MP,
Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, responding
to a new report by the National Audit Office showing that the
future rollout of new early years entitlements faces challenges,
said:
“This is yet more resounding evidence that the Conservative
government made a childcare pledge without a plan to deliver it –
and yet again families will be paying the price of the Tories'
broken promises.
“Only Labour can deliver the reformed early years system that
will transform children's life chances and give parents choices
in the workplace.
“That is why we asked the respected former Chief Inspector of
Ofsted Sir David Bell to lead an early years review to inform our
plans for a modern early years system that better supports
families with access to available, affordable childcare.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The National Audit Office in its report notes:
-
- "It [DfE] has assessed its confidence in meeting
milestones beyond April 2024 as "problematic"." P11
(Conclusion)
- “The extension does not achieve its primary aim or
demonstrate value for money” P.38 (subheading)
- “DfE set dates without understanding local authorities'
and providers' capacity and capability to deliver an
unprecedented level of growth in the workforce and new
places.” P6
- "It [DfE] assessed the likelihood of delivering the
places required in September 2024 and 2025 as amber/red
"problematic" given the increase". P7 (para 9)
- In regard to the £100 million in capital grants funding
that the Secretary of State has pointed to as the main lever
to increase places: “In August 2023, DfE had estimated this
may create 4,500 additional places, around 5% of the 80,000
additional places it then thought would be required by
September 2025.” P27
- The expansion is currently the DfE's top programme risk,
with risks covering insufficient places, operational
infrastructure not being ready, insufficient parental demand
and an unstable market. (page 30)
- “DfE does not have robust data on whether there will be
enough places” (P33)
- “Given limited engagement, the DfE does not know the
market's willingness and capacity to increase places. There
remain uncertainties over whether the sector can expand.”
(P33)
- The report highlights that the early years workforce is
seen as the biggest barrier to delivering the expansion, but
states that “DfE does not yet have timely data to actively
monitor changes across the workforce. As a result, it will
not know what impact its interventions have had at each stage
of the rollout,” P37
- National Audit Office have, on their own calculations,
places falling -1% since 2018. p16
- The NAO recommends: “that the DfE continuously review the
achievability of the September 2025 milestone and set interim
performance thresholds that, once passed, would prompt
consideration of corrective action, such as resetting the
timetable or Programme,” P12
- It notes that “DfE originally planned to implement early
in some local authorities to test feasibility and establish
evaluation baselines; but cancelled this due to affordability
constraints”. P6
