Report on radicalisation fails to mention early years
The Home Affairs Committee report, ‘Radicalisation: the counter-narrative and identifying the tipping point’, published today, makes no mention of the early years. The report called for an independent review of The Prevent duty, requiring teachers and other public sector workers to monitor and report people they believe may be at risk of radicalisation. […]
Ofsted chair resigns after calling Isle of Wight a “ghetto”
David Hoare has resigned from his position as Ofsted chairman having described the Isle of Wight as a “ghetto” where there has been inbreeding. David made the remarks in an interview with the Times Educational supplement, where he said of the island: “Most people go there for sailing for two weeks a year…but within inches […]
Childhood obesity strategy falls short of expectations
The childhood obesity strategy – published today by the Department of Health – has been criticised by health experts and campaigners for not having tougher targets. The strategy lays out a number of intentions, including plans to ask that the food and drink industry cut 5% of the sugar in popular children’s products over […]
Ofsted publishes first inspection report on childminder agency
Ofsted has today released its first inspection report for childminder agency Leap Ahead. Childminder agencies have been widely scrutinised since their implementation two years ago and the report outlines a number of recommendations, including sharpening the new management role for the head of the early years, as well as ensuring that the agency’s safeguarding […]
EYFS profile to remain statutory for 2016/17
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has today announced that the early years foundation stage profile is to remain statutory for the academic year 2016/17. It was due to become non-statutory from September 2016, but in a statement to reporters today, the STA said that “having carefully looked at the particular issues regarding the EYFSP […]
DfE launches consultation for three- and four-year-old funding
The Department of Education has today revealed that it is launching a consultation into how it funds free childcare and early education for three- and four-year-olds. Documentation on the consultation says that it will look to introduce a new national funding formula, and proposes changing the way local authorities fund early years providers in their […]
Alliance writes to DfE over lack of childcare minister
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has written an open letter to the Department of Education (DfE), expressing concerns over the continued lack of early years minister. It has been nearly a month since Theresa May took over as prime minister and, while Justine Greening has been appointed education secretary, ministerial duties within the DfE are […]
DfE confirms new early years minister
The DfE has confirmed Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, as early years minister. The news follows public concerns made by the Alliance both last week and earlier today and comes more than three weeks after Prime Minister Theresa May finalised her cabinet appointments. Commenting on the appointment, Neil Leitch, chief executive at the Pre-school […]
Under-fives should be active for three hours a day
The Department of Health has launched a campaign designed to increase the amount of physical activity undertaken by toddlers and young children to at least three hours a day. As part of the campaign, an expert group of chief medical officers (CMOs) has created an infographic for children under five, urging parents, carers and […]
Alliance voices disappointment over lack of childcare minister
Neil Leitch, chief executive at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, has voiced his disappointment that the government has still not appointed a minister to the early years portfolio. “With news that the new schools funding formula is to be pushed back until 2018/19, it is very possible that the introduction of the promised national early […]
NAHT forms early years council
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has launched an Early Years Council, Nursery World reports. The sector council is expected to lobby on key issues in the early years sector in order to raise its profile, and it will be accountable to the executive of NAHT. NAHT decided to represent the early […]
Practitioners could be prosecuted for failing to report child abuse concerns
The Department for Education and the Home Office are holding a joint consultation to consider prosecuting those that fail to report suspicions of child abuse or neglect to local authorities. The consultation is open until 13 October, and will look to make it a criminal offence for individuals in a variety of groups, including healthcare, social care […]