Government publishes new early years strategy
by Zo毛 Varenne
The government has published a new strategy for early years care, education and support 鈥 entitled 鈥 which will bring together early years and family services and includes 拢1.5 billion in investment for its reforms.
The strategy includes plans to consult on changes to how early years funding is calculated and distributed, including the national funding formulae 鈥渢o ensure funding is matched to need鈥 by summer 2026, as well as increasing the funding available to providers to support children with SEND, and providing additional funding to extend Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) in areas most in need.
The government will also fund Ofsted to move towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years (shifting from the current six-year cycle), and inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening, from April 2026.
The strategy also includes a number of measures intended to raise the status and skills of early years educators, including working with the sector to co-design a new professional register for the early years workforce and providing more high-quality training routes.
The government will also fund tax-free payments of 拢4,500 to attract and keep 3,000 more early years teachers in early years settings serving the 20 most disadvantaged communities in the country.
Additionally, there will be new funding for partnerships between schools and local settings to strengthen transitions into school.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
鈥淢y driving mission is to make sure every child has the chance to succeed no matter their background 鈥 and this new strategy will help give our youngest children the very best start in life.
鈥淭he best way of reducing inequalities is by tackling them early: that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e joining up family support services through our Best Start Family Hubs, driving up quality in our early years system and strengthening support for children as they enter primary school.
鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 luxuries. They are the essentials, and that is what this government will deliver as we fulfil our Plan for Change.鈥
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:
鈥淭here is no doubt that this is an ambitious and wide-ranging strategy which, if implemented in genuine partnership with the sector, has the potential to transform the experiences of children and families in this country.
鈥淲e welcome the focus on the quality of early years provision, and on the need to recognise those working in the sector as educational professionals, and look forward to understanding more about the detail of these plans. We're also pleased to see plans to make the early years system simpler and easier to navigate for parents and families 鈥 especially those whose children have special education needs and/or disabilities 鈥 as part of wider efforts to remove barriers to early years access.
鈥淭hat said, we鈥檙e very clear that given the financial challenges currently facing the early years sector, the ambitions detailed in this strategy can only 鈥 and will only 鈥 be possible with sufficient funding from government.
鈥淲hile we welcome plans to consult on early years funding, it is critical that this review looks specifically at the sufficiency of the overall level of early years funding, as well as how it is distributed 鈥 and of course, this is a fundamental part of ensuring that settings are able to recruit and retain high-quality early educators, which is 鈥 rightly 鈥 a key focus of this strategy.
鈥淲hat's more, we know that many settings are facing a daily battle to remain financially viable and simply cannot afford to wait over a year for changes to be implemented. As such, it remains vital that government provides additional financial support to the sector during the interim period ahead of the consultation in April 2026.
鈥淯ltimately, the Best Start in Life strategy is a welcome and positive vision of what early years education, care and support could look like in this country. We stand ready to work in partnership with government to make it a reality.鈥