Early Years Education
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
My Lords, my noble friend the Minister will be aware of the evidence, published in recent years by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, of the benefits on attainment at GCSE level of the previous Labour Government’s Sure Start programme for children on free school meals. Unfortunately, it was defunded by a subsequent Conservative Government. Does she anticipate similar benefits from the expansion of this Government’s rollout of Best Start family hubs?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The IFS report published last year should be essential reading for everyone, especially those who have responsibility for nurturing and developing the next generation. The evidence shows that children with access to Sure Start centres, defined as those within a 2.5 kilometre radius, performed significantly better in assessments at ages 7, 11 and 16. However, as my noble friend said, it is absolutely crucial to get children to the point where they are ready to learn when they enter early years settings, and that is what the Best Start family hubs are being set up to do.