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Reading Recovery Programme

Thank you, Mr. Bayley. Sure Start can make a valuable contribution to the improvement of literacy skills. There is a local example in Westminster. The Westminster Children’s Society Sure Start programme involves the local library in its work to improve literacy skills from a very early age. The society runs story times at the library with the aim of introducing books to the very young—the pre-pre-school children. Importantly, it tries to identify where help is needed with parental literacy. I was most impressed with the range of books in the library that I visited in Westminster, which included works in more than 20 different languages. It showed how much work has been done to support the diverse community only a stone’s throw from our place of work. As the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams) said, Sure Start tries to develop a culture of learning very early on; and as other Members have said, it should reach out to an even broader community. After only a few short years, however, the fundamental changes to Sure Start funding and to the introduction of children’s centres has called into question the future of such projects. Owing to the nature of children’s centres, future funding per child will be cut from £1,300 to £250. How realistic is it to think that that important work will continue? I should welcome the Minister’s thoughts, because established and highly motivated professionals who work in those organisations are worried by the changes. Hon. Members have this morning highlighted the important way in which nurseries and pre-school groups ensure readiness for school. The UK Effective Provision of Pre-school Education project, EPPE, found compelling evidence that those who attended nursery had significantly improved cognitive and social development skills, making them much better placed to start learning to read when they went to full-time school. Again, however, there is concern about the future funding of nurseries, and in particular, the funding of nursery places for three and four-year-olds. The change in funding will mean a bleak future for many nurseries throughout the country. The voluntary sector runs many of those organisations. Given their importance in providing a bedrock for reading tuition, will the Minister confirm his commitment to ensure that the funding exists to deliver the Government’s promise of free nursery places? Many nurseries find it hard to fulfil that concept, given the money that they receive from the Government. Too many of our children still fail to grasp reading the first time round. The evidence has been clear for some time that the best way to teach a child to read is by synthetic phonics. The Government’s own Rose review reinforced the conclusions of a great deal of work that has been done here in the UK and elsewhere by stating that high-quality synthetic phonics should be used as a teaching tool by the age of five. I was glad to hear earlier this year that the Government now fully endorse that view. I will be interested to hear from the Minister what they are doing to embed the approach both in our schools and in the training of teachers. That is vital if this important method is to be used effectively. All the factors that I have mentioned affect our children’s ability to read. As the hon. Member for Nottingham, North said, reading recovery is an important tool. I was interested to hear the contribution made by the hon. Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Meg Hillier), who made a compelling argument for the use of reading recovery, particularly among children who have English as a second language and those who move schools more regularly than the average. The system clearly has an important role in those cases. However, that is one element of a much broader mix. Early years support, nursery schools and synthetic phonics are also vital ingredients. What are the Government doing to remove the question mark over some of the activities that are so successfully being undertaken in Sure Start, and what is the Minister doing to remove the sword of Damocles that is hanging over the heads of so many nurseries? Some £500 million is used to fund literacy in England, but is it being used in the most effective way possible? The hon. Member for Nottingham, North clearly feels that it is not, and he has taken the opportunity afforded by this debate to articulate his views. The matters that I have raised on Sure Start and the future of our nurseries show that the Government have no room for complacency. I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. Reading recovery can help some of the children whom the system has failed, but it is most important that every child has the right to learn to read and get the right start to their school life.