Contribution
Although the Minister for Early Education is not in his place, I congratulate him on his speech and thank him for all his work, particularly on getting mental health support workers in our schools.
As the Member of Parliament for Redditch and the villages, I see every day how vital the issue of child aspiration and opportunity is. I have seen the powerful impact that early support and investment can make on a child’s life, whether they are growing up in Winyates, Woodrow, Batchley or Matchborough or in villages such as Astwood Bank, Feckenham, Norton or Dodderhill.
This week I have had the pleasure of meeting Rhys Elliot, a young boy in Harvington who is awaiting his GCSE results and has a clear aspiration and dream in his head of what he wants to be. I have also seen the other side, where children are held back not because they lack the talent or ambition, but simply because they did not get the same start as others. Why is it that in some schools, children speak confidently about becoming doctors, lawyers or engineers, while in others they cannot imagine a life outside the limits placed around them?
This is not about ability: it is about opportunity, and opportunity starts early. That is why I commend the Government on expanding breakfast clubs, such as the one at St Stephen’s in my constituency, which are making a real difference. Having spent a morning with the children and parents, I truly appreciate the calm and nourishment that these clubs provide. They set children up for a positive start to their day and ease the pressures on hard-working families. That is why I also welcome the Government’s plans to increase the number of children in my constituency who will receive free school meals.
I am pleased that Redditch will receive central funding for the first time to roll out Best Start family hubs across my constituency. The hubs will provide wide-ranging support for families, from parenting advice to early development services, offering a vital lifeline for many. They are a true successor to the legacy of Sure Start.
When I listened to the Secretary of State talk about the roll-out earlier this week, I was struck that the Prime Minister came to my constituency on his final stop of the general election campaign. He gave his speech in a Sure Start centre that had been abandoned by the previous Government, in a constituency in one of the most socially and economically deprived areas in the west midlands that had been forgotten. I am delighted that this Government are taking action to reverse 14 years of decline.
I am also happy to see investment making a difference locally. At Matchborough first school academy, funding is being used to convert unused classrooms into nursery spaces, providing high-quality early years places where they are most needed. That is exactly the kind of practical, place-based solution that helps to level the playing field from the very start. My constituency has also seen significant increases in SEN support for my county council—although there is so much more work to do in that area—and the benefits of mental health support workers entering our schools.
However, we must go much further. In my day, I was taught in a class of nearly 40, in draughty temporary buildings. Those days should be behind us, but because of disastrous decisions such as the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme, schools such as Ridgeway secondary school are facing the daunting challenge of having to raise millions of pounds to remain fit for purpose. I do not want to see that school—one of the most improved in the country—have tents and temporary buildings forced on it. That is not levelling up; it is letting down our children.
I want to say something very clearly: I have never met a family in Redditch or the villages who wanted an easy ride. I have only ever met families who want a fair shot for their children, a level playing field, and the chance to give their kids the opportunities that they never had. That is why I found yesterday’s debate on the two-child limit so troubling. The official Opposition decided to make children a political wedge issue, condemning their parents for whatever reason or for whatever circumstances they might find themselves in, but that decision will only impact children. That is why I am so pleased that this week, we have seen the announcement of the better futures fund—a decision by this Government to invest in real, outcome-based delivery opportunities alongside the private sector, in order to lift children out of poverty.
We cannot talk about giving every child the best start in life without confronting the reality of poverty in all its forms, including furniture poverty, which is something we do not talk nearly enough about. In my constituency, there are children who go to bed without a bed. Some do not have a desk to do their homework on or a table to eat at, and some do not have a cooker with which their parents can cook a nutritious meal. Despite working all the hours they possibly can, some parents still go without meals just to make ends meet. In his brief speech, the hon. Member for East Wiltshire (Danny Kruger) talked about families; I would like to put on record that not all families contain two parents. Families come in all different sizes, and we should be supporting all of them, regardless of whether it is two, one, three or four. This is not just about income—it is about dignity, stability and the very basics of a secure home environment, in which a child can sleep properly and study in peace.