WIREDGOV

This historic data paints a picture of where we were up to eight years ago and much has been achieved since then. Even so the Millennium Cohort will have benefitted from 12.5 hours of free childcare per week; starting school in a class that was guaranteed to have 30 pupils or fewer; being in one of thousands of new or refurbished classrooms; and being taught by some of the tens of thousands of extra teachers and support staff.

But this was just the start. Over the last decade we have lifted half a million children out of relative poverty and the Early Years Foundation Stage is ensuring that toddlers in childcare are learning through play and getting proper stimulation. Our additional free childcare means low income families will benefit from more hours of high quality pre-school provision. And services provided by over 3,000 Children’s Centres across the country are reaching out to the most disadvantaged families, ensuring their children do not slip through the net.

But let’s be clear, whilst there is much more to do, the Millennium Cohort has seen the gap between rich and poor in early years closing with the lowest-achieving children not only keeping pace but improving faster than the rest. We will continue to focus extra resources on the most disadvantaged youngsters.

On child poverty:

We are absolutely committed to eliminating child poverty. Although this is a complex and deep rooted problem, over the last decade we have lifted half a million children out of relative poverty and also increased help substantially for the very poorest families to make sure they are better off. Families with children in the poorest fifth of the population are, on average, £5,000 better off as a result of personal tax and benefit changes. Without measures such as tax credits, employment help and ‘Sure Start’, it is likely around 2 million more children would still be in poverty today.

Together with the National Minimum Wage, tax credits address in-work poverty by guaranteeing minimum levels of income for families. And Child Benefit has risen by over 25 per cent in real terms since 1997.

But there is still much more to do. We are determined to meet our ambitious goals and help break the cycle of deprivation - which is why we will enshrine in law our commitment to end child poverty by 2020.

On school choice:

There is no reason for any parent to try for their second best school because they feel they won’t get their first choice. Schools cannot judge based on whether they were put first or not and parents can put at least three choices, meaning they don’t have to choose between the school they really want and the school they think they have the best chance of getting. Those who find the process of choosing a school difficult can also turn to choice advisors who will help them through the process.

The overall picture on school choice is very positive. Even based on the Millennium Cohort researchers’ own figures, nearly 9 out of 10 parents are getting their first choice primary school.

This is because there are thousands more good or outstanding schools and thousands fewer failing schools than 13 years ago. We know that what parents really want is more high performing local schools and that is precisely what we are delivering across the country.

On marriage:

Marriage is an important and well-established institution in family life in our society. However, marriage is a personal and private decision in which politicians should not interfere. The Government supports couples who choose to get married: for many families marriage offers the best environment in which to raise children, and remains the choice of the majority of people in Britain.

But families come in all shapes and sizes these days and the evidence is clear that stable and loving relationships between parents and with their children are vital for their progress and well-being. The Government is therefore strongly committed to supporting all parents, grandparents and carers in sustaining strong and resilient relationships.

Regarding parents looking at things other than academic performance when choosing a school, a DCSF spokesperson said:

We appreciate that parents look at a range of factors when choosing a school for their child. That’s why the statutory School Admissions Code requires schools and local authorities to provide parents with all relevant information prior to applying. We are also introducing the new school report card which will give clearer information on a range of areas, not just academic performance.

But we make no apology for putting a strong emphasis on results. We now have more good or outstanding schools than ever before which gives parents real choice and the opportunity to weigh up other factors when choosing a school.