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Early Years Educators — [James Gray in the Chair]
25 January 2022
Lead MP
Steve Brine
Winchester
Con
Responding Minister
Will Quince
Tags
EmploymentChildren & FamiliesLocal Government
Word Count: 14949
Other Contributors: 11
At a Glance
Steve Brine raised concerns about early years educators — [james gray in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Mr. Brine asked for better recognition of the work of the early years workforce through investment that addresses remuneration and funding gaps, ensuring that early years professionals receive pension contributions and pay increases in line with cost-of-living increases. He emphasized the need to view early years educators as highly skilled professionals who are vital for tackling inequalities and supporting children's development from an early age.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Mr. Brine expressed concern about the status of early years educators and their remuneration, noting that many settings are struggling to pay competitive salaries. He highlighted that funding for the hours offered under the flagship 30-hours entitlement has not kept pace with increases in minimum wage and other costs, leading to a squeeze on providers and potential closures in disadvantaged areas. Mr. Brine mentioned specific cases where early years educators have played a critical role during the pandemic, supporting keyworker children while potentially risking their own health.
Andrew Lewer
Con
Northampton South
Mr Andrew Lewer discussed the challenges faced by early learning providers exacerbated by the pandemic and changes in funding from central Government and local authorities. He highlighted the case of Camrose Early Years Centre, which is a maintained nursery school and day care provider facing potential service cuts due to restructuring of funding from the local authority. Mr Lewer emphasised the importance of the 'first 1,001 days' approach and welcomed recent announcements about family hubs.
Ben Bradley
Con
Arnhem Valley
Ben Bradley highlighted the importance of early years education for children's development and stressed that investing in this sector is crucial. He discussed workforce challenges, suggesting a joined-up strategy to support career progression within education and care pathways. Bradley also addressed funding issues, mentioning £500 million allocated for family hubs and Start4Life advice service, which he sees as beneficial for disadvantaged children.
Cornwall North
Ms Mackrory highlighted the importance of early years education for a child's future success, stressing that early communication, language and literacy skills are crucial. She mentioned that 28% of four and five-year-olds finish their reception year without these essential skills. She advocated for better status and remuneration for early years educators to retain well-qualified staff, noting issues such as low pay, high workload, and limited training opportunities.
David Simmonds
Con
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Stressed the importance of adult attention in early childhood development and called for sufficient funding to support high-quality early years education. Cited research showing that investment in early years has a significant impact on social mobility and academic success later in life. Highlighted the need for professionalisation and cross-sector collaboration to spread expertise.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
The hon. Lady noted the importance of viewing early years educators as highly skilled professionals, not just well-meaning amateurs. She pointed out that funding for 30-hour entitlement has not kept pace with wage increases, leading to a widening gap between costs and revenue. Ms. Hayes highlighted the importance of early years educators, paying tribute to their work in nurturing children's development and reducing inequality. She criticized the Government for neglecting the sector during the pandemic, noting that 1,000 Sure Start centres have closed. Ms. Hayes also pointed out structural issues with the implementation of the 30-hour entitlement scheme, which has contributed to rising childcare costs and provider closures. She stressed the need for a plan to support children affected by the pandemic's impacts on early education. Asked if the Minister would give way on Stephanie Peacock's point about SEN funding.
James Daly
Con
Bury North
James Daly, chair of the APPG on nursery schools, highlighted the importance of early years education in achieving equality of opportunity. He emphasized the critical developmental stage between zero and five years old for children's academic and social development. Daly shared his experience as a governor at Hoyle Nursery School where they managed to turn a failing school into an outstanding one through focused staff training despite financial constraints. Mr. Daly briefly intervened with a comment indicating that he agreed with Ms. Hayes' points regarding the importance of supporting early years educators and addressing issues faced during the pandemic.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The hon. Member for Strangford noted the significant stresses faced by early years educators during the pandemic, including staffing issues and recruitment difficulties highlighted in a survey where 84% of respondents reported difficulty recruiting suitable staff. He also mentioned the £12 million support package issued by Northern Ireland's Health and Education Ministers to childcare providers. Jim Shannon underlined the importance of wage structures for retaining highly qualified staff and the challenges related to special educational needs provision.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Congratulated the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate, raised concerns about childcare providers' inability to cover costs due to insufficient funding for free hours of childcare and the impact on staff pay and training. The hon. Member for Twickenham is concerned about a report by the Education Policy Institute which found that over 40% of staff working in early years settings do not have access to training for speech and language, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic. She highlighted that the government's funding covers approximately £460 per head of those working in the sector, insufficient to address the professionalisation needs.
Siobhan Baillie
Con
Stroud
The MP thanked her colleague for initiating the debate and highlighted the importance of early years providers. She discussed the challenges families face with childcare costs, urging MPs to explore social media hashtags related to parenting and childcare for a better understanding of these issues. The MP also mentioned high staff turnover rates in nurseries at 24%, compared to 15-18% across other sectors, costing £879 million annually. She stressed the need for more investment in early years education, considering its critical role in children's development.
Barnsley South
Stephanie Peacock noted her appreciation for James Daly's speech and questioned the Government's decision to cut over 1,300 Sure Start centres in a decade. She pointed out that this decision has left many children without necessary support and mentioned specific closures in Barnsley. A nursery in Barnsley providing one-to-one support for children with SEN is worried about having to turn away children due to lack of funding. The local council has a £11 million deficit, set to double in the coming years.
Tulip Siddiq
Lab
Hampstead and Highgate
Paid tribute to early years educators, noting their average hourly wage of £7.42 and calling for a cultural change in how we value these professionals.
Government Response
Will Quince
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Winchester on securing this important debate, which comes during the APPG's Childcare and Early Education Week. Given the importance of this sector, I welcome the awareness that this week will bring. I thank all Members for their contributions, which have been constructive and thoughtful. The early years experience is vital to a child's development, with evidence showing that high-quality childcare supports children's development and prepares them for school. In 2019, nearly three out of four children achieved a good level of development compared to around one out of two in 1993. I am proud of the progress made by the sector in recent years, including an increase from 85% to 97% of providers being rated good or outstanding by Ofsted between 2015 and 2021.
However, it is important not to be complacent and to build on that performance, particularly in current tough circumstances. The answer lies with the people who are educators, which is why we must invest in the workforce. As of spring 2021, there were 62,000 providers offering 1.5 million Ofsted-registered childcare places in England, with almost 330,000 educators in those settings. The expertise of these educators is our greatest asset.
I will set out how we are investing in the workforce and address issues such as recruitment and retention, funding, ratios, SEND review, and military-style childcare planning. For instance, for 2022-23, we will increase the hourly funding rates for all local authorities by 21p an hour for the disadvantage entitlement for two-year-olds in most areas and by 17p an hour for the entitlement for three and four-year-olds. I am committed to working closely with the sector to support their needs and improve early years provision.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.