back £17,500 a year - £3,000 more than Britain's top private school, Westminster, where last year no pupil got a grade lower than a C at GCSE.

The survey, carried out by the Daycare Trust and the TUC, will claim that childcare costs now take up nearly a quarter of a family's household income.

The director of the Daycare Trust, Stephen Burke, said the results of its annual survey made the case for universal childcare.

"The Government has pledged to end child poverty by 2020. But they are not going to be able to do it unless there is universal childcare," he said. "The targeted approach misses out almost half the children living in poverty.

"We want universal childcare so that every family can access childcare at a price they can afford - where they want it and when they want it."

Most families probably wouldn't be able to afford a place at the Leapfrog Day Nursery in Smithfield, London. It charges up to £332 a week for a child under the age of two, making it one of the most expensive childcare centres in the country.

"A few of the parents receive child tax credit," said Maxine Henderson, the nursery's manager. "But others have household incomes of £150,000 or more. A few children also have a nanny.

"But we are the most expensive nursery Leapfrog has - it is exactly double the cost of one of our northern nurseries."

While the TUC, co-sponsor of the survey, has called for cheaper childcare, nursery groups are likely to argue that, if anything, childcare costs should rise as childcare workers continue to earn low wages.

This is the third year running that childcare costs have risen by more than the rate of inflation. The average cost of £134 a week compares to an average weekly household income of £562 and average weekly expenditure on housing and food combined of £82.

The rising cost of childcare has become a hot political issue. Early-years education and childcare have formed a major part of Labour's "Big Conversation" and are expected to be a key component of the party's next manifesto.

It is a cause that appears to have united the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. Last week, the Blairite former Cabinet minister Stephen Byers - who is believed to be closely involved in the drafting of the next manifesto - called on the Government to commit to "universal provision" of childcare.

This week, Andrew Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, who is close to Gordon Brown, will announce a pilot scheme of childcare taster sessions for unemployed and part-time parents. Eligible parents will be given five days of free childcare to enable them to move into work, safe in the knowledge that their child is being looked after properly.

Speaking to The Independent on Sunday, Mr Smith said: "For parents in the pilot areas of Bradford, Lewisham and Haringey we will be able to make a childcare guarantee available to all those for whom childcare is a barrier to them moving into work."

Mr Burke welcomed the proposals as a "step in the right direction".

Mr Smith added: "My aim is that every parent who wants to work should be able to get access to affordable childcare when they need it."

A class apart

A typical day at Westminster School, London

Breakfast is served in College Hall at 7.50am. The school day starts at 8.45am with registration, and Latin prayers are held at 9am before the morning's lessons get under way. As well as core subjects such as English, maths and science, pupils have to get to grips with the classics, Latin and divinity.

After lunch, pupils take part in games on Tuesdays and Thursdays but go back to their lessons on other weekdays. Tea is served at 4.15pm, supper at 6pm.

More than a dozen plays are performed each year, including some in a foreign language, and operas.

For sixth-form pupils, activities include a film society, debating and a model United Nations.

When pupils leave Westminster, many go on to Oxford or Cambridge. Others, like theatre director Peter Brook, composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber and pop star Dido find fame and fortune.

A typical day at Leapfrog Day Nursery, Smithfield, London

Most children arrive between 7am and 8.30am and have breakfast together. They then move to one of the three main rooms for "free play" before they split into their designated groups.

Pre-school children are currently looking at "movement" - drawing pictures, moulding clay and going for walks. Toddlers are learning to count.

Mid-morning, babies, toddlers and children alike will have a snack of fruit or toast - the pre-school children butter their own toast.

Lunch is prepared on-site by a cook and checked by a nutritionist. After lunch it's nap-time for babies and toddlers. The pre-school children will return to their morning's activities and may do some painting.

Afternoon tea, usually consisting of sandwiches or salad, arrives at 4pm, after which the children's activities wind down until parents begin to pick their children up from 5pm onwards. Once a week, two- to four-year-olds do yoga and drama. Babies receive a weekly massage.

The majority of children eventually move on to local private schools such as Charterhouse and Darlington, though some will go to local state primaries.