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.”
