Responding to official statistics released
today by the Department for Education (DfE) on provision for
children under 5 in England, Dr Tammy Campbell,
Director for Early Years, Inequalities and Wellbeing at
the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said:
"Today's statistics from the Department for Education show a fall
in the number of disadvantaged two-year olds accessing funded
early education and care.
"In part, this is because of declining birthrates – but not
entirely. It also highlights the fact that fewer and fewer
low-income families are deemed eligible for funding at two. This
is due firstly to a freezing of the income threshold initially
set in 2014. It is also underpinned by changes to the welfare
benefits system, which result in fewer disadvantaged families
accessing entitlements that qualify them for funding at two.
"This lessened access for two-year-olds from low-income families
is worrying, particularly in the context of current policy, which
focusses on expanding funding for families higher up the income
distribution. It is children from low-income families who are
more likely to benefit developmentally from high-quality early
education and care.
"EPI therefore recommends that early years funding should be
weighted much more heavily towards low-income families – as well
as children with SEND, who are vastly underserved by the current
system and the expansions.
"The DfE also reports that the ‘proportion of staff without a
level 2 qualification, level 3 qualification or accredited
graduate status' has increased according to this year's
statistics. In 2018, 16% of staff were reported to have no such
relevant qualification: this has risen to 22% in 2024.
"Given that staff are key to quality provision in the early
years, this seems to be a move in the wrong direction. EPI
recommends that the new government should provide and implement a
clear strategy for ensuring a high-quality early years
workforce."
