Government early years policy at risk of 鈥渆mbedding inequality鈥, 麻花影视CEO warns
by Shannon Pite and Jess Gibson
Current government policy is a risk of undermining its aim to 鈥榖reak down barriers to opportunity鈥 at the earliest possible opportunity, 麻花影视CEO Neil Leitch warned at the annual virtual conference.
The event, titled No child left behind: putting the needs and voices of children at the heart of decision-making, took place virtually on Thursday 26 June.
The warning comes ahead of the final phase of the expansion of the early years entitlement in September, a policy set to put further strain on early years providers. According to an 麻花影视survey from March 2025, six in 10 providers are considering reducing or cutting three- and four-year-old funded places altogether due to financial pressures and insufficient government funding. Meanwhile, recent research from an Early Education and Childcare Coalition survey found evidence that support for children with special educational needs and disabilities is being cut back, with nearly half of settings either reducing intake for children with additional needs or considering doing so from September.
In his speech, Neil argued that current policy often does more to embed, rather than tackle, early inequality. He critiqued early entitlements, as an example, due to the fact they are currently almost exclusively available to 鈥榳orking families鈥, saying:
鈥淚magine a world where you had to earn a certain amount of money before your child could attend primary or secondary school five days a week. A world where, if you lost your job and struggled to get a new one, your child would only be allowed in school for two and a half days a week as a result.
鈥淭here would be a public outcry.
鈥淎nd, yet, that is exactly what happens in the early years 鈥 where what鈥檚 written on a parent鈥檚 wage slip is somehow allowed to determine their child鈥檚 access to early education.鈥
Neil also drew attention to the significant challenges currently facing the sector, mentioning the unsustainable financial pressures many settings are experiencing as a result of the combination of national insurance rises, minimum wage increases, and recent updates to charging guidance.
He then went on to note recent statistics showing that record numbers of families are reliant on baby banks, a quarter of children under four don鈥檛 have enough to eat, and a third of children live in poverty 鈥 a figure set to rise further over the next five years.
The conference also featured keynote addresses from Dr Melernie Meheux, educational psychologist, certified play therapist and BPS Division of Educational Psychology Committee member, and Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstone鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Laureate.