Study finds 30-hour childcare initiative 'harmful for social mobility'

This month the free childcare entitlement for working parents of three- and four-year-olds doubled to 30 hours. But The Sutton Trust is concerned that by offering the initiative only to working parents, children in workless families will fall further behind their peers when they start school.

The think-tank is also concerned that the offer's focus on quantity of hours comes at the expense of the quality of early education on offer.

In its report Closing Gaps Early, the trust calls for more investment in early years professional development to ensure all nurseries have access to early years teachers.

The trust is particularly concerned that a third of nursery staff do not have either English or maths, or both, at GCSE grade C or above.

"Good-quality early years provision is vital to narrow the gaps that leave too many youngsters behind by the time they start school," Sutton Trust chair Sir Peter Lampl said. 

"But it's unlikely that the government's policy to provide 30 hours of free childcare will provide this.

"It is understandable that the government wants to improve access to childcare for working parents. But this must not be at the expense of good early education for disadvantaged children. It is the quality of provision that matters.

"Focusing on getting it right for the poorest two- and three year-olds would make a much bigger difference to social mobility, by improving their chances at school and in later life."

The report adds that the 30-hour offer has not been properly funded and is leaving early years providers with less money to invest in staff.