Ministers have been told to increase the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) to “match” support in primary schools, in a new report from the Commons Education Select Committee
And the chair of the committee, former schools minister Robin Walker (pictured), has warned that the “very significant statistical increase in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the early years ought to be ringing some alarm bells”.
The committee published its report today following an inquiry into support for childcare and the early years.
Early years changes recommended by MPs
Here are the seven key findings and recommendations from the committee:
1. Early Years Pupil Premium should match primary school funding
The committee has recommended an increase in the EYPP.
The report claims that the EYPP should “match” the pupil premium in primary schools and that the government should “widen the eligibility criteria so that more children from very low income families can access much-needed extra support for any special educational needs”.
Currently, early years providers can claim up to £353 per year through the premium.
Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of charity Early Education, agreed with the recommendation and said that there is “no logic for EYPP to be lower than pupil premium”.
“A child’s needs don’t increase when they cross the threshold into a Reception class,” she added.
2. Funding rates in early years should be set at a ‘sufficient level’
The committee recommends that the Department for Education should “work closely and consistently with local authorities from across the country to set the [early years] funding rate at a sufficient level”.
Ms Merrick said that a sufficient funding rate “is vital for all providers, including schools”.
She highlighted that the problem with early years funding in primaries “is hidden because of cross-subsidy within school budgets, but with budgets so tight and falling rolls, this cannot continue”.
3. Address delays in SEND funding
The committee also urges the government to address huge delays in early years SEN Inclusion Fund (SENIF) funding and to review the application processes for providers.
SENIF is available to early years settings, helping them to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
And the committee wants government to consider similar approaches to education, health and care plan (EHCP) reforms; for example, “standardising and digitising elements of the process”.
DfE figures, published earlier this year, revealed that there were more than 1.5 million pupils with SEND in schools in England, including 389,171 with EHCPs and 1,183,384 receiving SEN support.
Speaking to Tes ahead of publication of the latest report, Mr Walker said that the effects of delays to SEN support were already being seen in the system.
“I think the fact that there is this very significant statistical increase in SEND in the early years ought to be ringing some alarm bells and ought to make the case actually for early investment to address that need,” he said.
And he stressed that there are “huge cost savings to the government of getting this right and providing the right identification and support in the early years”.
4. SEND funding should be ‘truly reflective’ of cost
The report also recommends that the government “ensure that SENIFs issue funding that is truly reflective of the cost of delivering specialised care for children with SEN” and “sufficient to allow early years providers to meet the rising level of need”.
And the committee adds that this will be “especially important” in the future “given the focus of the SENIF funding on low-level SEN, which is seeing a particular rise after the Covid-19 pandemic”.
5. Exempt all nurseries from business rates
The report says many providers have commented that business rates disproportionately affect private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers. This is because some maintained nursery schools (MNS) can benefit from local authority support with their business rates costs
However, the report also cites evidence it received that MNS are also “wrestling with business rates”.
And it refers to disparities whereby not all local authorities exempt MNS settings from these rates.
Business rates are taxes on buildings that are used for non-domestic purposes.
The report recommends that “all nurseries are exempted from business rates and zero-rated for Value Added Tax (VAT) in recognition of their role in delivering a public good and a key government priority”.
The committee adds that this would allow them “to provide enough space for the children that they care for and allow them to invest more in development”.
6. EYFS statutory framework should be amended
The committee also recommends that training for “early childhood education and care practitioners in identifying and managing SEND, including speech and language, learning disabilities and autism” should be part of their mandatory training.
The guidance around mandatory training is set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, which the committee says should be amended to include this requirement.
While Ms Merrick said she supported the call, she added that raising requirements in the EYFS would “only be practical if the current recruitment and retention crisis is solved”.
7. The Early Career Framework should be expanded to early years settings
The report recommends that the Early Career Framework “should be expanded to apply to all staff working in Ofsted-registered early years settings to improve retention and boost their career development”.
The ECF was rolled our nationally in September 2021 to support new teachers after they complete their initial teacher training.
“We recommend the government ensure that the early years sector is seen to be, and feels itself to be, a valued profession,” the committee says.
And it wants National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) to be “promoted more widely to increase uptake”.
A Government spokesperson said: “We are rolling out the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever, set to save a working parent using 30 hours of childcare up to an average of £6,500 per year and give children the best quality early years education.
“To make sure that we are supporting our fantastic early years workforce, we will be investing hundreds of millions of pounds each year to increase the amounts we pay childcare providers. We also are consulting on how we distribute funding to make sure it is fair.”
