Council praised for getting disadvantaged children into early education

Free early years education for eligible toddlers

The Government has praised Rochdale Borough Council for getting toddlers from disadvantaged backgrounds into early years education.

In a letter to Steve Rumbelow, the Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Childcare and Education, Sam Gyimah MP, said: “Rochdale’s ongoing dedication continues to raise the standards for children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and gives them the crucial support that they need in order to do well at school and beyond.”

Government funding means that some two-year-old children qualify for 15 hours of free early years education every week. Three quarters of all eligible toddlers in Rochdale borough accessed early education, significantly above the national average of 63 percent.

The scheme is intended to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they start school on an equal footing with their peers. It can be accessed by families on low incomes or benefits, and children with disabilities or special needs. The high take-up means Rochdale is now in the top three councils in Greater Manchester, behind only Stockport and Trafford.

Councillor Donna Martin, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at the council, said: “It’s fantastic that so many eligible residents are signing their children up, but this still means that 25 percent of parents are not accessing the help they are entitled to. We all know how expensive childcare can be; I thoroughly recommend finding out if you can get some help. Funding is available for a wide range of circumstances, including if you receive working tax credits and earn less than £16,190 per year, or if your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan.”