Labour has announced plans to carry out a major review of the early years, which would include looking at ways to widen ‘childcare eligibility’ and increase school-based nursery provision, if it was to gain power in the next election.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this morning, the shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that Sir David Bell, former chief inspector of schools at Ofsted, would be chosen to lead a ‘major’ new review to shape Labour’s ‘modern childcare system.
The review by Sir David, who has also held the role of permanent secretary at the Department for Education, would cover the following:
- Development of a plan to widen childcare eligibility promised by the Conservatives at the 2023 Budget.
- Ways to increase the amount of primary school-based early years provision due to falling birth rates.
- How to remove restrictions on local authorities from opening nursery provision.
- The childcare and early years workforce
