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The Social Mobility Commission has today released its State of the Nation 2016 report which has called on the government to double the early years pupil premium (EYPP).

 

The report also said that the government should introduce a new parental support package at key points in a child’s life to stop from children falling behind.

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said that he broadly welcomes the report and its call on government to double the EYPP.

 

This currently stands at approximately £300 per child per year which is less than a quarter of what primary schools receive in pupil premium funding.

 

“That said, such a move in and of itself is unlikely to have a significant impact on the deep social mobility issues that the report identifies. If all children, and particularly those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, are to be given the best possible start in life, greater investment in the early years sector as a whole, and not just the pupil premium, is needed,” Neil said.

 

“For far too long, early years providers have been asked to deliver high-quality early education and care on consistently inadequate funding – and while the government has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to improving children’s life chances, as yet, its actions have not matched its rhetoric.”

 

The report also called on the government to set a clear objective for 2025 for all children to be school-ready at the age of five. It has called for the child development gap to be closed with a new strategy implemented to increase high quality childcare for low income families.

 

Neil said that while he supports the intention behind this recommendation – that being that the government should have a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and particularly those in deprived areas – he was concerned by the emphasis on children being ‘school-ready’.

 

“Every child develops at their own rate, and so we need to be making sure that schools are ready for our children – and to support their individual learning and development needs – rather than the other way around,” he said.