Thank you for contacting me about Action for Children's Fair by Five campaign.
I completely agree that a child's early development is crucial, and that it is important to get our approach to this right. The Government is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life, thereby allowing them to achieve their full potential.
The Government is working hard to improve the quality of early education. We already have a high-quality early years sector, with 85 per cent of providers rated good or outstanding for overall effectiveness. However, we cannot be complacent, and so continue to pursue policies that drive up standards. Early Years Educator staff at level 3, for example, must now have GCSEs in English and Math at grade C or above.
To help close the gap between disadvantaged children and their better off peers, the Government introduced the two-year-old entitlement of 15 hours of free early education in September 2013. Over £50 million has also been invested in the Early Years Pupil Premium, to further help disadvantaged children in the early years.
In health, the Government is also working to develop an indicator of child development at around age two, which will give a national picture of child development and help local areas to assess the impact of services for very young children. The Government has also recently announced an £80 million Life Chances Fund, which is focused, among other key themes, on the early years.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
