Minister seeks childcare improvements despite rise in EYFS results

The EYFS profile results: 2013 to 2014, published by the Department for Education, shows that 60 per cent of five-year-olds achieved a good level of development earlier this year – an improvement on last year when 52 per cent of children reached the same level.

The figures were welcomed by childcare minister Sam Gyimah, but he said the early years sector must do more to improve outcomes further.

“The statistics published today clearly show that some progress is being made but more must be done to ensure children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are put on the right path," Gyimah said.

“Parents need to be confident that while their children are out of their care, they’re not only safe, happy and having fun but at the same time developing important skills like playing confidently with their friends, speaking and understanding words, letters and numbers.

“The government has provided new funding through the early years pupil premium (EYPP) and strengthened qualifications to raise standards – it’s now up to those who support our children to ensure they get the start in life they deserve.”

Gyimah's comments have been rejected by Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, who said that the sector is dedicated to improving outcomes for disadvantaged children and blamed the government for failing to provide sufficient funding to do so.

She said: “Private and voluntary nurseries provide a public services delivering 96 per cent of two-year-old funded places, 60 per cent of three-year-olds places and 18 per cent of four-year-old places.

“However, as the funding from central government is not ringfenced, the majority of providers are being paid less than the cost of [providing] the place by their local authority – an average shortfall of £900 per child per year for a three-year-old.

“We appreciate the government has looked at ways to help support children from disadvantaged backgrounds and the EYPP will be a step in the right direction but this again falls short at £300 per child per year, far less than the EYPP in schools.”

Similarly, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said Gyimah has used the EYFS results to “direct unfair criticism” at the sector instead of celebrating its efforts to improve outcomes for children.

“It is true that there is more work to be done to ensure that all children, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are given the best start in life," Leitch said.

“However, the government needs to acknowledge the role that it itself must play in supporting these improvements. 

“Unless the government recognises that it is currently failing in its own responsibilities to ensure that the early years sector is adequately supported, it is difficult to see how this can be achieved.”

The figures, based on a simplified EYFS profile introduced in September 2012, show that girls outperformed boys for a second year running, with 69 per cent achieving a good level of development compared with 52 per cent of boys, compared to 60 and 44 per cent respectively in 2013.

Broken down by local authority area, the rates vary from 41 per cent in Leicester to 75 per cent in Lewisham.