Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Fifth Report - Support for childcare and the early years
Education Committee
HC 969
Published 26 July 2023
Recommendations
2
Accepted
Commit government departments to effective cross-departmental working for childcare reforms
Recommendation
The childcare and early years education system is already spread across multiple departments and local authorities. Government must commit to effective cross- government working, both centrally and locally. This will be vital to ensure that these reforms are delivered effectively …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of cross-government working and provides examples of current collaborative efforts across departments like DfE, HMRC, DWP, and DHSC, and with local authorities, to deliver childcare reforms and support families.
Department for Education
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4
Accepted
Para 38
Collaborate closely with providers and local authorities to set sufficient childcare funding rates
Recommendation
The Department for Education should work closely and consistently with childcare providers and local authorities from across the country to set the funding rate at a sufficient level. Given that most childcare places will soon be government-funded, it is vital …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of sufficient funding rates and details specific actions taken, including providing additional funding of £288 million for 2024-25 and confirming rates in the autumn, to ensure the sustainability of the childcare sector.
Department for Education
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6
Accepted
Para 40
Work with local authorities to identify and increase childcare provision in underserved areas
Recommendation
We recommend Government work closely with local authorities to identify areas where childcare provision is insufficient and with a view to increasing provision in these areas. It could be useful to begin with a focus on Education Investment Areas (EIAs).
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Government Response Summary
DfE agrees with the recommendation and is actively working with local authorities through regular contact, a new termly readiness self-assessment tool, and £12 million in delivery support funding to identify and address childcare sufficiency issues, including in Education Investment Areas.
Department for Education
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7
Accepted
Include childcare and early education as an infrastructure category in the Levelling Up Bill
Recommendation
We recommend the Government consider explicitly including childcare and early education as a category in the list of infrastructure set out in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill 2022–23. This would enable funding received through the levy to be allocated …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill already enables the Infrastructure Levy to be spent on childcare and early education. DfE has also updated guidance for local authorities, reinforcing the importance of securing developer contributions for early years and childcare facilities.
Department for Education
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8
Accepted
Para 48
Exempt early years providers from business rates and VAT; DfE must not reduce funding
Recommendation
The Government will soon be funding up to 80% of all childcare places in England, up from 50% before the Spring Budget. In recognition of this, and the public benefit that the whole early years sector is providing, the HM …
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Government Response Summary
The government does not accept the recommendation for new business rate exemptions or VAT zero-rating. Instead, it highlights existing measures like the business rates multiplier freeze, small business rate relief, and charitable rate relief that already provide support to early years providers.
Department for Education
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10
Accepted
Para 93
Improve awareness of childcare support and reduce complexity for parents
Recommendation
Parental choice should be at the heart of any Early Years Care and Education policy to allow parents to choose what works best for their family. We welcome the Government’s acknowledgement that parents who need or want to work require …
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Government Response Summary
The government, to improve awareness, has committed an additional £1.2 million to the ongoing Childcare Choices marketing campaign, aiming to drive engagement with the website that brings together information on various support schemes.
Department for Education
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22
Accepted
Para 124
Review Level 2 English and maths requirements for ECEC staff, prioritising numeracy quality.
Recommendation
In the short term, to prevent the existing qualification levels of falling any further, the Level 2 English and maths requirements for ECEC staff to count in staff:child ratios should be reviewed , and alternatives considered that are more tailored …
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Government Response Summary
The government has launched a consultation to remove the Level 2 English and maths requirement for early years practitioners and is analysing responses, while also expanding the Early Years Professional Development Programme with a new maths module to prioritise numeracy teaching tailored to the sector.
Department for Education
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30
Accepted
Para 181
Introduce mandatory SEND training for all ECEC practitioners within the EYFS Statutory Framework.
Recommendation
It is clearly inadequate for only staff with Level 3 qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to be trained in identifying and supporting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. There are many other staff involved in a child’s care …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that updated Level 3 and existing Level 2 qualification criteria and Teacher Standards already include specific modules on SEND identification and practice for early years educators and practitioners. They have no further plans to update Level 2 criteria.
Department for Education
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Conclusions (5)
3
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 37
The childcare market is struggling, with unprecedented numbers of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals leaving the sector and parents struggling to find appropriate care across the country. The Spring Budget expansions of the funded entitlements place further demand on a struggling sector. To successfully deliver the Budget proposals, …
Government Response Summary
DfE recognises the importance of sufficient funding rates and current pressures, detailing additional funding provided through the Early Years Supplementary Grant and further uplifts for 2024-25, totalling £288 million. Funding rates for 2024-25 will be confirmed in the autumn.
15
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 98
Parents who choose to care for their children at home do important work. With better support, parents would have more of a choice over whether they work or stay at home and have better flexibility to respond to their family’s needs. More support would also help parents in developing a …
Government Response Summary
The government recognises the importance of supporting families and is investing £300 million to establish 75 local family hubs, including £50 million for parenting support, to provide coordinated local support and advice for parents.
19
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 121
Where children are in Early Childhood Care and Education, it should be a high- quality, safe and supportive environment. ECEC should primarily be for the benefit of children. Prioritising the ‘quantity’ of available childcare to get parents back to work over the ‘quality’ of that childcare risks damaging children’s development …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of high-quality, safe early childhood care, stating that its reforms are underpinned by this principle and highlighting existing measures like the EYFS framework, its 2021 reforms, and investment in workforce quality.
28
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 179
It is widely recognised that effective early intervention and support is vital for improving outcomes for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are glad to see the Government’s renewed focus on early years training for SEND through SENCOs and its proposals to include SEND in the Early …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the vital role of early SEND identification and intervention, confirming that the newly revised Level 3 early years educator qualification criteria from September 2024 and existing Level 2 Practitioner criteria include dedicated sections on SEND identification and practice.
29
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 180
Equipping all ECEC practitioners with the skills to identify and support Special Educational Needs (SEN) would help settings better identify and support children with lower level SEND in-house and reduce the number of applications for diagnosis or additional support through an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan, or a speech …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the importance of equipping early years practitioners with SEND identification and support skills, affirming that updated Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification criteria from September 2024 and existing Level 2 Practitioner criteria include dedicated sections on SEND.