Government announces plans to clarify statutory guidance on charging parents additional fees
by Jess Gibson The Department for Education has today announced that it plans to clarify current statutory guidance on charging additional fees to parents accessing the funded entitlement offers. The government has said that this is in response to “reported instances of parents facing very high additional charges on top of the funded entitlement hours”, […]
Department for Education confirms planned changes to early years safeguarding requirements
The Department for Education has today published its response to the recent consultation on safeguarding in the early years.
Schools-based nursery plan opens with first round of funding
The first round of funding launches for up to 300 school-based nurseries today, as part of the government’s plan to increase early education capacity.
Average access to early years settings across England has declined, Ofsted analysis shows
Ofsted data analysis published today shows that average access to early years settings in England has fallen since March 2020.
Welcoming new families
For many families, the local baby and toddler group is one of the first places that they visit with their little one. Perhaps they want to reach out to other families who also have a new baby, or maybe they’ve just moved to the area and want to make friends as well as find valuable […]
Being part of a community
A baby and toddler group can often find itself as the heart of a local community, bringing families together for the first time to build connections, a sense of belonging, and friendships that can last a lifetime. Many families share with us that their local toddler group is the first place they venture out to […]
Low maternity pay forcing new mums to return to work after 12 weeks, says charity
Four in 10 mothers were forced to take 12 weeks or less of maternity leave as a result of low maternity pay, according to a new survey carried out by charity Pregnant Then Screwed survey.
Early entitlement will be referred to as ‘government-funded’, announces DfE
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that it will now refer to the early entitlement offers as ‘government-funded’ rather than ‘free’ in government communications.
“Early years education too important to be left to chance”, reports Ofsted
A high-quality early years curriculum is important as not all children get the same start in life, Ofsted has stated in a new report.
Prepping policies and procedures
Rules. Expectations. Guidelines. Policies. Whatever you call them, a set of shared and agreed upon codes for people to go by is usually handy for a regular group to have in place. In fact, they can be crucial to the success of the group as well as to both the safety and enthusiasm of all […]
A third of working families cut working hours due to challenges accessing early years places
Findings show that working parents have had to cut hours, work overtime and avoid applying for jobs due to shortages.
Education secretary’s conference speech hails importance of early education and outlines first phase of school-based nurseries plan
Bridget Phillipson’s first speech as Secretary of State for Education at the Labour Conference today highlighted Labour’s “mission to deliver opportunity for the next generation”, starting with “our youngest children” and early education.