The Real Living Wage (RLW) is set to rise from April 2026 by almost 7%, increasing to £13.45 per hour (an 85p rise) across the UK and £14.80 (a 95p rise) in London. The RLW is voluntary with many large and small companies, including a number of nurseries across the UK, choosing to sign up… Continue reading Real Living Wage to rise by almost 7% from April
Tag: early years
Big increase in percentage of children attending private nurseries in Scotland
New research published yesterday (7 October) showed that more families in Scotland were choosing to send their children to private and voluntary nurseries. The Scottish Household Survey 2024 Childcare report revealed that 32% of households with children aged up to five used private nurseries compared with just 24% in private nurseries in 2018. Numbers of… Continue reading Big increase in percentage of children attending private nurseries in Scotland
Council u-turn hits Hampshire nurseries
NDNA is calling for urgent action after Hampshire County Council failed to deliver its commitment to early years funding on summer term figures, leaving settings thousands of pounds out of pocket, with some facing shortfalls of up to 50%. Hampshire providers were repeatedly assured that the government’s expansion grant would be calculated based on the… Continue reading Council u-turn hits Hampshire nurseries
Congratulations to Nursery World award winners
Many NDNA members were honoured at the annual Nursery World awards at the Brewery in London on Saturday 27 September. NDNA’s first chair of trustees Margaret Mason, founder of Children 1st nurseries, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. Nursery of the Year was Childsplay Claremont Nursery Cooperative in Newcastle upon Tyne – they won NDNA’s Community… Continue reading Congratulations to Nursery World award winners
NDNA Response to the Kido Nurseries cyber attack
The early years sector and beyond has been shocked by last week’s cyber attack on Kido international nurseries which has 18 settings in London alone. Cyber criminals hacked into Kido’s system and started releasing details about their children on the dark web – threatening to release all 8,000 children’s details if they didn’t get paid.… Continue reading NDNA Response to the Kido Nurseries cyber attack
Early intervention programme Maths Champions expands to 1,810 new settings
Maths Champions, a professional development programme delivered by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), is scaling up to transform early years maths across England. The aim of this innovative early intervention programme is to improve children’s maths outcomes by improving the knowledge, skills and confidence of the practitioners working with them. Following a successful rollout to… Continue reading Early intervention programme Maths Champions expands to 1,810 new settings
NDNA recognised as one of UK’s Best Workplaces in Charity sector
The 2025 UK’s Best Workplaces in Charity & Not-For-Profit™ list was revealed yesterday by Great Place To Work® UK, recognising NDNA among the list in both the Charity and Not for Profit and Education and Training categories. 67% of employees at National Day Nurseries Association say it is a great place to work*, compared to 54% of employees at a… Continue reading NDNA recognised as one of UK’s Best Workplaces in Charity sector
Ofsted publishes new inspection framework
Ofsted has published its new inspection framework today (Tuesday 9 September) for all remits which will be implemented from 10 November for early years settings. Nurseries will be inspected every four years on average rather than the current six years. There are five new gradings based on the “report card” system outlined in the recent… Continue reading Ofsted publishes new inspection framework
Government must learn from first round of school-based nursery funding
The DfE has announced the second round of funding for school-based nurseries will open later this month – but NDNA has warned that these new or extended nurseries must not create the unintended consequences seen in the first round. Some of the nurseries created in the first phase will seriously threaten the sustainability of existing… Continue reading Government must learn from first round of school-based nursery funding
More than £65 million for childcare expansion not reaching providers
Millions of pounds of Government money intended to support early years providers to create more places to meet demand for the childcare expansion has still not reached providers. Research and analysis carried out by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests discovered that large amounts of two funds to support… Continue reading More than £65 million for childcare expansion not reaching providers
More to do to make childcare funding fairer in Scotland
Two investigations by early years charity National Day Nurseries Association have shown that nurseries and childminders still get a raw deal when delivering funded childcare in Scotland. Over 80% of councils in Scotland are paying partner providers, including private and voluntary nurseries, a smaller proportion of their Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) budgets compared with… Continue reading More to do to make childcare funding fairer in Scotland
EPI report: Absence rates are increasing among youngest children
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the latest DfE statistics on pupil absence – overall absence in schools is reducing but they are some concerns. One of their recommendations is for the Government to focus on and invest in early years to improve children’s outcomes. EPI’s analysis of the absence figures show: They are… Continue reading EPI report: Absence rates are increasing among youngest children
Parent template letter for Universal Credit
We have been approached by a number of nurseries where parents have had their Universal Credit Childcare payments reduced as a result of the updated charging guidance from DfE. These settings report that parents are being told meals and consumables are optional charges and as a result, will no longer be accepted as part of… Continue reading Parent template letter for Universal Credit
Increases to national minimum wages cannot be unfunded in early years
The Low Pay Commission has announced that it is revising up its estimated increase in the National Living Wage (NLW) for 2026/27 from £12.65 to £12.71 per hour. This estimation is based on “stronger than forecast” wage growth, which impacts on how the National Living Wage is calculated. The Commission has now received its remit… Continue reading Increases to national minimum wages cannot be unfunded in early years
Government statistics on funded early education and childcare show ‘concerning’ trend
The Department for Education has published official statistics on ‘Funded early education and childcare’. These are the annual statistics on children under five registered for government funded entitlements in England. This is the first time this publication of statistics include registrations for the new entitlements for children of eligible working parents aged nine months to two… Continue reading Government statistics on funded early education and childcare show ‘concerning’ trend
NICs debated in Parliament: “different treatment” for maintained nurseries highlighted
The Department for Education has published how it will deliver £25 million of additional funding to help schools with early years provision and publicly maintained settings. The funding for 2025/26 is to support those settings with NICs costs relating to both teachers and support staff costs associated with the increase to NICs. The NICs grant will provide additional funding in respect… Continue reading NICs debated in Parliament: “different treatment” for maintained nurseries highlighted
NDNA appoints two new Directors
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has appointed a Director of Policy and Communications and a new Director of Business Development as part of plans to enhance the support and representation the sector needs at this critical time. As providers in the early years sector face challenges in delivering government funded childcare places and the uncertainties… Continue reading NDNA appoints two new Directors
1 in 10 parents believe nurseries are properly funded
A survey by a cross-party group of Parliamentarians finds serious doubts about the Government’s financial support for early years providers. Just one in ten parents believe that current levels of early years funding are enough to enable nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in England to remain financially sustainable, a new survey conducted by the All-Party Parliamentary… Continue reading 1 in 10 parents believe nurseries are properly funded
NDNA agrees that it’s time to make staff wellbeing a policy
The Anna Freud Centre has today published its findings from a survey about staff wellbeing alongside NDNA’s sample well-being policy. Early years staff working in nurseries or preschools would like their settings to be more open about staff mental health, and to ensure staff wellbeing policies are in place and upheld. While many find their… Continue reading NDNA agrees that it’s time to make staff wellbeing a policy
NDNA research used in Parliament
A debate was held by MPs in Parliament yesterday on early education funding. The debate was called by Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, who recognised the crucial role of early education during the pandemic and to child development. She said: “The Government say that they understand parents’ concerns about the cost of childcare.… Continue reading NDNA research used in Parliament