A recent survey by Save the Children showed that more than a third of parents in England with children under five, don’t know whether their nursery employs qualified early years teachers. They have also produced a briefing paper setting out the impact that a lack of support for children in their early years can have on later attainment; it states that children who do not reach a desirable level of development at the end of the EYFS, are at risk of not reaching expected standards in English and maths by the time they finish primary school.
In contrast, an LSE study has found that graduate nursery staff make only a small impact on children's attainment, which contradicts earlier research, stating that it is crucial for every nursery in England to have a qualified early years teacher.
As plans are rolled out offering 30 free hours of childcare to eligible families from September, a poll carried out by the Family and Childcare Trust has found that local authorities have concerns regarding the new policy: whether some childcare providers would offer the increased provision and that the change may result in higher fees for additional care.
The Government is also encouraging existing volunteer-led initiatives in early years and youth work, to apply for a portion of a £2m pot of funding to help them expand.
