Truss names schools in two-year-old trial

Each participating school has received a grant of £10,000 for project evaluation and to offer support to other schools.

More details of how the Government intends to support schools to offer more places for two-year-olds were revealed in a written answer to a question put by shadow education minister Lucy Powell about the two-year-olds trial.

In response, Ms Truss said that the Government was working with 49 schools in from ‘a variety of urban and rural settings, that are already taking, or preparing to take two-year-olds. These schools will identify good practice, share their learning widely and encourage more schools to follow suit.’

She said that the Government wanted more schools to offer nursery places for two-year-olds because, ‘The evidence shows that starting younger, in high quality teacher-led provision, can have a real and lasting impact on children's development and life chances, particularly for those from the most disadvantaged families.'

She added, ‘We want more schools to offer nursery places and to extend these to two-year-olds. This will provide more choice and flexibility for parents and enable more children to benefit from all that a good school can provide.’