The Department for Education has today confirmed that Kelly Tolhurst is the new schools and childhood minister.
Tolhurst who was appointed a minister within the Department for Education by the Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier this month, takes on the brief of childcare from former junior minister Brendan-Clark Smith who has been moved to the Cabinet Office, and the brief of school standards from Will Quince who is now at the Department for Health and Social Care.
It is the first time in five years that a minister of state has been responsible for childcare policy. In 2017, Robert Goodwill was the senior minister responsible for early years, children in care, child protection, SEND, school funding and free school meals.
Tolhurst is the tenth minister responsible for early years within a ten-year period (see timeline below).
According to the DfE website, her responsibilities include:
- Early years and childcare;
- children's social care;
- SEND;
- disadvantaged and vulnerable children;
- qualifications;
- families including Family Hubs and early childhood support;
- school food;
- strategies for schools;
- curriculum.
Politicial career
Tolhurst has served as the MP for Rochester and Strood since 2015.
Before becoming an MP, she worked in marketing and then went on to run a marine survey business with her father. In 2011, Tolhurst was elected to the Rochester West Ward on Medway Council and served as a councillor until 2018.
That same year she was given her first ministerial position at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in 2018 where she was under-secretary for small business, consumers and labour markets. Just under two years later, she was moved to the Department for transport, shortly before being appointed the position of under secretary for local government at homelessness at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
In July this year, she was appointed as the deputy chief whip and treasurer of the household by the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before being moved to the DfE as a minister of state this month under Liz Truss’ Government.
TIMELINE
A decade of Conservative ministers responsible for early years:
- September 2012 - July 2014 (Coalition Government) Liz Truss
- July 2014 – July 2016 Sam Gyimah
- August 2016 – June 2017 Caroline Dinenage
- June 2017 – January 2018 Robert Goodwill
- January 2018 - July 2019 Nadhim Zahawi
- July 2019 – February 2020 Kemi Badenoch
- February 2020 – September 2021 Vicky Ford
- September 2021 - July 2022 Will Quince
- July 2021 – September 2022 Brendan Clarke-Smith
- September 2022 – present Kelly Tolhurst
Commenting on the appointment of Tolhurst as the schools and childhood minister, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘We hope that the fact that early years now sits within the remit of a minister of state, rather than a parliamentary under-secretary, signifies a growing recognition within Government that the early years is a vital part of the education system. That said, given the broad nature of Ms Tolhurst's portfolio, it is vital that the early years is not overlooked or de-prioritised in favour of schools policy.
‘Given the current misguided ministerial focus on the deregulation of the sector, it’s clear that the Department for Education must do much more to make a clear, convincing argument to the Treasury about the need for greater investment into the early years – and as schools and childhood minister, Ms Tolhurst must lead on this.
‘What’s more, a severe funding crisis, sustained recruitment and retention challenges and the ongoing ratios debate has heaped pressure and uncertainty onto the early years sector. As such, we look forward to working closely with the new minister to ensure that the views, needs and concerns of providers are represented at the highest level.’
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said they had a meeting scheduled with the new minister to discuss 'urgent issues facing the sector. PACEY said they meeting set-up for next month.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku explained, 'The Minister has her own experience of running a business so I hope that would help her to understand the pressures on childcare providers who are trying to remain sustainable in very difficult circumstances. We have more children than ever before needing additional support, energy bills and other costs are skyrocketing and a workforce crisis with nurseries struggling to fill vacancies.
'Our early years sector is a cornerstone of the economy. Without nurseries, millions of parents would not be able to work or train and children would miss out on high quality learning opportunities at a crucial stage of their development. Working parents could add over £10 billion to our economy if we address the failures of the current childcare policy.
'But if they cannot remain sustainable, we expect to see more and more nursery closures, meaning fewer places especially in areas of deprivation where children gain the most from early education.
'The new Minister and her team must take control of this situation and put measures in place to reverse this downward spiral. The first five years count when it comes to our children and Government policy and investment needs to reflect this.'
PACEY's chief executive Liz Bayram commented, 'Having seen ten early years ministers over the past ten years, what we need now is stability and leadership to address the long-term crisis in funding of early education; reverse the staff recruitment and retention challenges so many of our members are experiencing and ensure that the ‘levelling up’ agenda reaches the youngest children. Early education and childcare can play a critical role in supporting this agenda. It is positive to see early years and childcare now the responsibility of a senior minister. We know it is recognised as critical across all Government departments but our members need to see that recognition turn into a meaningful long-term plan and investment that improves pay and status in the profession. Tinkering with regulation alone will not be enough.'
