1,000 Sure Start children's centres may have shut since 2010

Study by Sutton Trust charity finds official figures of 500 closures are an underestimate

As many as 1,000 Sure Start children’s centres may have been shut down in England since 2010, double the official closure estimates, leaving the UK’s flagship early years programme “hollowed out” and in decline, a study has found.

According to the Sutton Trust, an education and social mobility foundation, a lack of clarity in how individual centres are identified and changes are reported means official figures of 500 closures since 2010 are likely to be an underestimate.

Related: Sure Start funding halved in eight years, figures show

Related: 'Challenging but fair': the new inspection regime for children's services

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GXRPly