Since 2016, Jonathan has attended the end of year ceremony for latest generation of graduates from Carol's Nursery.

Carol's nursery is a leading nursery in the area that offers flexible funding and hours according to parents' work schedules.

Jonathan commented 'I was delighted to attend this year's graduation ceremony and to continue to support the great work of the Nursery's staff in providing a great environment for the children to enjoy themselves whilst they learn.'

Jonathan's visit coincided with the Government announcing £20million of investment to train and develop early years professionals, focusing on some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, so they have the expertise to support very young children’s early language and literacy skills. The Government has set out ambitious plans to halve the number of children starting school without the early speaking or reading skills they need by 2028. 

To deliver on this goal, the Education Secretary will form a new coalition of businesses, charities, tech companies and media groups to encourage more parents to read and learn new words with their children. The new coalition, whose founding members include the National Literacy Trust and Public Health England, will hold a summit this autumn to explore innovative ways to boost early language development and reading in the home.

When you're behind from the start of your schooling, you rarely catch up and the gap just widens. This has a huge impact on social mobility. That’s why the Government is taking action to give children the skills they need to get on in life and fulfill their potential.