The letter below sets out our key asks for the next government.
The National Audit Office’s new report, Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children, finds that in 2023-24, DfE allocated an estimated £9.2 billion to specifically focus
On 10 June, Labour announced their plans for “over three thousand new nursery classes across England to open up access to childcare hours for families”,
The Conservative Manifesto has promised to extend Family Hubs to all local authorities. This would both extend funding for the 75 local authorities where they
The Lib Dems have published their manifesto, including commitments to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into UK law and to
Today, Friday 17 May, the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) has launched its new manifesto, with proposals to rescue and reform England’s early education
A report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) today finds that the timetable for the roll-out of the new funded early education and childcare
In response to recent queries about why the latest DfE guidance on providing the early education and childcare entitlements has removed references to additional charges
A new campaign to boost recruitment to the early years sector in England is being launched today by the government. The government press release says:
Early Education Associate, Debi Keyte-Hartland reflects on a recent commission by Balcarras Teaching School Hub In Gloucestershire to deliver a four-day course on Sustained Shared
DfE have issued an update to address the issue of parents wishing to claim their codes for the new entitlements who cannot do so because
Guest blog by Frances Giampapa and Claire Lee Introduction A wealth of evidence demonstrates the fundamental role played by early years (EY) education in shaping
by Katherine Gulliver Introduction Early Education was recently asked to review the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) provision in the early years within one
For many of us, the path we’ve taken in our careers can often be traced back to the passions and talents of our childhood and
Clare Devlin, Early Education Associate What aspects of physical development should we focus on within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and other early years
DfE has today launched a consultation on the new funding rates which will apply for 2-year-olds and under 2s when the new entitlements are introduced
The Department for Education has today announced that the extra £204m for early years announced in the budget will be allocated to local authorities as
In a speech today, Kier Starmer will set out Labour’s plans to expand opportunity via five “missions” including “Early years reform – to boost child development with an
By Debi Keyte-Hartland, Early Education Associate This article is based on one included in the Early Education Journal no 100. To access the full article
The Department for Education (DfE) is currently consulting on proposals to amend the Early Years Foundation Stage. They propose relaxing the requirements around the minimum
In this article, Kate Irvine from Bristol Early Years discusses the impact of practitioners engaging in a sustained process of CPD through cluster groups and
by Dr Jo Albin-Clark, Edge Hill University and Dr Nathan Archer, Leeds Beckett University Inspection in the news Being involved in education in England involves
DfE has issued slightly more detail about the planned uplift in the hourly rates for the current and new entitlements, following the announcements in the
The Department for Education (DfE) have published their response to the consultation on potential changes to staff:child ratios. The consultation received responses from nearly 10,000
In today’s budget the Chancellor has confirmed several new measures on early education and childcare: Our analysis The decision to relax the ratios for 2-year-olds
Today, Early Education, the NAHT, NEU and Unison have jointly written an open letter calling on the government to address the shortfall in early years
by Kayla Halls, Early Years Research Fellow at Middlesex University & Mona Sakr, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood at Middlesex University’ Leaders in the early
by Anni McTavish What are treasure baskets? “Treasure Baskets” are a collection of ordinary household objects, that are chosen to offer variety and fascination for
Today, teachers from the National Education Union are striking, including many working in nursery and reception classes. In the last week, the Department for Education
by Amanda Ince and Liz Bullough, UCL Institute of Education “I want to be an inspiring leader who can inspire my colleagues in my setting
The government’s latest changes to the early years funding formulae bring two key changes which we pointed out in our response to the consultation would
by Debi Keyte- Hartland The term “Loose Parts” was coined by Simon Nicholson, a British architect and designer whose parents were artists Barbara Hepworth and
by Helen J Williams Early mathematics is essential for children’s full development, it is also predictive of later, wider achievement. Early mathematical learning is critical
DfE have today announced the early years funding settlement for 2023-24, which leaves the early years sector struggling on below inflationary increases. While an additional
Ofsted’s latest annual review highlights the impact of recruitment and retention challenges and finds a link between inspection outcomes and the proportion of graduates in
by Kathryn Solly The benefits of outdoor learning in the early years have now been firmly recognised for both educators and young children’s learning and
What is continuous provision in EYFS? By Ben White Continuous provision in EYFS refers to the resources and learning opportunities accessible to children all of
What are “Fundamental British Values”? by Vicky Hutchin The so-called “Fundamental British Values” form a part of the Prevent Duty, introduced in 2015 and last
The open letter below was sent to Ofsted in November 2023. Download Ofsted’s response We the undersigned are writing to you about the recently published
In his Autumn Statement today the Chancellor failed to offer any financial help to an early years sector which is already struggling to stay afloat.
by Clarissa Frigerio Why are there so few men teaching in the early years? I have worked in the profession for almost 9 years, and
It could be argued that teachers who move into teaching reception for the first time, face the same challenges as the children themselves as they start in reception.
Early childhood education today has been influenced by key figures such as Froebel, Montessori, Isaacs and MacMillan. Much recent research has supported their ideas although
The tenth early years minister in ten years, Kelly Tolhurst, is now in post. It’s good news that early years is part of a Minister
We urge members to respond to the two DfE consultations on funding and ratios which close on 16 September. For information, you can view the
The Families’ Access to Nature Project was undertaken by the Froebel Trust and Early Education between October 2021 and January 2022. Children, their parents, and
by Leslie Patterson At the very beginning of the 1970s I was lucky enough to attend a playschool, at a time when there was very
Guest blog by Sara Knight Why are opportunities for risk and adventure essential for normal development in the early years? Tim Gill (2007) identifies four
Guest blog from Dr Elizabeth Byrne, University of Cambridge Most educators will be aware that “what works” in support of children’s learning and development is
Why go outside? Big movers Have you ever been in an open space with young children? The first thing they want to do is to
Taking care of a baby is tiring work, with a lot of feeding, nappies and broken nights. When you are exhausted, it can be harder
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