Commenting on Coram's annual Childcare Survey 2025, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said;
“The early years are an important stage of children’s education, which should be accessible to all families. Coram’s survey reveals that for too many, this is not the case.
‘For socially disadvantaged children and/or those with SEND, the early years reap the biggest benefits. Yet eligibility criteria and a lack of places has effectively shut them out. The government must take the report’s recommendations into account and increase funding and provision for our most disadvantaged communities.
‘Bolstering Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) would also address these concerns. MNS provide the highest quality of early education, especially for disadvantaged families and children with SEND. They face more funding pressures than other providers, and their future remains uncertain. The government must invest in and expand MNS provision to best support our next generation”.