Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Sutton Trust’s report, Covid-19 and Social Mobility Impact Brief #4: Early Years; and if he will make a statement.

Levelling up outcomes for disadvantaged children is a priority for the government, and the Sutton Trust report rightly highlights that the early years of a child’s education are crucial.

That is why the government has prioritised getting children back into nurseries as quickly as possible, where they can be fully supported during this crucial period for their development. Since 1 June 2020, early years settings have been able to welcome back children of all ages.

We are continuing to provide extra security to nurseries and childminders that are open. We will do this by paying local authorities for the autumn term for childcare places at the level we would have funded before the COVID-19 outbreak, regardless of how many children are attending.

Children in reception year, who may have missed time in formal early education settings at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak, will benefit from the government’s £650 million catch up premium for schools, to ensure they have the support they need to make up for lost teaching time. Additionally, up to £9 million of the National Tutoring Programme fund will go towards improving the language skills of reception age children who need it most. We are working with the Education Endowment Foundation to make training and resources for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention available at no cost to schools that would particularly benefit.