STRETFORD and Urmston MP Kate Green visited Amaryllis pre-school at Kings Road Primary to support a campaign by the charity Save the Children for more investment in Early Years education.

In Stretford and Urmston, more than half of children who attend an independent nursery don’t have access to support from a qualified Early Years Teacher.

With 20 per cent of five-year-olds not meeting expected standards in Stretford and Urmston, the impact of not attending a nursery with an Early Years Teacher is clear.

In their report ‘Untapped Potential’, the charity presents new evidence that going to a nursery with highly qualified staff has a substantial positive impact on a child’s early development.

According to Save the Children, if a child is already behind in their development when they start primary school they are more likely to be behind not just throughout school, but for the rest of their lives.

Yet, nationally, more than a quarter of a million children don’t have access to vital support from Early Years teachers and evidence suggests that the number of people working in the childcare sector fell by 10,000 between 2008 and 2013, despite growing demand for childcare.

Ms Green said: “I really enjoyed my visit to Amaryllis pre-school. They’ve been assessed as an outstanding provider, and it was clear from meeting Simone and the team that they’re doing a great job to give the children the best start in life.

“However, too many nurseries struggle to afford to train and recruit well qualified staff.

“The Government needs to urgently invest in nurseries and the early years workforce to make sure all children have access to the vital support an Early Years Teacher can provide."