This will undoubtedly focus on 'school readiness' - all fine and good, but what 'school readiness' are we talking about? Readiness to enter school at the statutory starting age of the term after the fifth birthday? Or, readiness to cope with school at the age of four, which is what the majority of schools now define as the starting age? There is a world of difference. Perhaps this Government will address this unintentional consequence of the last Government's early years agenda.
I am interested to know what the Government is planning, given all the words that have been printed in the various reports over the past ten months. We have had Graham Allen's Early Intervention report, Ian Duncan Smith's 'State of the Nation' report, the Munro Report, Frank Field's child poverty review, and now the Tickell report. The last Government was accused of 'initiative-itis'; perhaps this one should be challenged about their 'report-itis'.
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