Commenting on the report published today by the National Audit Office, Preparations to extend early years entitlement for working parents in England, Dr Tammy Campbell, Director for Early Years, Inequalities and Wellbeing at the Education Policy Institute (EPI) said:
“Today’s report by the National Audit Office casts further doubt on the ability of the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver government’s plans to expand 30-hours free early education and care to all eligible pre-school children of working parents by September 2025.
“EPI has previously warned of the difficulties that would be faced in delivering this significant expansion, given the recruitment and retention challenges facing the early years workforce. The early years sector in England has struggled to recruit and retain staff for many years, with low pay and hourly rates that are well below the average of other occupations.
“We are also concerned about the potential impact on the quality of early years provision. The report highlights that the quality of provision could deteriorate due to the recruitment of more inexperienced staff and higher staff-to-child supervision ratios for two-year olds. The DfE must monitor the impact of new entitlements on provision quality, as well as the impacts on different groups of children – particularly children from low-income families and those with SEND.
“The report expresses concern that the reforms could widen the existing attainment gap between children from more affluent families and their disadvantaged peers. It is disappointing that a proposal to extend entitlements to younger disadvantaged children was considered, but ultimately rejected. The decision to deliberately implement policies in a way that may widen attainment gaps is unwise and shortsighted.”
