Early years policy making: How can government ensure that boys from low-income families are not left behind during delivery?

With nearly three in five boys from low-income families not school-ready by age five, this report, supported by Impact on Urban Health, sets out how this – or a future – government can avoid the repeated policy failures that have left this group behind.   

It warns that the government’s early years target – for 75% of children to be reaching a ‘good level of development’ by the end of reception year, in 2028 – is doing little to incentivise the system to focus on boys from low-income families.

Drawing on original IfG research and frontline insights, the report sets out recommendations for how the government can better support this large but poorly served group in the delivery of its early years agenda – and address systemic weaknesses in policy making processes that can unintentionally overlook or deprioritise certain groups.

It finds that stretched local services, market failures in the childcare sector, and a lack of cross-government accountability have all contributed to this policy-making failure – and it is not clear how mission boards, the mission delivery unit (a joint No.10 and Cabinet Office team) and various cabinet committees interact, and what powers, if any, DfE has to coordinate action across government to prevent this group falling through the cracks of the system. 

But as the government moves forward with its Best Start in Life strategy, it has chance to address this policy failure and avoid leaving boys from low income further behind by: 

• Strengthening central governance to enable co-ordinated action to tackle the  drivers of lower attainment  
• Ensuring local areas have the capability and infrastructure to collate, share and  use data to understand this group’s local outcomes and needs 
• Monitoring and addressing perverse incentives, including recognising progress toward addressing the root causes of low attainment for boys from low-income families 
• Communicating a clear vision from ministers and ensure delivery partners understand and respond to the needs of this group 
• Taking steps to address market failures. Alongside responding to the forthcoming Competition and Markets Authority review, DfE should publish clear guidance for local authorities on how to support not-for-profit providers to enter, remain and thrive in the market.

This report was kindly supported by Impact on Urban Health.