Halfon launches inquiry into impact of early years on later success

Chair of the education committee Robert Halfon MP has launched an inquiry to understand the impact that early years education and social policy have on determining a child’s life chances.

The inquiry will also explore the prevention and early intervention support which is available to parents and families to help deliver better outcomes for their children, and the importance of communication skills and language development.

Launching the inquiry, Mr Halfon said that the first few years of a child’s life were ‘crucial’ in determining their future success and that research indicated that children who start school with poor language skills are six times more likely to struggle with reading, and 11 times more likely to struggle with maths, at the age of 11.

He said the inquiry would look at making practical proposals to support all children to succeed.

MPs will look at current Government policy and make recommendations to promote social justice.

While the inquiry will focus on early years settings, it will also consider the role of health and services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

‘While home and family life are the biggest influence on a child’s language and skills development in their early years, high quality early years education can have a major impact in helping even the most disadvantaged children to compete with their better-off peers,’ he said.

‘Inequalities in children’s life chances sadly often depend on where they live. In this postcode lottery, some children will benefit from schools and health and support services who co-ordinate their work effectively and help to deliver great results. Unfortunately, in other areas this won’t be the case and children will not get the support they deserve.