As the cost of living crisis deepens and with over 600,000 of London’s children now living in poverty, one of the UK’s largest charitable social enterprises, London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), is calling on the new Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho to provide urgent funding to widen access to the current 30 hours nursery offer.

This will help close the alarming attainment gaps and the potentially devastating consequences – not just for London’s children but for the UK’s 1.3 million children (aged under 5) who live in poverty.

Coinciding with a visit yesterday by Hugh Grosvenor the Duke of Westminster to Katharine Bruce Nursery and Pre-School (LEYF) in Queen’s Park, his charitable foundation, the Westminster Foundation, has just committed to a five-year funding partnership with LEYF (worth £750,000). This will help improve access to early years education for some of the capital’s poorest children currently locked out of the additional hours funding enjoyed by their better off peers.

Offering vulnerable children an additional 15 hours of funded childcare each week (totalling 30 hours) has been shown to significantly improve the learning and development amongst some of London’s disadvantaged three-and four-year-olds.

June O’Sullivan MBE, chief executive of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), stated: “Whilst this generous five year funding partnership with the Westminster Foundation will help us to double the number of hours of funded early years education for some of London’s children who need it the most, we urgently request that our newly formed government understands why a change in policy is so critical and acts accordingly. Remember, these are the poorest three and four-year olds who are locked out of crucial learning opportunities simply because their parents don’t earn enough.”

The Duke of Westminster, Chair of the Westminster Foundation said: “There are sadly too many young children across London living in poverty and unable to access sufficient early years education. That is deeply worrying given the significant impact that a child’s experience in their early years has on their physical and emotional development. Seeing the huge smiles on all the children’s faces at Katherine Bruce Nursery is a brilliant reminder of the importance of nursery education. We fully support the London Early Years Foundation’s efforts to try and widen access to Early Years education for those who need it most.”