Home > News and events > News

News

Little girl in a white t-shirt sat a table writing with a green pen next to a little boy wearing glasses and wearing a blue striped t-shirt

Early Years Coalition announces plans to publish an updated version of Birth to 5 Matters

A survey has been launched to gather sector views on the revised guidance
Nursery teacher sits smiling with a group of four young children as they make pictures with colourful shapes

DfE evaluation finds early years recruitment bonus scheme failed to boost sector applications

The DfE's evaluation of pilot recruitment scheme found that it had "no measurable increase in ... the number of applicants per vacancy"
Little girl with blonder curly hair plays with xylophone on fluffy white rug

New government figures highlight need for urgent action on the early years in the upcoming Budget

The 'funded' early education and childcare scheme is at risk due to ongoing issues with staffing and finances, according to new figures
Little girl with Down's Syndrome in yellow dress celebrates completing shape puzzle

Reform of special educational needs and disabilities system delayed

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the delay in a letter to the Education Select Committee
Two mums sit and play with their children and a selection of brightly-coloured toys

Council funding cuts for early years may negatively impact families, LGA warns

The LGA warns that efforts to support families in need could be undermined by changes to council funding pass through rates
Toddler smiling while feeding self with orange spoon

Free school meals expansion will have limited impact on disadvantaged children in the early years, report warns

Hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children are projected to miss out on the benefits of the free school meals expansion next year, new research shows
Little girl in stripy tshirt and mother hold hands and touch noses together in front of sunny window

Best Start in Life campaign launched to support families

The government's new Best Start digital parenting hub has gone live with a range of services for parents and families
Smiling toddler in a white onesie being supported to walk across their living room floorboards by an adult whose top half is out of shot

Less than half of parents of under-fives are confident they know what EYFS is, new Alliance survey reveals

New poll suggests more parental support and guidance on early learning is needed.
A mother and father sat on a blue sofa playing peekaboo with a young toddler girl leans forward with her hands on the mother's knees

Princess of Wales pens essay about the impact of screen time on children’s social and emotional growth

The Princess of Wales has warned of the negative impact of 'technological interference' on the family connections needed for early learning and development in a new essay.
child's hand pushing white buttons on a play calculator or till

Elevate Great releases ‘Financing in Early Education and Care’ report

The UK’s early education and childcare system is “more complex, less equal, less sustainable, and results in demonstrably poorer child outcomes” than other European countries
A woman and a boy sat by a table with green and yellow paint on their hands and noses. They are both smiling wide. The woman is wearing a while long sleeved top and the boy is wearing a green tartan button-up shirt.

Ofsted releases latest early years post-inspection survey results

94% of recently-inspected early years settings were satisfied with the way their inspection was carried out, according to a new survey.
Little boy on cream sofa carefully building a structure out of colourful wooden blocks on the coffee table in front of him

DfE releases new funded entitlement take-up figures following final phase of expansion

Over 500,000 children are benefitting from government-funded early education and childcare, according to data released today by the Department for Education (DfE).
Secret Link