Sutton Trust response to education committee report childcare and the early years

Responding to the Education Select Committee’s report on ‘Support for childcare and the early years’, Nick Harrison, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said:

 

“This report sets out some useful recommendations, such as the expansion of family hubs, a focus on the importance of high-quality education and care, and widening access to the 30 hours of government funded childcare to those who are studying or in training. However, we would have liked to see it go much further. Access to quality early education is unequal, with most of the country’s poorest families locked out of the 30 hour entitlement and therefore unable to access the support they need.”

“The first four years of children’s lives are a crucial period for social mobility, as this is when the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers takes hold. Quality early years provision, targeted at those who need it most, has the potential to close these gaps. To better support the most disadvantaged children, the Sutton Trust is calling for expanded access to the 30 hours entitlement, particularly to lower income families. We also want to see the Early Years Pupil Premium increased to the level available to primary schools, and a stronger focus on quality education across the early years sector.”