Regions: England

Many MPs expressed their concerns about the impact of the National Insurance Contributions rise on nurseries and private childcare providers in a Parliamentary debate (17 December). But Exchequer Secretary James Murray dismissed the issues, referring to increased funding. Ahead of the debate, NDNA had briefed many MPs including Conservative MP Gareth Davies who quoted NDNA… Continue reading MPs spoke about nursery issues in National Insurance Contributions debate

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its latest Childcare and early years providers survey: 2024, detailing statistics on the characteristics of early years providers in England.   The annual survey provides information about early years provider characteristics, the number of childcare places and children attending provision plus details relating to staffing (including qualifications) and fees.    … Continue reading Latest provider statistics show PVI sector crucial to expansion  

The Department for Education has published the funding rates for April 2025-26 but these won’t include an uplift to account for the increase in National Insurance Contributions announced in the October Budget.   The average funding rate for three and four-year-olds – which has the most impact on nurseries as there are more funded three and… Continue reading England funding rates 2025-26: won’t factor in National Insurance Contributions  

Scotland’s Finance Secretary Shona Robison reported on the Budget in Holyrood this week. For early years, the main features of the Budget were: Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Scotland said: “While it’s vital that all children especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to high quality early learning and… Continue reading Scottish Budget – funding to continue childcare support for priority families

The Department for Education (DfE) has published new data showing that children were improving at the end of reception year, although maths and literacy are still the areas where they need the most help.  The EYFS profile results for 2023-24 In individual areas of learning, the most children reached their expected level in physical development… Continue reading EYFS profile results: Children making steady progress  

NDNA briefed MPs ahead of the Second Reading of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill 2024-25 which was debated this week.   The brief detailed the impact of NICs changes on the Early Education and Childcare Sector, highlighting issues such as an average nursery will face additional staffing costs of around £40,000 per… Continue reading MPs debate the impact of NICs changes on employers  

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its recent Pulse surveys of childcare and early years providers revealing that almost half of group-based providers do not have sufficient funding to cover their costs.  The DfE has been conducting provider pulse surveys since 2020 to gather findings relating to the childcare and early years sector.  The… Continue reading DfE research reveals funding to early years providers is insufficient  

Ofsted has released a report detailing the number of childcare providers and their most recent inspection outcomes as at 31 August 2024.  The number of childcare providers registered with Ofsted was down by 2% due to a drop in the number of childminders.  The number of registered childminders fell by 1,060 and the total number… Continue reading Latest Ofsted data shows a fall in the number of childcare providers

The Chancellor announced that education spending would be prioritised in this week’s Budget which includes early years funding for the entitlement expansion.  Although there are some much-anticipated cuts along with tax increases expected in the Budget on Wednesday 30 October, this means that the £1.8bn already announced for the early years expansion is “protected”.  The… Continue reading Early years funding protected from Budget cuts 

New safeguarding measures which were the focus of a consultation earlier this year will be implemented from September 2025 to make sure the increase in places doesn’t reduce quality. These updates include safer recruitment practices and safer eating which the Department for Education consulted on between April and June.  They received 1470 responses to the… Continue reading New safeguarding changes to be implemented next year

The Department for Education is open for grant applications of up to £150,000 from state-funded schools to create a new nursery or expand an existing one. And they will be updating guidance on charging parents for meals and consumables.  This money is from a £15m pot which the Government believes could support 300 new school-based… Continue reading Eight weeks for schools to apply for school-based nursery grant 

Senior civil servants who attended an NDNA Talk event announced that the Government would be calling 15 and 30 hour childcare places “funded” and not “free”. Mike Davies, Deputy Director Early Years Markets, Strategy and Workforce and Suzanne Taylor, Stakeholder Lead School-based Nursery Division from the Department for Education gave updates on their latest projects… Continue reading DfE: it’s official childcare places will be called “funded” not “free”

Government ministers announced various policies at the annual conference which will impact on nurseries in England.  These include business rates reform, breakfast clubs in all primary schools and new nurseries in schools.   Early years was a hot topic, discussed in many of the fringe events.  The Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the review of business rates… Continue reading Labour Party Conference: breakfast clubs and nurseries in schools  

From this week, nurseries across England are welcoming children as young as nine months old into their settings on funded 15-hour places. This is the second phase of the childcare expansion announced by the previous Chancellor at the Budget in March 2023. Working parents with young children can take up their place from the term… Continue reading Landmark as nurseries welcome funded nine month old children for the first time