Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that nurseries, childminders and other early years providers in York are set for a £103,330 cash boost to help three and four-year-olds from disadvantaged families.

Lib Dems say the extra investment could help close York’s ‘attainment gap’ – the difference in education performance between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.

 

A York Council scrutiny report in July showed that this gap is evident when children first start school and grows through to post-16. At which point York’s attainment gap is in the worst 10% of local councils nationally and considered to be “amongst the widest anywhere in the country”.

From April 2015 the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) – which has been backed by groups such as Barnados, 4Children and the Child Poverty Action Group – will see extra money invested worth approximately £300 per child. In July a Liberal Democrat motion supporting the idea of an Early Years Pupil Premium was supported by all political groups on City of York Council. The number of children in York eligible for the funding next year is estimated to be 359.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader in York Cllr Keith Aspden welcomed the funding announcement, saying:

Nurseries and other providers will be free to choose exactly how to spend the money, which is part of a national £50m Government pot. The policy builds on the Liberal Democrat Pupil Premium for school age children, which means schools are given extra funding for every child from a disadvantaged background and has seen £12.6 million spent in York’s schools since 2011