New edition of Birth to 5 Matters launched
The Early Years Coalition has launched the updated and expanded second edition of Birth to 5 Matters (Bto5M), non-statutory guidance for the Early Years Foundation
We welcome the most recent steps in delivery of the government’s Best Start in Life strategy, focused on helping to raise the quality of provision as set out below. We also welcome the commitment to further initiatives to follow, including a consultation on how to raise the status and recognition of early years teachers, removing barriers to increased pay in relevant settings.
The recognition payments for teachers are an important first step towards recognising the need for better pay and conditions to attract and retain graduates within the early years workforce. In the long term we urge government to move towards national pay scales the recognise skills and experience across the sector.
We are pleased to see the expertise of maintained nursery schools recognised in the extension of the Stronger Practice Hubs, with 10 of the 18 new hubs led by maintained nursery school (along with 12 of the 18 existing hubs).
As per the commitment in the Best Start in Life strategy, a pilot is being rolled out to offer Early Years Teacher Recognition Payments of £4,500 to qualified teachers (EYT, EYP or QTS) in private, voluntary and independent settings in 10 areas, which were selected based on deprivation, teacher shortages and school readiness levels.
The Early Years Teacher Recognition Payment has now launched as a trial in the first ten local authority areas: Sandwell, Middlesbrough, Tameside, Rochdale, Bolton, Hartlepool, Rotherham, Dudley, Luton and Barking and Dagenham. This will allow the department to test and improve the digital claims service ahead of the full launch across all 30 areas later in 2026. Eligible settings in the ten trial areas will be contacted directly by the department with a link to apply.
The full list of 30 local authority areas set to benefit are: Barking and Dagenham, Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Bradford, Derby, Dudley, Halton, Hartlepool, Kingston upon Hull, Knowsley, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Oldham, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, South Tyneside, St Helens, Stoke-on-Trent, Tameside, Walsall, Wolverhampton.
Those not involved in the first wave of the payment will be able to apply in the second wave, opening later this year.
Alongside the bonus, new partnership grants will fund nurseries and schools to formally work together. Staff will be able to visit each other’s settings, share teaching approaches and build stronger links with families so children arrive at school confident and ready. Read further information about early education partnerships, including eligibility and how to apply.
18 new Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs have also been confirmed – doubling the network to 36 across England. The Early Years Stronger Practice Hub programme is designed to bring early years providers together to share what works and will host specialist advisors and leads in early language, maths and personal, social and emotional development, delivering tailored training to early years educators so the highest quality teaching reaches more children in more communities.
Following the expansion of the network and the recruitment of new Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs (EYSPHs), there will be a new EYSPH situated in each of the following Local Authorities.
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