Rishi Sunak and Gillian Keegan were shown around the Busy Bees Harrogate Hornbeam Park centre on Hookstone Road by centre director Sarah Saynor, alongside Busy Bees’ Group Chief Quality Officer Gill Jones MBE.
The Ministers joined children in painting and outdoor play activities, allowing them to experience firsthand how the UK’s largest nursery group delivers early years education across almost 400 centres throughout the country.
They also took the opportunity to talk to local parents about their views on the changes the government is making to early years education funding.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
I was delighted to visit Busy Bees Nursery at Hornbeam Park today.
Providing high-quality, affordable childcare for families is a priority for the government, so it was fantastic to see how dedicated the Busy Bees staff are to creating a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their care.
Gill Jones said:
Our nursery team was proud to welcome both the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education to Busy Bees Harrogate Hornbeam Park. It was a pleasure to introduce them to some of our wonderful children and show them the superb quality of care, education and play experiences we provide for children across the country.
We are committed to giving every child the best start in life and were pleased to be able to offer further insight into the importance of helping more parents and children to access affordable quality early years education, whilst ensuring nurseries receive the support needed.
See https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare to determine if you are eligible for a childcare place.
