TORY childcare reforms could widen the attainment gap between poorer children and their well-off peers before they even start school, a social mobility charity warned today.

The quality of education for all young children could worsen and inequalities may be exacerbated under the expanded childcare offer for working parents which will start being phased in from April, the Sutton Trust has said.

The charity is calling on politicians to commit to a core education entitlement of at least 20 hours per week for all children aged two to four irrespective of their family’s working status or income.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced last year that some working families of children as young as nine months will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

The trust’s policy briefing warns that current government’s plans treat the early years sector primarily as childcare rather than education.

It said: “This has put quality at risk and will considerably widen gaps in access.

“This not only risks exacerbating inequalities but also worsening the quality of education for all young children.”

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said the trust’s findings were not surprising, warning that policy is heading in the wrong direction.

He said: “The NEU calls on the present government to use the Spring Budget to provide sufficient resources to stabilise the sector, prevent further closures, support the recruitment and retention of a well-trained early years workforce and enable all types of families to flourish.

“The government must ensure that the most disadvantaged can access the free hours entitlement and the demands created by its plan to expand free hours from April 2024 is fully funded.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said its rollout of the “largest ever investment” in childcare will provide high-quality early education.