Former chief inspector of schools Sir David Bell will lead an early years review for Labour, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced.
The review will look at ways to increase the amount of primary school-based nursery provision amid falling birth rates, and how to remove restrictions on local authorities from opening nursery provision.
It will consider “major reform” of the early years workforce, Labour has said, and develop a plan for the widening of childcare eligibility promised by the Conservatives at the 2023 Budget.
The review will also consider how to remove restrictions on local authorities from opening nursery provision.
The plans announced today build on proposals in Labour’s education “mission” published in July, as well as newspaper reports that the party was interested in creating more nursery places in primary schools.
Ms Phillipson said the review announced today will develop “the workforce we need, for the qualifications they’ll have, for the settings where it’ll happen, to deliver our ambition for a modernised childcare system, from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school”.
Sir David Bell, chair of Labour’s early years review, is a former primary teacher and former Department for Education permanent secretary as well as serving as Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools in the early 2000s.
He said today that a new modern childcare system would “embed quality and availability throughout early years education”.
Sir David said that it was “only through that relentless focus on high and rising standards, and the better integration of early years” into the wider education system, that Labour would meet the previously announced aim of half a million more children meeting early learning goals by 2030.
Early years review
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said that the union welcomed the early years review.
“This review will need to be bold and solution-focused, and we must have an honest appraisal of the investment needed in the sector. We look forward to being involved in the review,” Mr Whiteman said.
On Labour’s wider plans for education, Mr Whiteman said it was “vital” that Labour engages with the profession “in fleshing out its proposals”.
Speaking at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool today, Ms Phillipson set out plans - first announced last night - to ”encourage stronger lifelong numeracy” and the upskilling of primary school teachers to teach “real world” maths.
Sunak’s maths-to-18 plan ‘too late’
Ms Phillipson also said today that she wants the same high standards, expectations and dreams for “every child”.
Referring to prime minister Rishi Sunak’s maths-to-18 plan, Ms Phillipson said that tackling maths at that age is “just too late”.
The “real world” maths teaching announced today would focus on developing basic numeracy skills, including financial literacy, Ms Phillipson said.
Maths is “the language of the universe, underpinning of our collective understanding”, she added.
Ms Phillipson also said that, under the Conservatives, “buildings are turning to dust” amid a widening attainment gap and a narrowing curriculum, and added that she would “make the change that matters”.
And she said that she understood “why parents are worried about the education that the Tories offer”.
Private schools: ‘Chippy people make the change that matters’
Labour has previously announced plans to put the money gained from ending tax relief on private schools back into the state school sector.
In her speech to the Labour Party conference earlier this week, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told delegates: “In my first budget as chancellor of the exchequer, I will end the tax loophole which exempts private schools from paying VAT and business rates.”
In her speech today, Ms Phillipson alluded to the concern raised by the private school sector about such a policy.
“Conference, we know what the private schools lobby thinks of our ambition. They were arrogant enough to write it down. ‘Chippy’,” Ms Phillipson said.
“If they or anyone else doubt my determination to deliver on our dream, then I have a message for them: chippy people make the change that matters. I will make the change that matters.”
