In a policy briefing published today (24 January) by the Trust, education and social mobility experts state that current Government plans not only risk exacerbating inequalities but worsening the quality of education for all young children.
Reviewing the widespread evidence of the mounting pressures facing the early years sector, the Trust warns of a ‘major deterioration in the education of disadvantaged young children’.
It states that current Conservative plans to treat the sector primarily as childcare, with less focus on its role as education, ‘puts quality at risk’ and ‘widens gaps in access’.
The expanded childcare offer is likely to ‘further widen’ the early years attainment gap as just 20 per cent of families earning less than £20,000 a year will have access to funded places, compared to 80 per cent of those with household incomes over £45,000, it says.
This comes as increasing workforce and capacity pressures for providers could see them ‘prioritising places’ for the children eligible for the most funded hours, with ‘childcare deserts’ opening up in less affluent areas, placing poorer children at further disadvantage to gain nursery places.
In an extensive review of the issues facing the sector, the policy briefing highlights the following:
- In 2023, one in five early years staff members were unqualified (did not have a relevant GCSE/level 2 qualification), up from one in seven in 2018.
- Funding given to early years settings to support disadvantaged children (the Early Years Pupil Premium) is just 25 per cent of the amount given in Pupil Premium funding to primary schools.
- Other funding ringfenced for disadvantaged children through the National Funding Formula has remained the same since 2017-18, despite growing numbers of children qualifying, meaning this is now spread more thinly.
- While there are now around 500 Family Hubs in England, over 1,400 Sure Start children’s centres have closed since 2010.
'As things stand, Government policy treats early years provision as childcare rather than education'.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust and founder of the Education Endowment Foundation, said that politicians are ‘failing’ disadvantaged children. ‘The early years are a crucial stage that can create opportunity or lock in disadvantage. As things stand, Government policy treats early years provision as childcare rather than education, and there is no indication as yet that this would change under a Labour government,’ he says.
‘It’s disgraceful that the very children who would benefit most from early years education are being increasingly excluded from it. We need to rebalance Government funding or we will continue to see poorer children falling further behind,’ he adds.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said it shared the Sutton Trust's concern about fewer qualified staff.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku explained, 'With the expansion only two months away, we’re finding more practitioners are continuing to leave the sector. We need to act fast in looking at solutions for the workforce, to attract new talent and retain existing staff.'
The Sutton Trust concludes that by not taking action, the next Government will reinforce disadvantage for children before they start school. It is calling on the main two parties to commit to tackling these issues by:
- Rebalancing entitlements so that all young children aged two to four have a core education entitlement of at least 20 hours per week, with extra provision needed for childcare paid by parents on a sliding scale of fees by income level.
- Developing an early years workforce strategy with minimum qualifications specified, and funding to attract graduates.
- Reviewing the early years pupil premium to match the level provided to schools and improve how it is administered to providers.
- Improving the wider support to families with young children by re-invigorating a national children’s centre programme.
'The whole approach to childcare and early education needs a complete rethink'.
Commenting on the report, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, argued, ‘The Government constantly talks about the need to close the attainment gap, and yet their approach to the early years is likely to achieve the exact opposite. It's clear that the whole approach to childcare and early education needs a complete rethink – otherwise it is those children who need the most support who will lose out.’
