Nursery World - Disadvantaged two-year-olds missing out on early education, finds report

The youngest, most disadvantaged children are the least likely to access early education, a new report from the OECD has found.

While nearly half of UK children under three from the wealthiest third of households go to an early years setting, just 22 per cent of the poorest do, according to the new equity- themed ‘Education at a Glance’ report, launched yesterday.

This is worse than the OECD average, where 28 per cent of children in the most deprived households are enrolled in ECEC services, compared to over 44 per cent of those from better-off families.

Education levels of parents also play a part in access to early education. Just 25 per cent of UK children aged nought to two, whose mothers had not progressed beyond school, went to a nursery or other setting compared with 43 per cent of those whose mothers had a degree or had taken part in further education.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included