England's five-year-olds were found to be thriving in this year's OECD Early Learning and Child Well-being Study, coming out on top on a social-emotional development measure. The results are a legacy of the Sure Start programme that ministers should build on, according to a Guardian editorial.
Sure Start legacy and austerity cuts
The OECD study noted that "the first five years of a child's life represent a window of opportunity, but also of vulnerability." New Labour's Sure Start programme, which was largely dismantled under the Tory-Liberal Democrat austerity programme, underpinned this understanding.
While the study is newer and relies on a far smaller sample size than the Pisa tests for 15-year-olds, its findings are heartening. Concerns about school readiness, including a rising number of children arriving in reception classes without basic skills such as climbing stairs, must continue to be taken seriously.
Addressing inequalities and funding challenges
The attainment gap between economically disadvantaged children and those from wealthier backgrounds remains a concern. The recent announcement by health secretary Yvette Cooper that the Healthy Babies programme will be extended to more family hubs was welcomed as one means of tackling these problems.
Early years funding has expanded massively, with eligible working parents entitled to 30 hours' childcare weekly for children from nine months until school age. The Tories now propose removing the £100,000 earnings ceiling: a £700m policy that rewards richer families.
Market concerns and safeguarding
The Competition and Markets Authority found that private providers were making excess profits in the children's social care market. A study into their role as childcare providers, requested by former education secretary Bridget Phillipson, should establish whether something similar is going on in nurseries.
The horrific abuse of toddlers by Vincent Chan at a nursery in London was a grim reminder of what can go wrong. Safeguarding must continue to be strengthened; the switch to more frequent inspections by Ofsted was a good move. As well as facing up to failures, ministers should embrace past successes and work out how they can be built on.
