MPs have launched an inquiry into the early years sector, which will scrutinise inclusivity, access to and availability of SEND provision, and the government’s school-readiness targets.
The Commons Education Select Committee will also look at issues around the sustainability of its workforce, families’ access to services and the quality of outcomes for young children.
It will examine the government’s Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life Strategy, and at whether the government’s early years policies will support its aim for 75% cent of children to achieve a “good level of development” (GLD) at the end of Reception by 2028.
The inquiry will also focus on how the government can ensure the sector is inclusive to families across the country – including areas that have become “childcare deserts” – and to those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Helen Hayes MP, the committee chair, said: “The early years sector has seen significant reforms in recent years in terms of how services are provided and funded.”
She promised that the inquiry would “question experts and those on the frontline about how the government’s new strategy could deliver improvements and reverse a worrying decline in the number of children starting school before meeting key development milestones”.The committee is calling for written evidence submissions from academics and experts in the early years sector. Submissions can be made via the committee’s website by 11.59pm on 10 October 2025.
