Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:
“For far too long, education has been viewed as something that
starts at the school gates. As such, we warmly welcome the
education secretary's recognition of the pivotal importance of
early education and care, and her commitment to a child-centred
approach to government.
“With the expansion of the early entitlement offer now well
underway, it is absolutely right that the government looks at how
it can increase provision to ensure that every child can access
and benefit from early education and care, especially given that
many families – and particularly those from disadvantaged
backgrounds – are likely to find it increasingly difficult to
access places as the rollout of the scheme continues.
“That said, while the government has now confirmed the initial
phase of its plans to increase the number of school-based
nurseries, it must not be forgotten that private and voluntary
nurseries, pre-schools and childminding professionals still
provide the vast majority of early years places. We know
firsthand that the educational professionals working in these
settings are experienced at delivering the high-quality early
education and care needed to support children's learning and
development, the benefits of which can be seen throughout their
time in school and beyond. As such, we're clear that this vital
part of the sector must be central to any reform plans.
“What's more, while increasing physical capacity must undoubtedly
play a role in meeting rising demand, such action can only ever
be effective if we have enough educators to deliver these places.
It is therefore critical that steps are also taken to address the
sector's longstanding staffing challenges – namely, a
comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy – alongside
funding that reflects the costs of delivering high-quality early
education in the long term.
"But in the face of the significant challenges that lay ahead, it
remains both positive and refreshing to see a growing recognition
of the importance of children's earliest years. We look forward
to working closely with the government to help ensure that every
child, without exception, gets the start in life they
deserve."
