Children’s centre closures on the rise, government figures reveal
The number of children’s centres almost doubled between 2014 and 2015, new government figures have revealed. Responding to a parliamentary question submitted by Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, early years minister Caroline Dinenage confirmed that 156 children’s centres closed in 2015, compared to 85 the previous year. Commenting on the figures, […]
Government confirms no plans for annual review of early years funding
There are no plans to review early years funding annually, the government has confirmed. During a House of Lords debate on Monday, the Earl of Listowel, a crossbench peer, asked if the government is “planning to conduct an annual review of early years childcare funding to ensure sustainability and quality”. However, Lord Nash, […]
Government announces minimum early years funding rate for councils
The government has announced a minimum hourly funding rate of £4.30 for all local authorities in its response to the consultation on early years funding changes. The move, which cost the Department for Education (DfE) an extra £30m per year, will mean that no local authority will receive less than £4.30 per hour from […]
Ofsted annual report issues early years capacity warning
The number of early years places is not increasing in line with the growth in the child population, Ofsted has warned in this year’s annual report. The report highlights that while there are now more than 240,000 children aged four years or under in England compared to 2009, the number of places has fallen […]
Ofsted clarifies ‘nominated individual’ requirements
Early years providers can appoint someone who is not a member of their governing body to act as their nominated individual under certain circumstances, Ofsted has confirmed. Nominated individuals, who act as primary points of contact with Ofsted on application and registration matters, must be able to properly represent and act on behalf of […]
National living and minimum wages to rise next year
The ‘national living wage’ (NLW) and national minimum wage (NMW) are both set to rise next year, the government confirmed at last week’s autumn statement. The NLW, which currently stands at £7.20 an hour, will increase to £7.50 an hour as of April 2017. The national minimum wage for under-25s will also increase: • […]
Alliance publishes 30-hour guide
The Alliance has produced an updated guide to the most frequently asked questions about the 30-hour free entitlement offer, due to roll out in 2017. The nine-page document covers common queries on a range of topics including funding, eligibility and delivery of the offer. With the recent news that the introduction of the […]
Childcare minister announces review of GCSE requirement rule
The government is set to review controversial early years qualification rules following widespread concerns its impact on recruitment in the early years, childcare minister Sam Gyimah has announced. Speaking at a sector conference at the end of June, Mr Gyimah confirmed that the review would be delivered alongside the government’s upcoming early years workforce […]
DfE pushes ahead with new paediatric first aid rules
All newly qualified level 2 and 3 early years practitioners will need to hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate in order to be included in ratios, the government has confirmed. The decision came after a consultation into the proposed changes, which found that 84% of respondents agreed with the new requirement. Under the changes, […]
Public Accounts Committee report highlights 30-hour concerns
There may be insufficient providers willing to roll out the 30-hour free entitlement scheme next year to meet demand from working families, the Public Accounts Committee has warned in a new report. The Committee, which is responsible for scrutinising the value for money of public spending conducts an inquiry into the free entitlement offer […]
Alliance to give evidence to the Public Accounts Committee
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has been invited to give oral evidence to the Public Accounts Committee as part of its enquiry into the free early education entitlement. The evidence session, which will take place at the House of Commons on Wednesday, will focus on the recent National Audit Office report, which raised concerns about […]
Alliance supports functional skills campaign
The Alliance is pleased to be backing Save our Early Years, a cross-sector campaign calling for functional skills to be accepted as GCSE equivalents to enable EYE practitioners with these qualifications to be counted in ratios at Level 3. We believe that it is vital to ensure that all early years practitioners have a […]