This week's Coffee Break comes from Stephen Kilgour, our SEND Advisor, who takes a closer look at the benefits of creating a more natural and sustainable environment in any play-based setting.
It was quite a few years ago, on a visi…
‘Free to be me: exploring identity online.’
This year’s focus for Safer Internet Day in the UK was getting people to explore how they manage their online identity and think about how the internet shapes their own o…
Following the recent APPG meeting where Michelle Dyson (DfE) spoke regarding the funding and childcare costs faced by settings, we were asked to provide 'hard' evidence from the sector. We have received from the DfE a template document tha…
James Bowen, writing in the TES says "If ministers want to close the disadvantage gap, they need to properly fund early years". You can read James' article here and discuss it on this thread.
More than half of the local authorities surveyed by Family and Childcare Trust (FACT) are unsure they will have enough availability to double funded hours. The survey, was sent to all Local Authorities who would be implementing the 30 hours i…
The 30 hours debate was further fuelled this week when Matthew Wright discussed it on 'The Wright Stuff'. The antagonistic debate created much anger and upset amongst the early years sector, particularly Wright's comment that childminders and…
Yesterday the BBC reported on the closure of 150 children's centres last year. The figures were obtained by Labour's Dan Jarvis via a written parliamentary question to junior education minister Caroline Dinenage. You can read the article here.
The full roll-out 'happened' today with providers and parents waiting to see what the impact will be on them once the 30 hours entitlement kicks in. Both PLA and NDNA have been working hard securing press coverage and explaining how the sche…
On Thursday 12th October early years ministers debated the impact of the newly introduced 30 hours free funding scheme. The debate was called by Ruth George MP and both Robert Goodwill MP and Tracy Brabin MP spoke at length to set out their…
The Government have released an additional £50m to help with the introduction of the 'free' 30 hours. Whilst the additional funds are welcomed by the sector, some providers have concerns about the 'strings' attached to the money. Notable voi…
The announcement means that childcarers will no longer be disqualified from providing childcare or working in non-domestic childcare settings simply because someone who lives or works in their household is disqualified. The new rules do not…
Change starts here. Change starts now. Change starts with us.
Between 11th – 15th November 2019, schools across England will be raising awareness of Anti-Bullying Week, which takes place nationally each year. The aims of …
Helen and Rebecca represented the FSF at the APPG for Childcare and Early Education at Westminster on Monday 1st July to launch the 'Steps to Sustainability' report. Tulip Siddiq MP chaired a lively debate and the event was very well at…
We have just published our half-termly newsletter. If you want a 'whistle-stop tour' of what has been happening on the forum since the end of July then the newsletter is a really good place to start. You can read about all the updates and c…
The DfE have published an information leaflet concerning the new baseline assessment (comes into effect from September 2020). You can read the leaflet from here and share your thoughts and comments on this thread.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) will remain in place as the EYFS mandatory assessment for 2016/17, instead of the Reception Baseline Assessment, introduced experimentally in 2015.
Baseline Assessments were judged to be in…
BERA's analysis of the proposed baseline assessment for Reception children does not look favourably on the intended system. They say: "In the panel’s view the proposed baseline assessment will not lead to accurate comparisons being made …
In The Guardian there is an open letter signed by over 1700 concerned individuals including well-known sector names such as Anna Ephgrave, Neil Leitch, June O'Sullivan and David Whitebread. Together they are expressing their concerns "over…
Egg boxes, toilet rolls, rice - but think of the children!
At the risk of sounding a bit too 'Trumpy', there have been some cases of ‘fake news’ being spread around social media and on various teaching sites over the years.…
The minister who has responsiblity for early years, Caroline Dineage, has been moved from the DfE to the DWP. There hasn't been an announcement regarding her replacement yet. We also don't have a shadow minister representing early years
CYPNOW is today reporting that the 'Champagne Nurseries for Lemonade Funding' group has reported the DfE to the Competition and Markets Authority complaining that many childcare providers will be forced to close because the money offered by …
It has been announced that the results of the pilots will be delivered in July 2017, which is two months before the national roll out. If you would like to read the announcement you can do so from here. You can follow the ongoing 30 hours di…
She has said "I welcome views from a broad range of stakeholders on the questions posed in this consultation and I look forward to considering them. I plan to respond to this consultation as part of the forthcoming workforce strategy, which w…
On her Twitter page (@cj_dinenage) today the minister for early years reported that DfE (@educationgovuk) had "received an amazing 4074 responses to (the) consultation on maths/english skills for early years staff". FSF responded saying that …
Ceeda is a private sector research agency specialising in early years research. They have carried out research into the state of the sector using data gathered from 800 childcare providers including 245 childminders and 555 nurseries and p…
