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Think tank calls for fresh impetus in improving the quality of early years teaching

Policy Exchange is recommending that the Teach First scheme be extended to the early years to attract high-calibre graduates to settings that serve disadvantaged areas, as figures show children in these parts of the country receive poorer quality care.

A new report by the think tank shows that over three-quarters of nurseries and childminders were judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted last year compared to only 64 per cent of settings in the most deprived areas of the country, and calls for the government to put fresh impetus in to improving the quality of early years teaching.

Among its proposals, it recommends extending the Teach First scheme, currently only open to primary and secondary schools, to the early years as a way of attracting bright graduates to the sector.

The think tank says that by extending the scheme it would build on proposals in the Nutbown Review, which suggested developing a new training route for teachers in the early years. It would also enable a focus to be placed on the most disadvantaged areas.

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