Responding to a new report from the Sutton Trust, warning that the government’s childcare reforms could widen the attainment gap between poorer children and their better-off peers before they start school, James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“The early years are such a crucial time in a child’s development and high-quality education at that stage can making a lasting difference to their life chances.

"Current government policy certainly runs the risk of widening inequalities and it cannot be right that many of the children that would benefit the most are unable to access early education simply because of their parents’ circumstances.

"We call on this and any future government to ensure that all children have equal access to funded early education places.

"We agree with calls for a new workforce strategy – the government must listen to the sector when it says it will not be able to deliver the next expanded offer based on current workforce capacity.”