Lib Dems in nurseries cash pledge

The party said today that they would increase the early years pupil premium from £300 to £1,000 per child over the course of the next Parliament.

The move aims to help close the gap between children from low-income families and those from wealthier backgrounds, who are 19 months ahead by the time they start formal school, the party said.

Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws also claimed the plans would benefit more than 170,000 disadvantaged children from 2015.

The early years pupil premium was launched by the coalition Government earlier this year and is similar to the pupil premium – which sees funding given to schools for every pupil they teach from a deprived background who is in receipt of free school meals. Although the policy is aimed at improving the education of children from poorer backgrounds, schools are free to decide how they want to spend it.

This is also true of the early years premium which is given to nurseries for every child they have who is from a deprived background.

Announcing the latest pledge
Mr Laws said: “Liberal Democrats have delivered huge amounts for the early years in our time in Government.

“We have given extra free hours of early years education to all three-year-olds, and introduced free early years education to two-year-olds from the most hard-pressed homes.

“We have introduced new early years teachers, and we vetoed Tory plans that would have meant adults looking after up to six 
two-year-olds at the same time.

“By committing this extra money to help the youngest disadvantaged children in society, we will ensure that they get the best possible start in life and have an opportunity to get on. Investing in early years is one of the best ways to build the fairer society that Liberal Democrats want to see and we are ambitious about delivering for future generations.

“This extra investment will mean a huge amount of support for the people who need it most and demonstrates our strong commitment to education.”

The party said that as children in early years are only part time the pledge would represent a higher equivalent investment than is being given to primary schools through the pupil premium.

The party said increases to the early years pupil premium will follow the same pattern as the schools pupil premium – with the value gradually increasing over the lifetime of the parliament until it reaches £1,000 per child.

The eligible groups include children from low income families – who will qualify for free school meals, children who are looked after by local authorities or those adopted from care.