Ready for School - Parliament debates early years education

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, this week argued in a Westminster Hall debate that childcare should play a leading role in the drive for social mobility.

 

Speaking to MPs, Chloe said:

 

“We need to focus on the point in the early years when intervention can make the most difference for later years. Evidence on life chances shows a very clear progression when intervention starts as early as possible.

 

“I would like to present a local example of impressive joint working in Norwich between a children’s centre, health visitors and a school. It is a tight-knit geographical cluster, and they are taking on the challenge of reaching out to those who most need the help.”

 

Turning to the Government’s plan for 30 hours of free childcare, Chloe called on Ministers to use this as an opportunity to reassess how best to use this policy to ensure children of all backgrounds are ready for school from day one.

 

Chloe said:

 

“School-readiness is crucial. Will the Minister take the opportunities presented by the expansion of the 15 hours’ childcare offer to 30 hours and the associated funding formula changes to review what he expects of school-readiness?

 

“I urge him to see what can be done to help childcare and early years settings work with schools, as in the local example I presented.”

 

Responding to Chloe’s speech, Sam Gyimah, the Minister for Childcare and Education, agreed that the early years foundation stage can be another way of ensuring individual children reach a good level of development, noting that 86% of nurseries are already rated good or outstanding. The Minister confirmed that the Government would look at ways of ensuring that we continue to evaluate how formal childcare can be used to ensure greater school readiness among children.