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by  Jess Gibson

A range of barriers are preventing disadvantaged children in England from taking up their entitlement to 15 hours of funded early education, a new study has warned. 

The report – funded by the Nuffield Foundation and undertaken by the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, Coram Family and Childcare, and early years expert Ivana La Valle  – explores why some families do not take up their entitlements, and sets out actions that can be taken to increase take-up and to reduce inequalities in early education. 

According to the research, many parents find the different entitlements confusing and difficult to navigate, with councils saying that lengthy application processes and complex systems make accessing funded childcare difficult for parents, particularly those with English as an additional language or with low literacy or digital skills, as well as creating a high administrative burden for providers. It adds that the additional phased roll-out of childcare entitlements for working families have complicated the picture further, with “conflicting and confusing messages” to parents about eligibility and the purpose of different entitlements, as well as adding to the administrative burden for providers.   

The report also highlights concerns from early years providers about the adequacy of funding for the three and four-year-old entitlement and inadequate funding to support disadvantaged children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

It further warns that the way that the delivery of funded hours is regulated has triggered responses from providers that create further barriers to take-up, such as constraining the number and structure of funded places offered, and asking parents to pay additional charges, meaning that in some cases, a two-tier system of provision is emerging. 

The research did, however, identify where local action can change this picture for disadvantaged families, noting that take-up is higher where councils make early education a key priority for children’s outcomes and wellbeing, and where they have a relentless focus on removing barriers to take-up among disadvantaged families.  

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “We know that access to early education has a proven impact on a child’s development and life chances, particularly for children from more deprived backgrounds – and yet, as these findings show, many disadvantaged families continue to face an unnecessarily complex and confusing system which is making it increasingly difficult for them to access early years places. 

“Add to this the fact that continued underfunding for the three- and four-year-old offer is still leaving many providers with no option to increase fees and additional charges, and it's clear that the current approach to early years policy is at risk of failing those families most in need of support.  

“We're clear that every child, regardless of background, should be able to access affordable, quality early education and care – and yet, even the current early entitlement expansion is aimed solely at working families, leaving those from most disadvantaged backgrounds excluded entirely.  

“For years now, we've talked of the need to 'close the gap', while rolling out early years policies that do the exact opposite. It is vital therefore that, going forward, ensuring that ensuring equity of access to early years places is made a key government priority. After all, education – in the early years and beyond – is not a luxury; it is a universal right."