2017 Press Coverage
29 December
- Workingmums.co.uk: Review of 2017
27 December
- Peterborough Telegraph: Christmas spirit and story telling at Peterborough schools
20 December
- The Financial Times: (£)Foster children in UK to gain access to funded care scheme
- The Guardian: Foster children to be entitled to same amount of free childcare as others
- Children & Young People Now: Free childcare to be extended to foster carers
- Nursery World: 30-hour childcare to be extended to foster carers next year
19 December
- The Financial Times: (£)Thousands of UK families miss out on free childcare provision
- The Mirror: Tories make surprise U-turn and offer free childcare to more than 3,000 children
- Nursery World: Thousands of parents missing out on 30 hours places
- Children & Young People Now: Free childcare take-up tops 200,000
- Working mums: 90% of children eligible for the 30 hours offer have got a place
15 December
14 December
- The Guardian: Justine Greening unveils strategy to increase poor children's opportunities
- Nursery World: Social mobility plan promises £50m more for school nursery places
- CYP Now: Early years settings to receive £50m to improve social mobility
13 December
- Nursery World: Ofsted chief 'taken aback' by criticism of Reception report
- Day Nurseries: Nurseries angry at Ofsted's 'schoolification' approach
7 December
- Nursery World: SEED: Early years quality on the rise across the country
- Nursery World: Early years workforce strategy: early years training website launches
5 December
- Nursery World: More children to be eligible for funded two-year-old places
3 December
30 November
- Daily Telegraph: Reception year pupils 'let down by poor teaching'
- The Times(£): Schools chief says third of pupils are failed in first year
- Yahoo: Reception teachers are failing a third of five-year-olds, major Ofsted report finds
- TES: Ofsted: Reception year a 'false start' for too many children
- Nursery World: Ofsted finds Reception class teaching 'failing' a third of five-year-olds
- Nursery World: Gap between disadvantaged children and their peers remains at the end of reception
- Daynurseries.co.uk: EYFS teaching is 'failing' reception aged children, say Ofsted
- Children & Young People Now: Reception classes fail one in three children, Ofsted finds
28 November
- Nursery World Children's early years experiences vary widely across the country
- Children & Young People Now: Councils 'should produce local strategies' to boost life chances
22 November
- BROADCAST BBC Northampton: Will the government address underfunding in the Budget?
- DayNurseries.co.uk: Budget 2017 does 'nothing to alleviate' childcare sector's challenges
- Nursery World: Budget 2017: Chancellor accused of 'ignoring' early years funding crisis
21 November
- Children and Young People Now: Childminder numbers fall by a quarter since 2012
- Nursery World: Childminders continue to exit the early years sector
- DayNurseries.co.uk: Government says 'no' to early years funding increase in 2018
- Nursery World: DfE launches 30 hours fund for councils as new rates unveiled
- The Telegraph: Tax free childcare scheme delayed for parents with older children
- Yahoo! Finance: Tax-Free Childcare scheme delayed for parents with older children
20 November
- Children and Young People Now: Most councils face 30-hour funding rates freeze
19 November
- The Observer: A thousand nurseries shut as childcare crisis mounts
- MailOnline: More than 1,100 nurseries and childminders have shut since the start of 2015 amid fears over funding
18 November
- BROADCAST BBC Moneywatch: Tax-free childcare scheme's roll-out delayed amid difficulties for parents
16 November
- Children & Young People Now: Government delays tax-free childcare rollout
- FT.com (£): Tax-free childcare account rollout delayed for 7-12 year olds
15 November
- BBC: Flagship tax-free childcare scheme delayed
- Nursery World: Tax-Free Childcare full roll-out delayed
14 November
- Children & Young People Now: Government launches early years healthy eating drive
- Day Nurseries: Government tells nurseries don't give dried fruit at snack time
13 November
- Nursery World: 30 hours: How nurseries are making ends meet
9 November
1 November
31 October
- Day nurseries: Parents still in the dark about 'unsafe' Halloween costumes
- Children & Young People Now: Call for government to commit to early years strategy
25 October
- TES: Government 'confusion' over early years pledge
- Nursery World: Concern over further 30-hours confusion in Government
20 October
- BBC News (video): Research shows cost of childcare for one-year-olds has risen four times faster than wages
- Children & Young People Now: Childcare costs rise seven times faster than income
- Nursery World: Childcare costs have risen four times faster than wages
- Day Nurseries: 'Eye watering' childcare costs rise four times faster than wages
19 October
- Nursery World: EYFS Profile figures show rise in results for five-year-olds
15 October
- The Sunday Times (£): Childcare: families losing out on ‘chaotic’ 30-hours free childcare scheme
12 October
- Nursery World: Nurseries challenge childcare minister on 30-hours policy
12 October
- Nursery World: Thousands of parents unable to access a 30-hour place
- Charity Today: Lack of funding for 30 hours childcare hitting poorest families the hardest, warns Alliance
- Care Appointments: Alliance warns '30 hours' free childcare scheme must be properly funded
- PRINT Liverpool Echo: Free childcare worry for poor families, Alliance warns
4 October
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Nursery World: Parents confused over reconfirmation of 30-hour place
3 October
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Nursery World: Nearly half of settings lack staff, finds research
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Day Nurseries: Nursery recruitment crisis threatens 30-hour childcare offer
1 October
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PRINT Practical pre-school: Technical hitch denies parents access to 30 hours
28 September
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Children & Young People Now: Study finds 30-hour childcare initiative 'harmful for social mobility'
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Nursery World: 30 hours risks widening the gap with 'quantity over quality'
26 September
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Children & Young People Now: Can EYTs fix the attainment gap?
23 September
- PRINT The Daily Telegraph: Pro-family policies are falling apart
14 September
- The Guardian: SATS for seven year olds to be scrapped
- Families online: Sats for seven year olds set to be scrapped in England but not yet
- Nursery World: New baseline check for Reception and revised early learning goals
6 September
- Children and Young People Now: Rising concerns over pupil school readiness
- Nursery World: Shortage of funding barrier to school readiness
- PRINT Oxford Mail
- PRINT Education Today: Children are less ready for school than five years ago, say school leaders
- BBC Parliament: Urgent Question from Tracy Brabin MP on 30 hours
- Nursery World: Delivery of 30 hours 'challenging' for biggest nursery groups
5 September
- RADIO: BBC Radio Newcastle
- PRINT: The Times: Underfunded nurseries need a happy ending
4 September:
- RADIO: BBC Radio Kent
- Nursery World: Sector feels the strain after fall in new Level 3s
3 September:
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Nursery World: Settings warn their viability is at risk under 30 hours
2 September:
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PRINT: The Sun: Child care laid bare
1 September:
- PRINT: Daily Mail: One in 3 nurseries could shut in a year
- PRINT: Times: 'Free' childcare will cost parents dear
- PRINT: Mirror: Launch day chaos for free childcare scheme
- PRINT: Financial Times: Nurseries bemoan free childcare funding gap
- BROADCAST: Channel 5 News
- BROADCAST: The Victoria Derbyshire Show
- RADIO: BBC Asian Network
- RADIO: LBC
- Financial Times: There’s no such thing as a free lunch — or free childcare
- Financial Times: Nurseries bemoan free childcare funding gap
- Telegraph: 'We now have to go to two nurseries': parents caught in chaos of 30 hours' 'free' childcare
- Daily Mail: One in three nurseries could shut in a year
- The Mirror: Parents to pay the price for Tory "chaos" over free nursery care
- The Sun: Child care laid bare
- CYP Now: Fresh funding concerns emerge as free 30 hour childcare launches
- Moneywise: Free childcare initiative rolls out amid ‘chaos’ claims
31 August:
- BROADCAST: Good Morning Britain
- BROADCAST: Sky News
- BROADCAST: BBC breakfast, lunchtime and evening news
- BBC Online: Over half of parents apply for free 30 hours childcare
- Mail Online: One in three nurseries could shut in a year
- Express: Eamon Holmes EXPLODES at 'delusional' MP Robert Goodwill over funding gap row
- The Pool: 30-Hour free childcare scheme could increase costs for parents
- CYP Now: 'Parents to face additional charges' for 30 hours childcare
- Nursery World: Almost two-fifths of providers think 30 hours will lead to their closure
- Huff Post: 30 hours free childcare could lead to increased costs and nurseries closing, survey finds
30 August:
- BBC Online: Childcare application deadline looming
- RADIO: BBC 5Live Breakfast: Neil Leitch interviewed about 30 hours
29 August:
- Made for Mums: 30 hours of free childcare - will my child get it and is it REALLY free?
- Asian Today: Free childcare hours still unclaimed by thousands with deadline approaching
28 August:
- Independent: Tory pledge on more free childcare in disarray before it has even been launched
- Mail Online: 'I spend £4k a year on 'free' childcare': Nurseries start charging for nappies, meals and other extras to plug the government funding shortfall
- Mirror: Thousands of the Tories' free childcare places still not confirmed days before the deadline
- PRINT: Times: Thousands of parents may miss out on free nursery places
- PRINT: Daily Mail: 82,000 parents miss out in nursery places chaos
27 August:
- PRINT: Observer: Tory pledge on more free childcare in disarray
- PRINT: Observer: Looking forward to those 30 hours of free nursery care? Think again...
- PRINT: Sunday Telegraph: New free childcare scheme is 'doomed to fail'
25 August:
- People Management: Thirty hours free childcare not a 'silver bullet' for working parents
24 August:
- Government Business: Childcare Service website needs improving
23 August:
- Financial Times: HMRC rolls out compensation scheme for childcare account failings
- BBC: Childcare website 'must be improved', says Morgan
- Daily Mail: Nearly 3,000 families cannot claim two childcare benefits because of IT glitches with the HMRC website
- Families Online: More complaints about free childcare website
- CYP Now: Labour accuses government of failing parents on 30 hours free childcare offer
22 August:
- Nursery World: Business rates could be scrapped for Scottish nurseries
- Nursery World: Benefits freeze adds to cost of raising children for low-income families
- Nursery World: HMRC apologises for Childcare Service performance
14 August:
11 August:
8 August:
- Huff Post: Free childcare? Check the small print
5 August:
- PRINT: Times: Parents forced to pay for 'free' childcare places
26 July:
- BROADCAST: BBC Breakfast: Neil Leitch interviewed about 30 hours
25 July:
- Telegraph: Government's flagship childcare scheme is already leading to nursery closures
- daynurseries.co.uk: Parents of four-year-olds can now apply for '30 hours' childcare places in September
21 July:
- Nursery World: Children's Food Trust to close
- daynurseries.co.uk: Children's Food Trust announces closure after hleping 11 million children access better food
- Charity Today: Children's Food Trust set to close
- CYP Now: Children's Food Trust announces closure
19 July:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Stigma of 'disadvantaged' label deters parents from applying for early years pupil premium
18 July:
- Mirror: Flagship Tory childcare pledge branded 'riddled with holes' after parents face glitches signing up
17 July:
- daynurseries.co.uk: 'No specific reason' 30-hour childcare scheme 'will not be a success', report finds
- Nursery World: Sector slams DfE for failing to address 30-hour childcare challenges
- CYP Now: Childcare providers in 30 hours trial report fall in profit
14 July:
13 July:
12 July:
- CYP Now: Early years childcare 'beneficial for language and behaviour'
- daynurseries.co.uk: Early years education boosts everyone, not just the disadvantaged, reveals DfE
7 July:
- daynurseries.co.uk: England joins international PISA study using tablet-based tests on five-year-olds
6 July:
- Nursery World: DfE confirms participation in 'baby PISA' pilot
4 July:
- Nursery World: Labour appoints new shadow early years minister
30 June:
29 June:
- Nursery World: DfE figures show more two-year-olds in schools
28 June:
- CYP Now: Goodwill takes on DfE early years and social care briefs
- CYP Now: 'Double early years pupil premium' to close poverty gap
- Nursery World: Social mobility: Call for radical reform on 'divided' Britain
- daynurseries.co.uk: Government urged to focus on quality, not quantity of childcare places
27 June:
- Nursery World: Robert Goodwill named the new children and families minister
- daynurseries.co.uk: Robert Goodwill announced as the new childcare minister
- Nursery World: Childminder details published in breach of privacy by HMRC
- Charity Today: Alliance voices concern following HMRC publication of private childminder data
26 June:
- Nursery World: APPG eyes launch
21 June:
- Guardian: Tories' 30-hour free childcare plan fails to target poor families, says expert
- BBC: Early years places 'must reach poorest'
- TES: UK 'bottom of the league' for free early education
- Nursery World: International study calls for more early years funding to close the gap
- Government Business: Government's 30-hour free childcare plan fails to target poor families, says OECD
- Made for Mums: 30 hours of free childcare - will my child get it and how to apply?
16 June:
15 June:
- Nursery World: Early years funding fails to keep pace with inflation
14 June:
- Nursery World: Ofsted statistics show continuing drop in childminder numbers
- CYP Now: Rise in childcare places in areas piloting 30 hours offer
12 June:
- Nursery World: Justine Greening retains education role
- Nursery World: PVI sector's voice not heard on schools forums
- CYP Now: Early years providers 'underrepresented' on funding panels
9 June:
- daynurseries.co.uk: 'Stability is urgently needed' in wake of General Election, say nurseries
6 June:
- Teachwire: SEND funding is changing - how will it affect your setting?
- CYP Now: Tories 'set to review childcare ratios', expert claims
3 June:
1 June:
- BROADCAST: BBC Radio 5 Live: Neil Leitch took part in a discussion about childcare with Emma Barnett (1:38:25)
30 May:
- CYP Now: Labour childcare plans 'to benefit 1.3m additional children'
- Nursery World: Labour sets out universal childcare plans
24 May:
- CYP Now: Nursery providers criticise 'unacceptable' childcare website problems
- Mirror: Parents STILL locked out of government's flagship Childcare Services website a month after going live
23 May:
22 May:
- Nursery World: Greens promise universal early education and later formal school start
- CYP Now: Green Party pledges universal free early education for all children
18 May:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Conservative manifesto promises to create thousands of nursery places in schools
- Nursery World: Tories promise funding for schools to open nurseries
17 May:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Liberal Democrat's 'ambitious' manifesto promises to 'put children first'
- Nursery World: Lib Dems would extend free childcare and triple EYPP
16 May:
- CYP Now: Liberal Democrats vow to treble early years pupil premium
- daynurseries.co.uk: Labour's election manifesto pledges 'free' childcare for every family in £5bn vow
- BBC News: Labour manifesto pledges £25bn package for education
- Nursery World: Labour manifesto recognises importance of early years
- CYP Now: Finalised Labour manifesto promises care system overhaul
14 May:
- Nursery World: APPG for early years gains backing
- Nursery World: Level 3 apprenticeship consultation is 'flawed'
12 May:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Nurseries urge political parties to put childcare at the heart of their manifestos
- Nursery World: Childcare sector tells politicians: 'No rash promises'
11 May:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Labour's leaked manifesto draft pledges to 'overhaul' childcare system
- CYP Now: Leaked Labour manifesto pledges free childcare for two-year-olds
- Nursery World: Labour proposes greater early years investment and 30 hours extension
4 May:
- TeachWire: Are you supporting your nursery team to deliver outstanding teaching? It's important that you do
- CYP Now: Will 30-hour childcare succeed?
3 May:
- daynurseries.co.uk: MPs urge government to investigate 'potentially harmful' impact of testing four-year-olds
30 April:
- Nursery World: MPs urge 'caution' over introducing Reception baseline
28 April:
24 April:
- CYP Now: Providers criticise 'vague' free childcare guidance
- Nursery World: DfE publishes 30 hours guide for early years providers and councils
18 April:
- CYP Now: Call for 30-hour childcare to be scrapped in favour of means-testing system
- CYP Now: Sector urges parties to prioritise children's issues in general election
- Nursery World: Theresa May announces general election for 8 June
- Nursery World: Appeal for young to choose childcare amid recruitment crisis
- Nursery World: Call to replace 30 hours with means-tested system
- Charity Today: Alliance reacts to General Election announcement
11 April:
- Guardian: Tories race to fulfil childcare pledge
- daynurseries.co.uk: Extra £50m funding for 30 hour childcare offer criticised as a 'drip feed approach'
10 April:
- Nursery World: DfE finds £50m more for 30 hours expansion
- CYP Now: Government doubles investment in additional childcare places to £100m
05 April:
- Money Saving Expert: Less than half of providers will offer free 30 hours of weekly childcare, survey finds
04 April:
03 April:
- Nursery World: Nurseries unwilling to commit to Government's 30-hour childcare scheme
- BBC News: Childcare providers 'could close'
- BBC News: Free nursery hours plan risks higher fees, say campaigners
- CYP Now: Less than half of providers to offer 30-hour free childcare
- Nursery World: More parents taking up pilot 30 hours than expected
31 March:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Government wants to ditch SATs for seven-year-olds and test four-year-olds instead
- CYP Now: Sector urges Labour to speed up shadow childcare appointment
30 March:
- Nursery World: Campaigners slam reception baseline plans
24 March:
- TES: Flip the system
- Nursery World: Fair funding campaign extended to parents
22 March:
- Teachwire: Supporting children to form relationships with their peers is a vital part of a key person's role
- Families Online: 30 hours free childcare information just published
- Made for Mums: 30 hours of free childcare - will my child get it and how to apply?
21 March:
- Nursery World: Alliance launches bespoke training for early years settings
17 March:
- BBC News: Illegal low pay for 20,000 nursery staff - claim
- Nursery World: Sector outraged over claim that many nurseries are breaking Living Wage
- daynurseries.co.uk: Nurseries dispute 'misleading' report that thousands of nursery practitioners are paid less than minimum wage
- Mirror: Thousands of nursery teachers "paid below national living wage" - your rights and what you should be earning
- Mirror: Embarrassing fact about the Torries' free childcare pledge slipped out in Budget small print
- Nursery World: Government denies that Budget adjustments indicate 30-hour places shortfall
15 March:
- Teachwire: "The benefits of early years investment may take decades to be seen"
- Nursery World: Government refusing to reveal details of work by childcare taskforce
14 March:
- Nursery World: Ofsted statistics show further decline in childminders
- daynurseries.co.uk: Number of childcare providers rated Good or Outstanding reaches all-time high
8 March:
- Nursery World: Spring Budget 2017: Chancellor accused of 'ignoring' early years sector in favour of pubs
- daynurseries.co.uk: Spring Budget 2017: Nurseries criticise 'lost opportunity' to mention early years funding
- CYP Now: Budget: Critics attack lack of action on free childcare funding
6 March:
- Nursery World: Early years research programme to plug 'analysis gap'
- Nursery World: Mixed response to DfE's new model agreement
3 March:
- ITV: Thirty hours free childcare - but will it prove to be a positive for parents?
- BBC News: Nursery qualifications U-turn 'huge relief', say campaigners
- Families Online: Could newly announced qualification change help 30 hours free childcare scheme?
- Nursery World: GCSE Level 3 rules scrapped as Early Years Workforce Strategy is released
- daynurseries.co.uk: Nurseries 'ecstatic' as minister announces GCSE U-turn
- CYP Now: GCSE requirement for early years trainees scrapped as workforce strategy is unveiled
2 March:
24 February:
23 February:
- CYP Now: DfE data reveals 10,000 fewer childcare providers plan to offer 30-hour places
- daynurseries.co.uk: Government reveals 10,000 fewer early years providers plan to deliver 30-hour childcare offer
- Nursery World: Tens of thousands of providers don't plan to offer 30 hour childcare
17 February:
- Nursery World: Most parents want early years teachers in nurseries
- Nursery World: Early years apprenticeship group dismissed in GCSE deadlock
14 February:
- BBC: Graduate nursery staff have 'little effect' on children
- daynurseries.co.uk: 'Outstanding' nurseries have 'tiny effect' on children's attainment
- Nursery World: It's not 'free', it's funded!
13 February:
- Nursery World: Graduate settings have little impact on children's outcomes
- CYP Now: More than 500,000 children to miss out on free 30 hours childcare
10 February:
- Nursery World: Alliance wins data victory on DfE childcare costs report
7 February:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Think tank urges government to abolish funded childcare and target disadvantaged families
- Nursery World: Sector fury over TV show's claims of free hours money grabbing
- Families Online: Should 30 hours free childcare only be given to low income families?
- CYP Now: Councils fear 30 hours expansion will affect sustainability of settings
6 February:
- Nursery World: Government urged to scrap universal funded childcare
- BBC: Free nursery hours subsidising the rich, report says
- Nursery World: DfE study finds quality 'does not cost substantially more'
- Nursery World: 'Most jobless parents will work to get 30 hours'
3 February:
- daynurseries.co.uk: Labour MP expresses concern over closure of more than 370 Sure Start children's centres
2 February:
- Guardian: More than 350 Sure Start children's centres have closed since 2010
- Nursery World: Alliance launches funding rate database to help providers plan
1 February:
- Nursery World: Workforce strategy not expected until end February
- PRINT: Early Years Educator: Free childcare - but at what cost?
- PRINT: Practical Pre-school: Life chances strategy abandoned by Government
31 January:
- Charity Today: Alliance publishes 2017 funding rate database
28 January:
- PRINT: Asian Voice: Thousands could miss out on free childcare, warns lobby group
27 January:
- Nursery World: Tulip Siddiq quits as shadow early years minister
26 January:
- BROADCAST: BBC Shropshire: Neil Leitch interviewed about 30-hours
24 January:
23 January:
- PRINT: Nursery Today: Eligibility for 30 hours 'misjudged'
20 January:
- CYP Now: DfE 'underestimating' demand for 30-hour places by 100,000
- BBC: Thousands could miss out on free childcare, warns lobby group
- Nursery World: Underestimate of eligible parents could cause 30-hour 'capacity crisis'
- daynurseries.co.uk: 'Capacity crisis': 30-hour free childcare scheme faces shortage of places
- PRINT: The i Paper: Free childcare plan 'lacks enough places'
19 January:
- Nursery World: Call for re-introduction of baseline check
10 January:
- BBC: Childcare funding 'will create 9,000 places'
- daynurseries.co.uk: Government announces £50m project to create thousands of free childcare places for 'hard-working' families
- Education Investor: Government injects £50m in childcare funding
9 January:
- Nursery World: Early years sector's hopes, fears and dreams for the year ahead
- Teachwire: "The DfE must recognise that quality early years education costs, and fund the sector accordingly"
- PRINT: Nursery World: PLA guide aims to clarify changes to funding and free entitlement
6 January:
- Families Online: Are you ready for 30 hours of free childcare?