Tulip Siddiq responds to Sutton Trust research

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Tulip Siddiq MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years, responding to Sutton Trust research showing the poorest three and four year olds are being locked out of state funded childcare, said:

“The Conservatives are holding children back, with policies that are widening the gap in learning between three and four year olds from the richest and poorest families.

“Access to early years education can determine a child’s life chances, yet the Government is locking the poorest children out of the system. Thousands of nurseries and childminders have closed under a decade of Conservative government.

“Labour’s Children’s Recovery Plan would help close this gap in learning by giving every child new opportunities to learn, play and develop with extra investment in early education. It’s time the Conservatives match this ambition for every child’s future.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Labour's Children's Recovery Planwould deliver catch up support for school pupils, including:

o Small group tutoring for all who need it

o Breakfast clubs and activities for every child

o Quality mental health support for children in every school

o Continued professional development for teachers to support pupils to catch up on lost learning, and

o Targeted extra investment from early years to further education to support young people who struggled most with learning in lockdown

• According to government data 2,595 childcare providers have closed since the start of the year. (DfE Statistics)