The government plans to recruit experts to support new local leads in early maths, language and development as part of efforts to boost school readiness.
They will train early years educators, “helping them build confidence in teaching maths and improving children’s vital language skills”.
The Department for Education (DfE) is looking for “subject matter experts” to support these area leads, a new market engagement notice reveals.
They could also review and give feedback on DfE training modules for teachers, and develop and pilot new ones. The experts could also train the local leads, support their teaching, and help them to “share best practice”.
The government aims to raise the proportion of “school-ready” children to 75 per cent by 2028.
Last year, 67.7 per cent of children had a “good” level of development across areas such as language, personal development, maths and literacy, down from a peak of 71.8 per cent.
Unveiling the target last year, the prime minister Keir Starmer said one in three children are “not ready for school at the age of five”. “That’s kids in reception who aren’t starting to read. They’re struggling to speak.”
‘Renewed focus’ welcomed
The DfE engagement notice describes language and maths skills at age five as “two of the strongest predictors of later attainment”.
“More than one in five children are reaching compulsory school age without the communication, language and literacy skills they need to thrive at school and in later life, with even higher numbers falling short in early maths.”
The tender is expected to be published in late November. The contact would run from April 2026 until March 2027, with a possible one-year extension.
The National Association for Primary Education (NAPE) welcomed the move, which comes as the government announces funding allocations for its Best Start Family Hubs.
The hubs mark a revival of the Sure Start children’s centres which operated under the previous Labour government.
“We believe this renewed focus on the most crucial stage of children’s learning, combined with the restoration of Sure Start in many communities, represents one of the most significant and positive commitments to early education in recent years,” NAPE said.
“If delivered with care and sustained investment, it could stand as the current secretary of state’s most transformative and lasting contribution to our society.”
Felicity Gillespie, director of Kindred Squared, said: “Children’s progress from birth directly… [is] the root of so much social inequality later in life, so all investment at the earliest stages of education has to be welcome.”
For the government to have “any chance” of meeting its school readiness pledge, “it also needs to help parents and carers, who are a child’s very first educators”, she added.
“We want to see more parents getting simple, clear advice and support.”
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