The early years sector is no stranger to change. Over the past few years, we’ve seen reforms to funding, ratios, qualifications and curriculum expectations. Now, another question is gaining momentum both online and in staffrooms up and down the country: do babies belong in schools?
Why Is This Question Being Asked Now?
The government’s expansion of funded childcare has created significant pressure on the sector to increase places quickly. On paper, it can look like a practical solution. If schools have space, why not use it? But babies aren’t just 'younger children'. They have distinct developmental needs that go far beyond simply requiring a smaller chair and a nappy-changing area.
What Makes Baby Provision Different?
Anyone who has worked with under-twos knows that caring for babies isn’t just a scaled-down version of pre school practice. Their development is built on attachment and co-regulation. Brain development in the first two years is rapid and heavily influenced by secure relationships. So when we ask, “Do babies belong in schools?”, perhaps the better question is: Can a school environment truly meet the emotional and developmental needs of babies?
Is There a Cultural Difference?
Many schools provide wonderful early years practice. Strong, professional teams often have a solid understanding of child development and play-based learning. However, schools are traditionally structured around timetables, outcome driven accountability and term time calendars. Baby rooms, on the other hand, tend to prioritise:
- Flexible routines
- Small group sizes
- Slower-paced days
- Continuity of care across the year
That’s not to say schools can’t adapt. Many are working incredibly hard to create separate, developmentally appropriate spaces within their buildings. But it does require a mindset shift. Babies cannot fit around school systems. The system must flex around the babies.
The Risk of “Schoolification”
One concern raised by early years professionals is the risk of what’s often called “schoolification,” the downward pressure of formal approaches into younger age groups.
We’ve already seen debates around formal learning expectations in Reception. If baby provision sits under the same leadership and accountability structures as Key Stage 1 and 2, there’s a potential risk that developmentally inappropriate expectations could creep in and care routines are seen as secondary to 'learning'.
For babies, care is the curriculum.
Nappy changing, bottle feeding and cuddling aren’t interruptions to learning; they are the learning. They are the moments where language, attachment and social development are built.
I was lucky enough to visit Bloemfontein Primary School, who were successful in securing capital funding to transform a disused building on their site into a nursery provision welcoming babies from birth. I’ll be honest – the thought of babies in a school initially felt wrong to me. But the moment I stepped inside, my assumptions began to shift. It didn’t feel like I was walking into a school at all. The EYFS lead, who had previously worked in a PVI setting, had clearly drawn on that experience; the environment felt calm, nurturing and very much like a home-from-home. The leadership team had also worked closely with local PVI providers when designing their offer, committed to collaboration rather than competition as they tackled what had become a childcare desert in their community. My preconceived ideas about what “babies in schools” might look like were completely off the mark. However, this is one example of thoughtful implementation – and if this model is to be rolled out more widely across the country, it is essential that it is done with the same care, expertise and commitment to getting it right for our youngest children.
The Potential Benefits
It’s important to be balanced. There are potential positives to babies being part of school-based provision:
- Smoother Transitions
Children who remain in one setting from babyhood to Reception may experience fewer transitions and stronger continuity of relationships.
- Integrated SEND Support
Schools often have established SEND teams and access to wider services, which could support earlier identification and intervention.
- Community Hubs
Schools can act as family hubs, offering support, parenting advice and multi-agency working in one place. If baby provision is thoughtfully designed and properly resourced, it could work well in some contexts.
The Big Question: Who Is This For?
When we strip it back, the heart of the debate is this:
Are we designing provision around what works best for our youngest children, or what works best for our current education systems?
Understandably, policymakers want scalable solutions. Understandably, schools want to respond to community needs.
But babies only get one first year. One second year.
The science around early brain development is clear – those first 1,001 days matter profoundly.
So any decision about where babies 'belong' must start with their developmental needs, not with buildings, budgets or convenience.
So… Do Babies Belong in Schools?
There isn’t a simple yes or no answer.
Babies don’t automatically not belong in schools.
But they do belong in environments that prioritise attachment, responsive care and deep understanding of early development. If a school can genuinely provide that, with specialist staff, appropriate spaces and leadership that protects babyhood from premature formalisation, then it may well be able to offer high-quality provision.
If not, we risk reshaping babyhood to fit a system that wasn’t originally designed for it.
And that’s something our sector should pause and reflect on.
A Final Thought
As early years professionals, we have a responsibility to be the voice of the youngest children.
This isn’t about protecting territory or resisting change. It’s about protecting childhood.
Wherever babies are cared for – nursery, childminder setting, private nursery or school – the principles must remain the same:
- Relationships first
- Care as curriculum
- Development before data
If we can hold onto those, the location becomes less important.
But if we lose them, the postcode won’t matter.
Babies don’t need schools.
They need us to get it right.
Discover more: About Michelle Windridge
Other Articles:
School-Based Nurseries: How They Really Work (and What You Need to Know)
Registering and inspecting school-based provision
Children starting school 'in nappies and buggies'
