NEWS

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that early education remit will remain unchanged from those held by Mr Waugh's predecessor Olivia Bailey MP, covering areas such as the home learning environment, the early years workforce and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The brief also maintains oversight of broader family and school-age provisions, such as breakfast clubs, Best Start Family Hubs and school food programmes including free school meals.

Alliance CEO Neil Leitch said: "We warmly welcome Paul Waugh to his new role as minister for early education and congratulate him on his appointment.

"There's no question that Mr Waugh takes on this role at a critical time for England's early years sector. Not only are nurseries, pre-schools and childminding professionals continuing to struggle with fundamental challenges such as staffing and funding, but they do so at a time when demand for places has never been higher.

"Given the ongoing Competition and Markets Authority review and the continued roll-out of the government Best Start in Life strategy, now is a real opportunity to advocate for providers and build an early years sector that works for both settings and families.

"As such, we look forward to working with Mr Waugh to ensure that our vital sector receives the support and recognition it truly deserves."

Families with children under five are the hardest hit by food poverty, with 24% of these households affected, analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows.

Using the latest available government data from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics and the underlying Family Resources Survey (FRS), the EPI's Early Years Observatory has found households with children under five continue to face a higher risk of experiencing food poverty than those with older children.

The study also found that households with younger children face higher rates of food poverty across vulnerable groups. For households with a disabled adult, the rate rises to 39% when children under five are present, compared to 31% for those with older children. Similarly, half (50%) of single-parent households with under-fives are affected, compared to 39% of those with school-aged children.

To address this crisis, the EPI is calling on the government to strengthen support for families with young children. Key recommendations include reviewing welfare policies like the Benefit Cap, with a specific focus on enhancing disability and single parent benefits, and expanding the Healthy Start Scheme by raising income thresholds and extending eligibility.

Additionally, the EPI urges the government to make free meals accessible to all pre-school children attending registered early years settings.

Alliance CEO Neil Leitch said: "The Education Policy Institute is absolutely right to call for free school meals to be expanded to all early years settings.

"With a third of households experiencing food poverty, we know that for some children, the food they receive when at nursery, pre-school or a childminding setting may be their only opportunity for a healthy meal that day. Yet the fact that early entitlement funding both remains below delivery costs and cannot be used to cover meals and snacks means that those from disadvantaged backgrounds may be more likely to struggle to afford it or lose out completely.

"As such, expanding free school meals will ensure that access to healthy food when in an early years setting is not dependent on a family's income or circumstances. Amid the government's commitment to give every child the best start in life, tackling this has never been more important."

commissioned by the Association of Play Industries aims to understand the role of playgrounds specifically.

The analysis, led by Professor Helen Dodd, found that among children aged two to four, playgrounds are the primary source of play outside of the home with children spending an average of 139 hours a year playing in them.

During the spring and summer, 84% of those surveyed spend time in a playground at least once a week, while more than two-thirds also play in them during the autumn and winter.

The data also found that 5% spend less than 10 hours a year in playgrounds.

Dodd said: “This is the first time we’ve been able to examine these data specifically to understand the role playgrounds play in young children’s lives. That matters because playgrounds are the number one place children play away from home, yet until now we haven’t had a clear picture of how playground use relates to children’s mental health and wellbeing.

“We already know that outdoor play is crucial for children’s healthy development, and this analysis reinforces just how important accessible, high-quality playgrounds are in supporting those opportunities.”

Chair of the Association of Play Industries Dr Amanda Gummer, said: “The findings provide fresh evidence that playgrounds are far more than recreational spaces – they are essential public health infrastructure, a crucial part of children’s everyday lives and make an important contribution to their mental health.

“This report strengthens the case for protecting and investing in high-quality public play spaces. If we continue to treat them as optional, we will keep paying for that decision elsewhere.”