Pre-school Education

The government is supporting parents and carers to prepare children for school through a wider package of measures to improve school readiness to meet the government’s ambition for 75% of children to reach a good level of development in Reception by the end of 2028.

Best Start Family Hubs provide accessible parenting and home learning support in every local authority, including stay and play, story and rhyme sessions, and practical advice on chatting, playing and reading together. Hubs also help families understand and access childcare entitlements and high-quality early education, and every hub will have a Best Start Inclusion Practitioner to identify emerging additional needs early and support children through the transition to Reception.

The government has also completed expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare and early education for eligible working parents of children from nine months old and continues to drive take up of the universal 15-hour early education entitlements for two, three and four-year-olds, giving children more opportunities to benefit from high-quality early education before starting school. Further, the government has published guidance for schools and early years providers on effective transitions and is funding Early Education Partnerships to strengthen links between settings and schools.