Last week I was very grateful to so many early years providers for giving up their time to join me for a special ‘Early Years Surgery’. I know the general view from the sector is that they are pleased to be open, but did seek reassurance from Government, particularly around staff safety. We also discussed some of the pressing issues around the continuation of Local Authority funding for absent children, testing programmes, and the vaccine roll out. The overarching message from me is that these settings are incredibly safe and the risk of community transmission is very low. The DfE and Public Health England are continuing to follow all the data across the country.

We also discussed some of the ongoing work I am doing with the APPG on Childcare and Early Education, seeking dramatic policy and funding reform to the sector. We know from other places in the world and hear time and time again from the experts who speak to the group, that it is the money we spend on early years that makes the biggest difference on the course of child’s life.

This is all really topical as next week is Childcare and Early Education Week, providing the chance to both celebrate the sector and everything it does to educate the youngest people in our society but also highlight these important reforms that we need to make. It is a great opportunity for those who work in the sector to build positive relationships with their MPs.