Headteachers, governers and staff representing nursery schools across Birmingham marched on Downing Street to warn they could be forced to close due to lack of funding.

Heads say that they are struggling because costs have increased faster than the funding they receive.

And they are calling on Chancellor Philip Hammond to announce he will provide more cash, to allow them to stay open.

Head teachers leading 251 nursery schools across the country have written a joint letter to the Chancellor, warning: "There is a real possibility that our schools will close.

"This would be a disaster for the communities we represent, pulling the rug from under the children and families we support, as well as the aim and objectives of Ministers to tackle the ‘burning injustices’ facing our country."

Those signing the letter include the heads of Birmingham nursery schools including Allens Croft Nursery School in Kings Heath; Bloomsbury Nursery School in Nechells; Brearley Nursery School in Newtown; Castle Vale Nursery School in Castle Vale; Edith Cadbury Nursery School in Weoley Castle; Featherstone Nursery School in Erdington; Garretts Green Nursery School in Sheldon; Goodway Nursery School in Great Barr; Highfield Nursery School in Saltley, and Highters Heath Nursery School in Warstock.

They also include the heads of Lillian de Lissa Nursery School in Highgate; Marsh Hill Nursery School in Erdington; Newtown Nursery School in Newtown; Osborne Nursery School in Erdington; Perry Beeches Nursery School in Perry Beeches; Rubery Nursery School in Rubery; St Thomas Centre Nursery School in Lee Bank; Washwood Heath Nursery School in Washwood Heath; Weoley Castle Nursery School in Weoley Castle, and West Heath Nursery School in Northfield.

The Government has responded to concerns raised by nursery heads by announcing they will receive an extra £24 million to ensure they can stay open for the full 2019/20 academic year.

But there is no guarantee this funding will continue. Union the National Association of Headtachers (NAHT) says nursery schools are set to lose £60 million in the 2020/21 academic year, leaving thousands of children without a specialist nursery place.  

In their joint letter to the Chancellor, heads and governors said that unless adequate funding is guaranteed in the Government Spending Review due later this year, "the long term survival of maintained nursery schools hangs by a thread."

The letter went on to say that "most maintained nursery schools have had to make large cuts and make hard decisions to balance reduced budgets."

It warned: "Exceptional, highly trained, early years staff have been lost to the system through restructures or because of the constant worry of an uncertain future.

"As Head teachers and governors we are trying to plan for a future that, without the sustainable funding, will probably mean the closure of our schools."

The letter called on Ministers to "safeguard the future of our schools, with a strong, sustainable, ambitious settlement in the Spending Review when that comes."

Birmingham Erdington MP Jack Dromey (Lab) said: "We will press for a long-term solution because our nursery schools must be able to count upon secure funding for the future. They are simply too important to the lives of children and their parents to do otherwise."

Sally Leese, Head of the Castle Vale Nursery School and Chair of Birmingham’s Nursery School forum, welcomed the £24 million funding but said schools needed long-term support.

She said: "We are thrilled to have the supplementary funding which means we can now commit to supporting children and families for another year ... we cannot carry on, however, hoping year on year that we will receive the additional funding."

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: "Maintained nursery schools have a critical role to play in the delivery of high-quality early years education, especially for children with special educational needs, but their future has been left uncertain by the government’s new approach to early years funding.

"Currently maintained nursery schools are funded in a way that recognises their importance. But this additional funding comes to an end in 2020, leaving schools unsure if they will be able to carry on or plan beyond that date."

Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: "We know that Maintained Nursery Schools play a valuable role in supporting some of the most disadvantaged children across the country, and that there was some uncertainty about funding for the next academic year.

"That is why we have provided an additional £24 million of funding to local authorities for their maintained nursery schools - to give reassurance in time for the allocation of places for September 2019.

"Decisions on what happens past the end of the 2020/21 academic year will be taken at the next Spending Review."