Education: Nursery and Early Years

Baroness Howe of Idlicote Excerpts

Thursday 23rd March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

We are investing heavily in improving the quality of the status of nursery teachers, and increasing the funding rate will help with recruiting more high-quality staff. A lot of details on that are set out in our workforce strategy.

[Baroness Howe of Idlicote (CB)]

Will the resources that the Government make available cover the particular requirements and needs of those with special needs?

[Lord Nash]

Yes. Our recently published workforce strategy sets out how we will support staff to offer good-quality provision for children with SEND. We are funding a range of training and development opportunities in this regard, working with organisations that specialise in SEND. We have a new targeted £12.5 million disability access fund and a requirement for local authorities to set up a local inclusion fund to support providers for better outcomes for children with SEND.