BBC – Hannah Richardson
“The poorest children should be taught in primary schools from the age of two, Ofsted’s chief inspector has said. Sir Michael Wilshaw said school-based age-appropriate education could help them catch up with their more advantaged classmates. Some 260,000 disadvantaged two-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early education a week, but only 58% of these are taking this up. Primary schools were best-placed to offer this education, Sir Michael said. But currently they offer only a small percentage of the places. In a speech in London, Sir Michael said: “Let me be clear: What the poorest children need is to be taught and well taught from the age of two.”(more)