High quality provision needed for two-year olds

From September the number of two-year-olds eligible for a free nursery place is set to double, at the same time as there is a significant shortfall in the availability of high quality places for these very young children.

Naomi Eisenstadt, an honorary research fellow at Oxford University, discusses the findings of a literature review on the needs of under threes, and what constitutes quality in group provision for this age group. She is the co-author, with Sandra Mathers and Kathy Sylva of Oxford, of a report which found that there are not likely to be enough high quality places for two year olds to fulfill the commitment of 40% of two year olds getting access to fifteen hours per week free early education.  Research studies show that the quality of provision for two year olds needs to be good or above for children’s development to receive a boost.The report was funded by the Sutton Trust and recommends that the Government delays full implementation of the policy and spends at least some of the funding on improving quality in current provision.