Lib Dems would triple early years premium, says Laws

Schools minister David Laws said increasing the early years pupil premium from £300 to £1,000 would benefit more than 170,000 disadvantaged three- and four-year-olds during 2015/16.

He said the proposal will be included in the party's manifesto for the 2015 general election.

At present, the funding, which will be introduced in April 2015 to support three- and four-year-olds taking up 15 hours of free childcare a week, values each child’s care at 53p an hour, based on the 570 hours of free care each child receives annually.

Laws said it is vital that extra money is invested in the initiative, which was first unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in March, in order to give children the best possible start in life.

He said: “Investing in early years is one of the best ways to build the fairer society that Liberal Democrats want to see and we are ambitious about delivering for future generations.

“This extra investment will mean a huge amount of support for the people who need it most and demonstrates our strong commitment to education.”

The announcement has been welcomed by charity 4Children, which called for the early years pupil premium to be increased per head to match the funding allocated to primary school children in its response to the Department for Education’s Early Years Pupil Premium and Funding for Two-year-olds consultation.

Helen Berresford, head of public affairs, said: “Investing in some of the most vulnerable children at a young age is the most effective use of funds because it can transform their life chances.

“We would like to see all the main political parties make a commitment to increase the early years pupil premium during the next parliament so it at least matches the amount given to primary school-aged children.

“Early support is the key to narrowing the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.”