Early Years Hubs to be rolled out in London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed that Newham, Wandsworth & Merton and Barnet will host the first of his Early Years Hubs later this month.

The three London boroughs will aid the scheme’s intention to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds fulfil their potential, delivering on Khan’s pledge to improve access to high-quality, affordable early years education for the most disadvantaged families in London.

The new hubs are being launched in boroughs where take-up of the free early education places is lower than the London average. Last year only 58 per cent of eligible two-year-olds took up a free early education place in London, compared with 71 per cent nationally.

City Hall will provide funding of £175,000 for each hub as well as a toolkit to share learning across the capital.

Khan said: “Every child in London deserves the best start in life and should be able to benefit from all the opportunities our great city has to offer. Too often, in early years education, it is the most disadvantaged children who miss out. That’s why I want to improve both the quality and access to early years provision for all children. Through these Early Years Hubs, and by working with our partners across London, we can ensure that no child is left behind and that all families have the support they need for their children to thrive.”