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
Tag: NDNA
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
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
Scotland’s Childcare Guarantee calls for expanded funded hours
Image credit: Chris Watt Photography
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
Council underspends in early years at highest level at £70m
An investigation into ’free’ childcare funding for two to four-year-olds across England has uncovered record levels of underspends, according to National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA). NDNA discovered that at least £70m of early years entitlement funding was underspent in council budgets and not spent on places during the financial year 2022-23. Only a very small… Continue reading Council underspends in early years at highest level at £70m
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
Reach for the stars – we launch NDNA Nursery Awards 2022!
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is excited to launch its 2022 Nursery Awards after a break of two years due to the pandemic – with some new and updated categories. NDNA’s Nursery Awards are the only ones to feature awards where parents have the opportunity to vote and show their appreciation for their child’s nursery… Continue reading Reach for the stars – we launch NDNA Nursery Awards 2022!
Social Mobility Commission: children must be at centre of pandemic recovery
The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) has published its latest State of the Nation report 2021, unveiling details of the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic across all four UK nations. The report looks at seven pillars of recovery including early years. It recommends higher pay and a better career structure for a workforce crucial to… Continue reading Social Mobility Commission: children must be at centre of pandemic recovery
Updates to Development Matters
The Department for Education (DfE) has published a revised version of Development Matters following feedback on the original version first published in September 2020. Please note that the DfE has said the changes to the content are minor and you will not need to alter any planning based on the previous (September 2020) version. The… Continue reading Updates to Development Matters
NDNA launches nursery sustainability study
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has released three surveys – one each for nursery providers in England, Scotland and Wales – ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review in England and budget planning in Wales and Scotland. With the Coronavirus pandemic still affecting nursery costs and the numbers of children in settings, the surveys aim to… Continue reading NDNA launches nursery sustainability study
NDNA, Walker Books and Maisy are all going to nursery – are you?
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has teamed up with Walker Books as they celebrate 30 years of “Maisy” stories using the picture book Maisy Goes to Nursery by Lucy Cousins. They are hoping nurseries and other early years settings will take part in a dedicated storytelling day and are offering a whole host of resources… Continue reading NDNA, Walker Books and Maisy are all going to nursery – are you?
Birth to 5 Matters guidance is launched
Following six months of consultation and input from across the early years sector, the Early Years Coalition tonight launches Birth to 5 Matters. The materials include a core document available as a free download, with printed copies available to purchase, and an interactive online version that includes all the text from the core document, plus… Continue reading Birth to 5 Matters guidance is launched
Early years coaching programme supports dozens of London practitioners
A coaching programme funded by the Mayor of London’s office successfully helped dozens of early years practitioners to improve the quality of their provision and also to lead them through the challenges of the pandemic. National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) ran the Early Years Leaders Programme across London to develop aspiring early years leaders and… Continue reading Early years coaching programme supports dozens of London practitioners
Early years organisations launch joint campaign
Leading early years organisations the Early Years Alliance, the PACEY and NDNA have today issued a joint call for the government to take urgent steps to protect the safety and financial sustainability of those working in nurseries and other childcare settings in England, in light of the government decision to ask early years settings to… Continue reading Early years organisations launch joint campaign
Final piece of research in year-long Covid study launched
Early years membership organisation National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Education Policy Institute (EPI) have launched the fourth and final survey in their year-long research project looking at the effects of the pandemic on the early years workforce. As the numbers of positive cases subside during the spring months, this survey looks at how… Continue reading Final piece of research in year-long Covid study launched
NDNA Cymru publishes early years and childcare election manifesto
This election represents a chance for the next Welsh Government to get it right for early years and childcare as National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Cymru has published key issues for children, families and nurseries ahead of the May elections. NDNA Cymru’s manifesto, Getting it Right for Early Years and Childcare, focuses on improving the… Continue reading NDNA Cymru publishes early years and childcare election manifesto
Joint statement about vaccinations
Leading early years organisations National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) and Early Years Alliance have joined forces to put out a statement calling for certainty regarding vaccinations for early years workers: “We are aware that a number of early years providers and their staff have been able to… Continue reading Joint statement about vaccinations
Majority of nurseries in Wales fearing for their future
A snap poll by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Cymru shows that the average day nursery has only two thirds of the number of children attending compared with last year prompting real concerns about their financial sustainability. One in five families were keeping their children at home either over fears about the virus or because… Continue reading Majority of nurseries in Wales fearing for their future