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 parents want to continue to receive funding in January they must reconfirm their eligibility this month. They need to log into their government childcare account
Figures released by the DfE at the end of last week (29/11) highlighted the fall in new entrants to an early years teacher training course in the 2018/2019 academic year. Figures this year, at 365, are down from 550 last year. You can read…
Further to the Pre-school Learning Alliance's (PLA) freedom of information request (which was granted back in November) Deloitte have released the data upon which the 'cost of childcare' report was based. Neil Leitch of PLA has expressed his …
The Department of Education has issued guidance to support the appointment of SENCOs. The job description that has been published can be accessed from here. Additionally, a EY SENCO L3 qualification specification has been published. The…
Following the recent furore surrounding the L3 requirements for Maths and English GCSE the workforce review changed the requirements for English and Mathematics qualifications. The Government is now reforming the functional skills qualificati…
Children and Young People Now (CYP) have been told that "the children's centres consultation is still going ahead, and is likely to launch in early 2017 as a departmental priority, separate of the social justice green paper". You can read the…
The NDNA have produced an excellent factsheet that addresses many of the questions related to the 30 hour funding. They have referenced the new LA guidelines to help providers make informed decisions regarding how and when they offer the 30 h…
A new group has been formed to look at creating a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship. The Early Years Alliance's director of quality improvement, Michael Freeston, has been appointed the group's employer chair, and other colle…
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…
Rebecca, from The Foundation Stage Forum, attended Ofsted’s ‘South East’ launch of the new Inspection Framework consultation. Click here to read her report.
Following a request for clarification from the experts at Early Education it has now been confirmed that the Characteristics of Effective Learning will remain statutory in the new EYFS framework. You can read Early Education's response …
One key finding was that the new 30 hours scheme could widen the gap between disadvantaged children and those able to take advantage of the increased funding. The report says "neither the tax-free childcare scheme nor the 30 hour entitlement…
The government has announced the successful bidders for the capital funding attached to the 30 hour provision. There will be 6 focus areas to begin with and then there are other additional Local Authorities who will receive funding to enable …
The Cost of a Child in 2017 report calculates the cost of raising a child in the UK based on the minimum income standard (MIS). MIS is the income needed to give children an acceptable minimum living standard as defined by the public. It is …
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…
Let’s give a shout out for the Characteristics of Effective Learning!
They are the foundation, the glue that holds all other learning together; they are the how rather than the what children learn; and they are absolutely central to…
Following the treasury select committee's damning comments on the early years funding calculations Ceeda have calulated that there will be a £500 million shortfall in early years funding. You can read the Ceeda report here. You can discus…
Ceeda launched the independent ‘About Early Years’ research programme in May 2017 to track key sector trends on a regular basis and provide timely analysis for childcare providers, policy makers and investors. You can read the overview …
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…
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 …
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…
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…
