Commenting as the government today announce that hundreds of new Best Start Family Hubs will open nationwide, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“We welcome the expansion of the Best Start family hub programme.  This has real potential to offer vital early support to parents and very young children and in turn help alleviate pressure on schools.

“Previous governments decimated Sure Start centres, which offered such valuable help to families in need.  This was followed by years of under-investment in community and health services.  We now have a chance to turn the corner.

“School leaders have seen increasing numbers of children who are not ready to start school in recent years, from challenges with speech and language, to not being toilet trained, and there have been more pupils displaying signs of previously unidentified special educational needs. (SEND) The commitment to offering early support with SEND in every hub is really positive.

“It’s important these family hubs are backed with the long-term investment, resources and staffing – as well as the support services around them – needed to pick up issues early and make a real difference. When children arrive at school ready to learn, with their needs identified and supported, schools can focus on helping them flourish.”