Middlesbrough is one of the country’s leading lights for the number of two-year-olds attending free education.
Figures from the Department for Education show Middlesbrough is ranked second out of 128 councils for children of that age taking up their place at nursery or with a childminder.
Accessing the 15 hours per week provision plays a huge role in preparing young children for school and contributes to them getting the best start in life.
Data on the Achieving 2 Year Olds (AY2O) places shows Middlesbrough is the number one council in the North East and also top rated among authorities judged to have similar levels of deprivation.
The impressive statistics contribute to one of the Council’s priorities – for Middlesbrough to be a healthy place.
The Council Plan 2024-27 includes the objective of improving “children’s readiness to learn and help them develop strong foundations for success at school”.
Alongside the positive take-up rate, Middlesbrough is a leading authority for the number of private, voluntary and independent early years settings that are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
Cllr Philippa Storey, Deputy Mayor and Executive member for Education, said she was proud that Middlesbrough was performing so strongly in this area.
“Giving our children the best start in life is hugely important and so much work goes into developing relationships with families and encouraging them to take up their places.
“I’d like to thank our staff for their dedication in this area and also thank our families for doing the right thing.
“The fact that so many of our nursery providers are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted underlines that children are getting positive early years education to prepare them for primary school.”
The Early Years team’s work was praised by Cllr Ian Morrish at a meeting of full Council on Wednesday.
Middlesbrough Family Hubs are on hand to support every child, parent and carer in the town.
From pregnancy to early years, through childhood and into adulthood, the hubs bring together a wide range of professional services.
Call 01642 579120 or visit familyhubs.middlesbrough.gov.uk for more information.