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 the educational attainment of disadvantaged children. However, disadvantaged children continued to perform less well than their peers across all areas and school phases. Crucially for the early years sector, […]
The letter below sets out our key asks for the next government.
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”, with “spare classrooms” in schools to be used either for nursery provision delivered by schools, or by PVIs. According to the Guardian, this will include funding of £140m to refurbish […]
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 currently operate, and introduce new funding for those authorities currently without it. This provides some recognition of the need to support families with young children, but with funding levels for […]
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 tackle child poverty. On early education and childcare specifically, they aim to “close the attainment gap by giving disadvantaged children aged three and four an extra five free hours a […]
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 and childcare sector. Early Education are one of the 30 organisations in the coalition which brings together representatives of parents and children, practitioners, providers, employers and the business sector. To […]
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 entitlements in England is “ambitious” and that “challenges and uncertainties remain around sector sustainability and staffing”. Although the initial stage of the roll-out in April 2024 appears to be on […]
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 being voluntary, we have received the following clarification for providers: Clarifying policy on charging The policy has not changed. As set out in A1.36 of the guidance, Local authorities should […]
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 of the “reconfirmation window” which affects some existing users of the Tax Free Childcare system. View or download the letter from DfE with FAQs for parents below. DfE have also […]
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 in England in 2024-25. The consultation sets out the government’s plans which are in brief: Like the current funding formulae, under these new formulae the allocations to local authorities will […]
Early Education
2 Victoria Square
St Albans
AL1 3TF
T: 01727 884925
E: office@early-education.org.uk
