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
Regions: England
Is there more demand for childcare in your area?
Do you have concerns that your local schools are offering or planning to offer similar services to you which could impact negatively on your nursery/wraparound care business? Has your local school already put in an application? If this is likely to threaten your nursery services please contact [email protected] with more details as we are keeping a… Continue reading Is there more demand for childcare in your area?
Early years funding protected from Budget cuts
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 changes to be implemented next year
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
Eight weeks for schools to apply for school-based nursery grant
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
DfE: it’s official childcare places will be called “funded” not “free”
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”
Music training to support children with SEND
National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is delighted to be able to develop SEND Music training to support and improve the delivery of music sessions with nursery-aged children, specifically those with special educational needs and disabilities. NDNA will offer training to support 15 settings across five regions as part of an exciting new funded music training… Continue reading Music training to support children with SEND
Labour Party Conference: breakfast clubs and nurseries in schools
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
Nurseries continue to close as government-funded childcare expands
Nurseries in England continue to close at a time when the sector should be expanding to provide the 85,000 additional childcare places required by September 2025. This is when all children in working families will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare per week from nine months to starting school. Research by NDNA reveals that… Continue reading Nurseries continue to close as government-funded childcare expands
A further 800 settings to benefit from successful early maths intervention
Thousands of children in 800 early years settings across England will be able to benefit from an effective early maths intervention. Thanks to Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Department for Education’s Accelerator funding, practitioners in 800 additional nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools will be able to participate in the Maths Champions Programme. National Day… Continue reading A further 800 settings to benefit from successful early maths intervention
Large parts of UK classed as “childcare deserts”
A new report looking at childcare availability and accessibility in nine European countries and Australia showed England as being the second worst, next to France. Scotland was in the top three after two Nordic countries and Wales was mid-table. According to the report by Victoria University in Melbourne, 45% of England is a “childcare desert”,… Continue reading Large parts of UK classed as “childcare deserts”
Landmark as nurseries welcome funded nine month old children for the first time
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
Ofsted Big Listen response is published
Ofsted has published the results of their ‘Big Listen’, a comprehensive independent consultation across all their inspection remits, including early years. This was a day after the Government announced it is scrapping one-word judgements for schools with a promise to replace the existing system for early years providers in time. Following more than 20,000 responses… Continue reading Ofsted Big Listen response is published
PVI nurseries will be included in Ofsted reforms but not this year
Ofsted has announced that it will scrap one-word judgements for schools with immediate effect – but this will only include nurseries in schools and maintained nursery schools. All providers on the early years register – including private, voluntary and independent nurseries – will continue to receive the one-word judgements for this academic year. However, the… Continue reading PVI nurseries will be included in Ofsted reforms but not this year
Capital grant for childcare expansion reached very few providers nine months on
An investigation into the £100 million Childcare Expansion Capital Grant has found that less than 5% of the funds have been distributed, according to National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA). In a new investigation, NDNA discovered that 82.5% of the 114 local authorities who responded to its Freedom of Information (FOI) request had not yet distributed… Continue reading Capital grant for childcare expansion reached very few providers nine months on
More families struggling to find and pay for places
The Department for Education (DfE) has published its latest statistics Childcare and early years survey of parents 2023 showing that more families say there are not enough places locally In total, 37% of families with children aged up to four years old said not enough places were available, up from 28% in 2021 and the… Continue reading More families struggling to find and pay for places
New research shows early maths intervention gives children sustained progress
New analysis reveals that children who have participated in an early years maths programme gain from sustained progress in both maths and language development by the end of reception class. This progress is likely to be more marked for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has released its findings today which suggest… Continue reading New research shows early maths intervention gives children sustained progress
NDNA launches early education and care manifesto
National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) launched its early education and care sector manifesto Make the First Five Years Count today putting children at the centre of its priorities. In this manifesto, NDNA sets out its child-centric approach so the next Government understands how essential this sector is for children’s development and for the economy in… Continue reading NDNA launches early education and care manifesto
Labour responds to NDNA’s concerns about nurseries in schools plan
Labour’s Shadow Education Minister Bridget Phillipson has responded to NDNA’s concerns about Labour’s plans for early education and care in schools. In an interview on The Battle for Number 10: A Sky News Leaders’ Special, Labour Leader Keir Starmer said: “We want to create 100,000 new places for childcare, this is 3,000 nurseries around schools… Continue reading Labour responds to NDNA’s concerns about nurseries in schools plan
The week of the Manifestos
This week we’ve seen the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour party unveil their 2024 election manifestos including their key pledges to the early years and childcare. Here’s a summary. Liberal Democrats key manifesto points published 10 June Protect and support the rights and wellbeing of every child by: Give parents genuine flexibility and choice in… Continue reading The week of the Manifestos