The Lord Bishop of Gloucester
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investment in early years education on children’s long-term outcomes, including attainment, employability, and wellbeing.
Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)
My Lords, evidence shows that more time in quality early education and childcare leads to better outcomes for children, including improved well-being, attainment and employability. That is why this Government are investing close to £1.5 billion to increase access to provision and improve quality, focusing on those who need it most. This commitment is part of our mission to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life, laying strong foundations for learning and future success.
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester
I thank the Minister for her response. Given what we know from existing data regarding adverse experiences in early childhood—for example, those at higher risk of future offending—how are His Majesty’s Government factoring in cross-departmental strategies to their long-term planning between, for example, education, justice and health?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The right reverend Prelate’s question is pertinent. We know, for example, that a high percentage of prisoners in the prison system have very low literacy rates. It is crucial that departments talk to each other and work together. That is why I mentioned in my Answer the mission on improving outcomes, which will benefit and improve not only education outcomes but health and well-being generally.
Baroness Penn (Con)
My Lords, research published by the Government on Monday showed some two year-olds spending five hours a day on average on screens, with a strong negative association with their language development. In that context, I welcome the Government’s commitment to produce guidance for parents in this area, but that is useful only if it reaches parents and they use it. What plans do the Government have for a public health campaign, to ensure that this guidance reaches parents where they actually get their information, which, I am afraid to say, may not be government websites? What plans does the Minister have to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that it is used by GPs, health visitors and others as well?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The whole purpose of investing in this area is to increase access for families generally. It is crucial that the information that the noble Baroness raises is disseminated to as wide a number of people as possible. Evidence suggests that it is not just about the young people and children themselves; it is about the use of devices by the adults in their lives too. There is a huge amount to do, and a lot of emerging evidence, but increasing access and coming up with programmes of work has to be the way forward.
Lord Laming (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the mastery and development of language, spoken and written, needs to begin very early and be sustained through the early years? Children will not get that from a tablet. What they need is interaction with adults in order to develop learning skills—listening to stories being read, and the like. Will the Government ensure that parents are reminded that keeping a child occupied and quiet is not the main task, but rather it is to encourage the proper development of the child?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The evidence shows that children’s language skills at the age of five are the biggest indicator of later attainment and one of the strongest predictors of children’s overall school achievement and success on entering the workforce. It is about bringing parents together, whether through hubs or other means, and sharing experience of how you can have fun with children and young people—we have forgotten how to have fun, in many cases—and learning through play. In all of these things, we need to get back to the emphasis being on how children learn, what inspires them, and how they can go on to thrive.
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
My Lords, my noble friend the Minister will be aware of the evidence, published in recent years by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, of the benefits on attainment at GCSE level of the previous Labour Government’s Sure Start programme for children on free school meals. Unfortunately, it was defunded by a subsequent Conservative Government. Does she anticipate similar benefits from the expansion of this Government’s rollout of Best Start family hubs?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The IFS report published last year should be essential reading for everyone, especially those who have responsibility for nurturing and developing the next generation. The evidence shows that children with access to Sure Start centres, defined as those within a 2.5 kilometre radius, performed significantly better in assessments at ages 7, 11 and 16. However, as my noble friend said, it is absolutely crucial to get children to the point where they are ready to learn when they enter early years settings, and that is what the Best Start family hubs are being set up to do.
Lord Mohammed of Tinsley (LD)
My Lords, in recent weeks, your Lordships’ House has rightly discussed the NEET figure, which totals almost 1 million young people. Can the Minister say whether any work has been done to look at that cohort of young people to see what support they had in their early years? Can we start to map out gaps for young people who are NEET because they did not have that support early on?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Lord raises a complex issue about evidence. We need to look at cohorts of young people to understand why some of them are failing to move forward. We know, for example, that Covid has had a huge impact on mental health and has sapped confidence. It is fundamental that everything we do is evidence-based. Gathering that information and evidence is fundamental in helping to develop our policies going forward.
Baroness Barran (Con)
My Lords, following on from my noble friend Lady Penn’s question, can the Minister say when the Government plan to produce guidance specifically for early year settings on the use of screens, both by children themselves and, as my noble friend rightly said, by their parents?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am becoming used to the noble Baroness asking quite specific questions. I do not know the answer to that; I am sure that it is being worked on and looked at. We are happy to share our thinking on that in the appropriate way.
Baroness Bull (CB)
My Lords, early years education provides an ideal opportunity to screen for lifelong and specific learning difficulties such as dyscalculia, which, without intervention and adequate support, will have a significant impact on employment and education outcomes. Will the Government consider introducing early years screening for this condition, so that appropriate support can be put in place at the point at which it will make a difference?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
One of the interesting developments with the Best Start family hubs is that local councils are being tasked with having dedicated SEND practitioners in each of them. Dyscalculia comes under the umbrella of those conditions, and I know that its profile is being raised and better understood, not least because of the noble Baroness’s efforts. As with anything else, the earlier it is picked up, the better.
Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)
My Lords, a Labour MP’s visit to a school in his constituency in Bristol was cancelled by members of the National Education Union purely because he is Jewish. What message does that send about the long-term outcomes for our children?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
I am not apprised of the actual details. Obviously, this is something that has been picked up and will be looked at very seriously going forward.
Lord Watts (Lab)
My Lords, middle-class parents whose children fall behind at an early age often turn to private tuition on a one-to-one basis. It is proven to be very effective and is popular with middle-class parents. Should not the same thing be applied to children from poor backgrounds?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
My noble friend picks up on an area of enormous debate, including whether the approach that he suggested is indeed the best value for money. I am sure that there are occasions when that is the case, but we need to be careful that we look at providing an education where such additional support is not a 100% requirement. I know there is split opinion on this, and I am sure we will watch it carefully.
Baroness Manzoor (Con)
My Lords, I come back to screen time. There is significant evidence now that, for young children, particularly under the age of five, spending a lot of time on screens actually changes the neural pathways in their brains. We understand that gap and so the Government must start doing something constructive about this now, because it will damage our young children.
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Baroness picks up an important point. We know how important ages nought to five are in development, particularly of the brain, and going forward. As I said, the evidence on this is emerging and good practice is coming forward. It is heartbreaking that young children arrive at school and, when they are given a book, just turn the pages, because they have never held a book in their hands, for example. There is an enormous amount to do and the noble Baroness raises an important question about the long-term impact that this is having on children’s brains.