Cut budgets for families who need them least

I became very impressed by the work done by the primary schools serving one area with high unemployment. These schools faced huge challenges and they used a wide range of strategies such as breakfast clubs that ensured children arrived on time and had something to eat at the start of the day.

So I strongly supported Sure Start, which was aimed at helping such areas. The evidence was overwhelming - pre-school deprivation led to long-lasting school underachievement and poor life chances. Working with deprived families before school was a vital part of the overall strategy. I still believe all this.

But recent events suggest too many parents either don't know what they should be doing for their children or, worse, don't seem to care. So a primary school is considering excluding children who are not potty trained. To raise it, the school must see it as an important issue. What's more, children's communication champion Jean Gross has said that some children from deprived areas reach the age of four without knowing their own name, with only 10 per cent being explained by special needs. Half of all children from these areas have communication difficulties when starting school.