Policy making blind spots: Why some children are left behind from the start

This report examines the systemic policy-making failures that have contributed to a sharp ‘cliff-edge’ in attainment levels, and asks: How – despite successive governments’ efforts – did we get here? What is it about the way policy is made and implemented that has allowed early attainment gaps to persist and, in some cases, deepen? It explores the factors that shape decision- and policy-making processes, showing how these can overlook or entrench the root causes of educational inequalities.

In summary, the report sets out five systemic policy-making failures that have held back successive governments:

1. There is little political incentive to prioritise disadvantaged children.
2. The primary focus of early years policy has been to expand childcare entitlements, leaving comparably less funding for child development and tackling inequalities.
3. Successive governments have not stewarded the childcare market well enough for quality and better outcomes.
4. Siloed and vertical accountability structures make it harder to tackle the root causes of inequalities.
5. Central government’s pragmatic approach comes with trade-offs: missed opportunities and a disconnect with the frontline.

The result is policy that fails to meet the needs of children facing disadvantage from the earliest years.