Select committee: Education Committee

Life chances inquiry

Closed Opened 24 Apr 2018 Closed 24 Apr 2018

Education Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)

The Committee’s inquiry aims to understand the impact that early years education and social policy have on determining children’s life chances. The Committee will examine the Government’s current policies in these areas and make recommendations to promote social justice. The inquiry will focus on early years educational settings but will also consider the role of other services, including health services and services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 24 April 2018.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 9th Report - Tackling disadvantage in the early years on 7 February 2019.

The government's response

Published 5 April 2019.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government sets out a broadly supportive position on early years and home learning, but in several areas, including nursery funding beyond 2019/20, the 30 hours policy and children's centres, it points to existing action, the next spending review or local decision-making.

On maintained nursery schools, it announced a further £24m of supplementary funding to enable local authorities to fully fund them for the whole of the 2019/20 academic year; longer term funding "will be resolved during the next spending review".
On the 30 hours policy, it does not commit to a review or to reducing the earnings cap, stating that it "firmly believes that work is the best route out of poverty" and that the policy has a part to play in improving social mobility.
On children's centres, it says "it is not the role of central government to promote one specific way of delivering services" and that local authorities should decide the model; it will commission the Early Intervention Foundation to identify tools and support for local areas.
On research into home learning environments, it is investing over £4 million with the Education Endowment Foundation to trial four programmes, with reporting expected in 2021/22 and results to be published.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

9th Report - Tackling disadvantage in the early years7 February 2019

All reports

Evidence

2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 10 July 2018

All evidence

Recent activity

Government Response to the Committee's Ninth Report of Session 2017–19: Tackling disadvantage in the early years5 April 2019, Report published
9th Report - Tackling disadvantage in the early years7 February 2019, Report published
Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families regarding life chances (18 July 2018)20 July 2018, Correspondence

Reports

1 report

9th Report - Tackling disadvantage in the early years

HC No.: HC 1006
Published: 7 Feb 2019
Items: 0
Government response: Government response published 5 April 2019. Read the government's response ↗

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
10 Jul 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗
12 Jun 2018	Oral evidence session No witnesses recorded	View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter

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Published	Direction	Letter
20 Jul 2018	Not recorded	Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families regarding life chances (18 July 2018)