Responding to today’s Department For Education announcement on early years education funding, Nick Harrison, Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, said:

‘The announcement of a 45% increase in the early years pupil premium is a highly positive development. This brings funding support for disadvantaged young children closer to the level provided in schools, and will help to incentivise early years settings to take in more children from poorer backgrounds, who stand to benefit the most from high quality early years education.

‘This is a welcome first step towards tackling the early years attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers, and reaching the Government’s new target to increase the proportion of children who are ‘school ready’. However, much more is needed to level the playing field. The Government should now set out how and when it will end the travesty of better off children receiving at least double the early years education that children from poorer homes are entitled to.’