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…
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…
Ofsted is setting up a forum for academics, practitioners and researchers to talk about a wide range of early years issues.
How do young children learn to read?
What is the best way for them to develop physical skills?
…
The PSLA's Neil Leitch has launched an e-petition to try to force a parliamentary debate on proposed changes to staff ratios. You can find this here, and discuss your views in this forum topic.
If you have not yet seen Professor Nutbrown's response to the report issued by Elizabeth Truss then find it here and join in discussions about its content.
This consultation closes on 30th September, 2013. The government proposes to:
remove burdens and simplify processes, enabling providers and parents to more easily navigate the system; replace the General Childcare Register with a Child…
Ofsted has announced a toughening up of early years inspections, making it clear that only provision that is ‘good’ or better is good enough for very young children. From 4 November 2013, a judgement of ‘requires improvement’ will re…
This is a report on the outcomes of the consultation regarding the proposals to make revisions to the framework for the inspection of early years providers from November 2013. You can access the report here
20% of 2-year-olds from some of the poorest families are now eligible for free childcare – this number will double next year. The Deputy Prime Minister has announced how free childcare for 2-year-olds is being doubled so that 40% of fam…
A non-statutory guide for practitioners and inspectors has just been released by the Department for Education. Comprising the first column of the original Development Matters document, Early Years Outcomes has been published so that it can …
Welcome back to members from Oldham for a 3rd year, Northamptonshire & Richmond for a 7th year, Worcestershire for an 8th year. For details of how to join as part of a Local authority scheme see here
We are delighted to welcome back Birmingham LA who have just renewed their LA scheme for the 9th year. If you already belong to the forum as a Birmingham member you need do nothing, your account will automatically be renewed If you work…
Department of Education have released the national statistics for Early years foundation stage profile results: 2012 to 2013 find them here and join in the forum discussion here
We are delighted to welcome back East Sussex LA who have just renewed their LA scheme for the 8th year and West Sussex LA who have just renewed for the 4th year. If you already belong to the forum as a East or West Sussex member you need d…
Ofsted have published the arrangements for taking action where an inspection is flawed.'Flawed inspections' , published in January 2014, sets out the procedures to be taken in the event of an inspection being so seriously flawed that it is …
Ofsted's consultation, closing on 21st March 2014, has followed the Children and Families Bill 2013 which includes provisions for the creation of childminder agencies. The Bill also includes regulation-making powers that will determine how …
Elizabeth Truss, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare, has written in a letter to Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, that 'Development Matters' may still be used in early years settings. Her response follows a request…
Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw has this week written to all early years inspectors, giving instructions on the focus of future inspections. He criticises current inspection reports, saying, 'Too many reports focus on describing the provisi…
The Standards and Testing Agency has approved the following providers for the reception baseline assessment:
Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, Durham University (CEM) Early Excellence GL Assessment Hodder Education National F…
The Department for Education have released a model form and letter for parents, to help providers identify which children are eligible for the EYPP.
Find it here
Sam Gyimah, Childcare Minister,has announced that LAs will receive an additional £1.5 million to support them in preparing for the introduction of the EYPP. The EYPP, at a value of £50 million for 2015-2016, will be given to providers deliv…
