Early years teachers to get £4,500 bonus to work in nurseries in poorer areas

Early years teachers will be given a £4,500 bonus to work in the most disadvantaged areas to help all children get the best start.

As part of a major new blueprint, the Government will fund tax-free payments for specialist teachers to end patchy provision of high quality early years education.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson wants to stamp out inequalities faced by poorer kids by intervening early, so they aren't already behind their wealthier classmates when they start school.

Only one in 10 nurseries in England currently have a specialists early years teacher, according to the Department for Education.

The new £1.5billion strategy, published today, will seek to drive up quality in early education and end so-called childcare deserts where parents struggle to secure places.

Officials said the £4,500 payment aims to keep 3,000 more teachers in nurseries, and will targeted at the 20 most disadvantaged communities in England.

Ofsted will also inspect all new providers within 18 months of them opening from next April, with a shift towards inspections every four years for all nurseries, compared to the current six-year cycle.

It comes after the Mirror revealed that ministers were introducing a revamped version of Sure Start - the family hubs introduced under Tony Blair's Labour government.

Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs will be rolled out in every local authority in England by next April to provide help with parenting skills, early development and childcare.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “My driving mission is to make sure every child has the chance to succeed no matter their background – and this new strategy will help give our youngest children the very best start in life.

“The best way of reducing inequalities is by tackling them early: that’s why we’re joining up family support services through our Best Start Family Hubs, driving up quality in our early years system and strengthening support for children as they enter primary school.

“These aren’t luxuries. They are the essentials, and that is what this government will deliver as we fulfil our Plan for Change.”

The "Best Start in Life" strategy will also include plans for a new professional register for early years staff and funding for early learning interventions in English and maths.

There will also be cash to fund partnerships between nurseries and schools to make it easier for kids to transition to school.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: "We're clear that this strategy will only work if it is backed up with the tangible support - financial or otherwise - that early years providers and other bodies and professionals need to build an early years system that works for all families.

"But after years of calling for a long-term vision for the early years, there's no doubt that this is a positive development, and we look forward to working with Government to turn vision into reality."

Sarah Ronan, director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, said it was "a turning point in how we value early education".

"Change won't happen overnight but it starts today with a shared mission to give every child the best start in life," she said.