Early years leaders defend nurseries' education record

The report, The Power of Reading by charity and education sector-led reading campaign Read On Get On, says more than 500,000 children are in independent nurseries that do not employ a graduate early years teacher.

It adds that the greatest impact of this lack of graduates in the early years sector is on children from low-income families, with one in three of the UK’s poorest children leaving primary school unable to read well.

But Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, refuted suggestions that a lack of early years teachers means children are being failed by the independent nursery sector.

He said: “Given that the vast majority of private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings deliver ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ early years provision, we would reject any suggestion that these providers are failing to give children the best start in life as the result of a lack of graduate leaders.”

The Read On Get On report is calling on the next government to invest in a drive to recruit 11,000 more graduates in the sector to ensure that every nursery in England is led by a qualified early years teacher.

Leitch questions whether this can be achieved “in the face of the ongoing lack of adequate funding” in the sector.

He added: “Many PVI settings simply cannot afford to pay the salary levels necessary to recruit and retain graduate staff. Until the issues of sector underfunding are addressed, and providers are given the financial support needed to raise wage levels, it is difficult to see how the current situation will change.”

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is also concerned that the report has underestimated the educational work already being provided by the independent nursery sector.

NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said: “To suggest that nurseries are lacking quality in terms of early years education is unfair. Despite a chronic funding shortfall, nurseries already make a huge educational difference – particularly for underprivileged children.”

The report is also recommending the next government boost the early years pupil premium for three- and four-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds to help fund the increase in early years teachers in the sector. It wants to see an incentivised two-tier premium, with those employing at least one early years graduate eligible for an enhanced rate. Any roll out of an enhanced early years premium should also be offered to nurseries with a high proportion of disadvantaged children first, the report adds.

Read On Get On campaign chair Dame Julia Cleverdon said: “It’s time to make nurseries the frontline in tackling social mobility in this country. By providing quality and qualified teaching in every nursery, we can ensure every child arrives at school with the building blocks in place to learn to read and succeed.”

Gareth Jenkins, director of UK poverty for one of the campaign’s members Save the Children, added: “We believe the next government must prioritise investment in quality nursery care if we are to give every child a chance to lead a life free of poverty and full of potential.”

Other charities and groups involved in the campaign are the National Association of Head Teachers, Beanstalk, I Can and Achievement for All.