To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investment in early years education on children’s long-term outcomes, including attainment, employability, and wellbeing.
My Lords, evidence shows that more time in quality early education and childcare leads to better outcomes for children, including improved well-being, attainment and employability. That is why this Government are investing close to £1.5 billion to increase access to provision and improve quality, focusing on those who need it most. This commitment is part of our mission to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life, laying strong foundations for learning and future success.
I thank the Minister for her response. Given what we know from existing data regarding adverse experiences in early childhood—for example, those at higher risk of future offending—how are His Majesty’s Government factoring in cross-departmental strategies to their long-term planning between, for example, education, justice and health?
The right reverend Prelate’s question is pertinent. We know, for example, that a high percentage of prisoners in the prison system have very low literacy rates. It is crucial that departments talk to each other and work together. That is why I mentioned in my Answer the mission on improving outcomes, which will benefit and improve not only education outcomes but health and well-being generally.
My Lords, research published by the Government on Monday showed some two year-olds spending five hours a day on average on screens, with a strong negative association with their language development. In that context, I welcome the Government’s commitment to produce guidance for parents in this area, but that is useful only if it reaches parents and they use it. What plans do the Government have for a public health campaign, to ensure that this guidance reaches parents where they actually get their information, which, I am afraid to say, may not be government websites? What plans does the Minister have to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that it is used by GPs, health visitors and others as well?
The whole purpose of investing in this area is to increase access for families generally. It is crucial that the information that the noble Baroness raises is disseminated to as wide a number of people as possible. Evidence suggests that it is not just about the young people and children themselves; it is about the use of devices by the adults in their lives too. There is a huge amount to do, and a lot of emerging evidence, but increasing access and coming up with programmes of work has to be the way forward.
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the mastery and development of language, spoken and written, needs to begin very early and be sustained through the early years? Children will not get that from a tablet. What they need is interaction with adults in order to develop learning skills—listening to stories being read, and the like. Will the Government ensure that parents are reminded that keeping a child occupied and quiet is not the main task, but rather it is to encourage the proper development of the child?
The evidence shows that children’s language skills at the age of five are the biggest indicator of later attainment and one of the strongest predictors of children’s overall school achievement and success on entering the workforce. It is about bringing parents together, whether through hubs or other means, and sharing experience of how you can have fun with children and young people—we have forgotten how to have fun, in many cases—and learning through play. In all of these things, we need to get back to the emphasis being on how children learn, what inspires them, and how they can go on to thrive.
My Lords, my noble friend the Minister will be aware of the evidence, published in recent years by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, of the benefits on attainment at GCSE level of the previous Labour Government’s Sure Start programme for children on free school meals. Unfortunately, it was defunded by a subsequent Conservative Government. Does she anticipate similar benefits from the expansion of this Government’s rollout of Best Start family hubs?
The IFS report published last year should be essential reading for everyone, especially those who have responsibility for nurturing and developing the next generation. The evidence shows that children with access to Sure Start centres, defined as those within a 2.5 kilometre radius, performed significantly better in assessments at ages 7, 11 and 16. However, as my noble friend said, it is absolutely crucial to get children to the point where they are ready to learn when they enter early years settings, and that is what the Best Start family hubs are being set up to do.
My Lords, in recent weeks, your Lordships’ House has rightly discussed the NEET figure, which totals almost 1 million young people. Can the Minister say whether any work has been done to look at that cohort of young people to see what support they had in their early years? Can we start to map out gaps for young people who are NEET because they did not have that support early on?
The noble Lord raises a complex issue about evidence. We need to look at cohorts of young people to understand why some of them are failing to move forward. We know, for example, that Covid has had a huge impact on mental health and has sapped confidence. It is fundamental that everything we do is evidence-based. Gathering that information and evidence is fundamental in helping to develop our policies going forward.
My Lords, following on from my noble friend Lady Penn’s question, can the Minister say when the Government plan to produce guidance specifically for early year settings on the use of screens, both by children themselves and, as my noble friend rightly said, by their parents?
I am becoming used to the noble Baroness asking quite specific questions. I do not know the answer to that; I am sure that it is being worked on and looked at. We are happy to share our thinking on that in the appropriate way.
My Lords, early years education provides an ideal opportunity to screen for lifelong and specific learning difficulties such as dyscalculia, which, without intervention and adequate support, will have a significant impact on employment and education outcomes. Will the Government consider introducing early years screening for this condition, so that appropriate support can be put in place at the point at which it will make a difference?