Within his address to the 600 attendees of the Awards on Saturday, an annual ceremony held at The Brewery in London, he called the sector’s ‘dedication and passion for educating and supporting young learners, truly inspiring’, and said it has been a ‘huge pleasure to have seen firsthand the incredible impact’ the workforce has on children and young people.
He went on to acknowledge the challenges ahead with the rollout of the expanded entitlement, calling the sector ‘the experts’, and saying that he wants to work closely with everyone to ensure the Government is doing everything it can to deliver the demand for new places and maintain the high-quality provision.
The minister for early education said he hoped to meet more people from the sector at the Department for Education’s roadshows they have been running across the country to ‘share ideas and concerns’.
He concluded by encouraging the workforce to engage with the Government.
‘We will continue to listen as we shape the future of early education. And we can't do this alone. We need to hear from you. Thank you for everything you do every day. Your work makes an unbelievable difference to children's futures, and by working together, we can reach more families, to give every child across the country, the best start in life.’
- For a list of the winners of the Nursery World Awards 2024 click here
