As the dust settles on Labour’s landslide victory, Nursery In a Box takes a look at Keir Starmer’s new cabinet and how it plans to reform the early years and childcare sector.
‘Change begins now,’ Sir Keir Starmer declared in his victory speech after Labour took power of the country after 14 years in opposition. With 412 seats and a 174 majority, the new Prime Minister vowed to ‘return politics to public service’.
He wasted no time in appointing his new cabinet. Bridget Phillipson, the new education secretary, hit the ground running with a visit to school-based nursery at Arc Start Oval in East Croydon this week. She said that early years is her ‘number one priority’ and has pledged to deliver a ‘sea change’ in early years with a ‘re-energised recruitment campaign’.
Also in her first week in post, she has written to the education workforce, including early years, to make clear the ‘central role’ staff will play in the Government’s ‘agenda for change’.
Labour MP Stephen Morgan has been confirmed as the minister with responsibility for the early years. Announcing news of his appointment on X, he said, ‘Every child deserves to get the best start in life. Honoured to be joining @bphillipsonMP’s Ministerial team @educationgovuk to deliver better childcare and early education. I can’t wait to get started.’
Manifesto pledges
Labour’s manifesto includes a commitment to increase school-based nurseries in 3,300 primary schools situated in geographical areas referred to as ‘childcare deserts’. Phillipson will be taking the lead on the education pledges, which involve the delivery of an estimated 100,000 extra childcare places to meet the demand from the Conservatives’ expansion plan, a policy Labour has committed to deliver.
Sally Hogg, senior policy fellow at Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) at the University of Cambridge, welcomes the new Government’s positioning of early years education at the start of children’s educational journey – not just childcare for parents.
But she warns that an integrated education system with more nurseries based in primary schools ‘must recognise the expertise of early years practitioners and give them a voice and position within schools and trusts so that key decisions take babies’ and young children’s needs into account’.
Charity Early Education ‘welcomes steps’ to ensure that high quality early childhood education is available and accessible for children everywhere, and the need for ‘active intervention’ to address sufficiency issues.
But it warns that Labour must consider the ‘additional costs and practical challenges’ if it wants school-based nurseries to be open year-round and to fit with parents’ working hours, and the additional expertise needed in primary schools if they are to take in younger children.
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said that there is ‘no doubt’ that Labour is entering government at a crucial and challenging time for England’s early years sector.
Welcoming the election result, he said that while Labour’s manifesto includes a commitment to increase primary school-based nurseries, the Alliance is ‘absolutely clear’ that this ‘must form part of much wider plans to support the sector and safeguard its future, underpinned by increased early years funding and a comprehensive workforce strategy’.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said that Labour has committed to improved outcomes for children in early years, supporting best practice in maths and finding ways to deliver the promised expansion in funded places by next September.
‘We want to see the new Government work together with the sector in tackling challenges facing providers on funding, workforce, meeting children’s needs and regulation. Our manifesto for early education and care addresses solutions where the sector can work with the Government to deliver the high-quality early education and care we all want to see for our youngest children,’ she added.
Other ministerial appointments
The ministerial team under Bridgit Phillipson in the Department of Education include MP Catherine McKinnell, who has been appointed minister of education, and Jacqui Smith, former home secretary who served under Gordon Brown. Sir Kevan Collins, who previously held the role of education catch-up tsar, has been appointed as an adviser to the Department for Education.
Phillipson invites the early years workforce to join her for a live event at 4pm on Tuesday 16th July where she will share more about her vision for the education system.
Nicole
Content Creator
