Responding to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget, Natalie Perera, Chief Executive of the Education Policy Institute, said:
“It is disappointing that today’s Budget provides little additional support for early years and education.
“Research published this week by EPI found that pupils are still feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with those from poorer families struggling the most to catch up.
“If the government is serious about delivering a world-class education for all, it needs to prioritise spending in the early years, targeted to families who need it the most, as well as a sufficiently funded high quality universal offer. It also needs to prioritise funding for disadvantaged pupils in schools and colleges. This includes increasing funding and support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, providing mental health support in schools and considering how best to support schools to offer an extended school day.
“But we also cannot expect schools in isolation, to fix all of society’s problems. The increase to the child benefit threshold is a positive step but there is an urgent need for a cross-government child poverty strategy which recognises the root causes of education inequalities such as poverty, housing, healthcare, transport, and many other aspects of daily life.”
