Nursery World - The development of the early years sector mustn't get neglected in the chaos

Early education is the key to improving social mobility at this critical time, says Julie Hyde

I am a proud member of the Early Education and Childcare All Party Parliamentary Group, campaigning for a meaningful review of childcare and early education policy and funding, addressing the market failure the sector is experiencing, and maximising the enormous impact it has on children’s development and learning. The most recent APPG meeting looked at some crucial issues we’re facing: social mobility, strengthening the case for reform, and ensuring the early years sector remains sustainable.

The Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) project found that ‘attending a pre-school setting increased educational attainment: with the resulting increase in lifetime earnings that benefited the individual and the exchequer’. Not only do we know how much the early years can influence a child’s attainment throughout school, we also want to drive home the importance of high-quality early education as a key factor in advancing social mobility, as it is at this time when the gap in outcomes between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers first takes hold.

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