early years alliance - Under 5 news

The LEGO Group, Early Years �� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:58:38 +0000

The LEGO Group, Early Years �� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country

We are delighted to be working with the LEGO Group and in association with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to deliver LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the whole of the country.

As part of their participation in the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, the LEGO Group are donating 3,000 sets of Build Me Emotions DUPLO sets, designed to help children to explore their emotions in a playful way. The Build Me Emotions sets will be accompanied by virtual training tools that are being developed to support best practice across early years providers.

The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce published a report this Summer which identified five opportunities where businesses can have real impact. Strengthening social and emotional development was one of these areas. More information about the Taskforce’s work and the donation is available here and here.

This initiative is also being supported by our sister organisations Early Years Scotland, Early Years Wales and Early Years in Northern Ireland, who will work in partnership with the LEGO Group and the Royal Foundation in their respective nations.

The organisations involved are particularly keen to deliver as many sets as possible to children from more disadvantaged areas and communities. If you feel this would apply to the families attending your early years provision, we would strongly encourage you to take up this offer.

How can you claim your LEGO set?

There are a fixed number of Build Me Emotions sets available for early years providers, on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the limited number of sets, please note that there is only one set per provider setting available.

The first available opportunity to collect a set will be at Childcare & Education EXPO, taking place at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September 2024. You will need to register for a free ticket to attend, which you can do here.

If you are planning to attend this conference, you can register your interest in reserving a set by filling out this form and completing the requested information. Please be aware that completing the form does not guarantee that your setting will be allocated a set. Sets will be allocated on a first-come first served basis.

Once you have submitted your form, you will receive an email confirming whether or not a set had been reserved for you and, if so, how and when to collect it from the Early Year �� stand at the EXPO.

If you would like to register your interest in receiving a set but will not be attending the EXPO, please contact LEGOearlychildhood@o365.corp.LEGO.com quoting your OFSTED Unique Reference Number/ Care Inspectorate Wales Registration number/Service Provider Number in Scotland/HSCT Childcare Provider Number (as applicable) in your email.

Those providers who do receive a set will receive further details via email of the accompanying online training tools.

We are delighted to be able to work with the LEGO Group and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on this fantastic initiative, which we believe will act as a crucial intervention to support the improvement of social and emotional development skills across the country.

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Response to Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation published on heels of change to inspection judgements

jessica.gibson_EYA — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:50:13 +0000

Response to Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation published on heels of change to inspection judgements

by Jess Gibson

Ofsted has today published its response to the Big Listen consultation, announcing a raft of upcoming changes to its inspections and approach.

The Big Listen – a consultation seeking views on Ofsted's work across the education and care sectors, including the early years – collected a total of 16,033 responses, 783 of which were early years-specific from families, while 1,152 came from early years organisations.

The inspectorate's response includes several sector-specific proposals, including scrapping one-word inspection judgements, introducing a report-card system, developing more nuanced reporting of the strengths of providers, and introducing a reformed inspection framework. This will be better suited to the early years.

Other proposals highlighted by Ofsted in its response to the consultation include:

the introduction of the Ofsted Academy to improve training for inspectors

the creation of a single point of contact within Ofsted for early years

support for government plans to meet demand for early education and childcare places by streamlining the registration process for providers.

Ofsted intends to use the findings from its Best Start in Life research – the third instalment of which is due to be published this autumn – alongside the consultation to shape and implement these changes.

It also aims to align such changes with the government’s plans for early language interventions, raising the standards of maths teaching across nurseries and preschools, and ensuring that early years practice includes a rich diet of texts being read to children to prioritise.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: "It’s very positive to see that Ofsted has both acknowledged the wide-ranging challenges facing the sector and put in place several measures to address these, including – in collaboration with the Department for Education – the eventual scrapping of one-word judgements.  

"We know early educators go above and beyond to deliver high-quality care and education, but Ofsted inspections have long been a cause of significant stress across the sector. As such, we welcome proposals to recognise the importance of educators in the development of a more nuanced reporting of the strengths of providers. 

"That said, for these proposals to make certain that inspections are a collaborative and supportive process, today must mark the start – not the end – of Ofsted's engagement with the sector. This is especially important given plans to review the early years inspection framework and apply it more flexibly to different types of settings.

"Let's not be under any illusion: there is a long way to go to transform the relationship between the inspectorate and early years providers, but we are hopeful that today marks the first step in a renewed approach." 

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Headline Ofsted judgements dropped for schools with early years set to follow at 'a later date’

jessica.gibson_EYA — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:13:27 +0000

Headline Ofsted judgements dropped for schools with early years set to follow at 'a later date’

by Jess Gibson

Single-word Ofsted judgements will be scrapped for schools "with immediate effect" to “boost school standards and increase transparency for parents”, the government has announced today.

The announcement states that the removal of headline judgements for other settings inspected by Ofsted – including early years providers – is set to follow, saying: "The removal of single headline grades for other settings inspected by Ofsted – namely independent schools, early years settings, colleges, children’s social care providers, and initial teacher training – will follow."

Though it has not yet been confirmed when this change will be extended to the early years, the Department for Education (DfE) says: "The DfE and Ofsted will work in partnership with the sector over the next year to develop alternative inspection and regulation arrangements that maintain a strong focus on quality and standards, whilst responding to feedback on what needs to change. New arrangements will take account of the unique characteristics of the sector but will broadly reflect the report card approach that is being taken for schools."

The DfE also highlighted that, as it stands, settings' ability to receive early entitlement funding is linked to their most recent overall effectiveness rating, adding: "We are considering whether any amendment is required to the regulations governing the early education and childcare entitlements and plan to provide further information and guidance by the time any new inspections from September 2024 onwards publish their reports."

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: "We know that Ofsted inspections are the single biggest source of stress for early years providers, with our research showing that the vast majority of settings are in support of the removal of single-word judgements. As such, confirmation that this change will also apply to the early years sector is undoubtedly positive and is likely to be warmly welcomed by providers across the country.

"That said, it remains disappointing that despite the fact that this policy change will ultimately impact the entirety of the education sector, today's announcement was almost entirely focused on schools.

"While we recognise that there are additional considerations that must be taken into account for the early years – such as the fact that Ofsted judgements are currently linked to early entitlement funding eligibility – it remains vital that this change is also applied to our sector as soon as possible.

"As we have said time and time again, education doesn't begin and end with schools. We therefore urge both the Department for Education and Ofsted to ensure that as this process of change begins, early years are treated as a priority."

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Second phase of early entitlement expansion begins amid uncertainty

jessica.gibson_EYA — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:36:17 +0000

Second phase of early entitlement expansion begins amid uncertainty

by Jess Gibson

The future of the early entitlement expansion rollout remains uncertain without further government support, the Early Years �� has warned.

The second phase of the expansion, which will see eligible families of children aged nine months and over able to access 15 funded hours of early education and childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year, began on 2 September 2024 alongside the start of the new academic year.

However, the viability of the offer, which is set to increase to 30 hours per week for eligible children aged nine months and above from September 2025, is being called into question amid staff shortages and the struggle to accommodate the number of child places needed to fulfil demand.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: "With early entitlement hours now available for eligible children aged nine months and over, even more families are understandably expecting to make use of the offer. However, at the ��, we know that for many the reality is likely to be very different.   

"As our own research shows, settings simply do not have the capacity to meet the likely surge in demand, with 78% of settings struggling to recruit and more than a third actively considering leaving the sector. On top of this, years of underfunding has made it increasingly difficult for providers to deliver enough high-quality early years places using funding alone, prompting many to limit intake or increase fees for hours that fall outside of the expansion just to keep their doors open.   

"Despite now being at the midway point of the expansion, the success of the rollout remains incredibly uncertain. As such, we hope the government is not just listening to the concerns of the sector but puts in place swift and meaningful action to address the historic levels of underfunding and the sector’s severe staffing crisis. And, at the ��, we look forward to continuing to work with them to make certain that this is not just a policy priority but a reality."

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Families may not get first choice of early years places, government warns

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:54:39 +0000

Families may not get first choice of early years places, government warns

By Shannon Pite

Families hoping to access the extended entitlement offers may not receive all the hours they were promised or be able to access their first-choice provider, the education secretary has warned.

Writing in The Sun, Bridget Phillipson accused the previous Conservative government of “recklessly rush[ing] through a childcare pledge without a plan to carry it out”. She confirmed that the 2025 early entitlement expansion will go ahead, but warned that “it won’t be the sunlit uplands promised by the Tories” and that “in some parts of the country, while parents may receive the hours they were promised, they might not get their first choice of nursery or childminder”.

The education secretary said: “There’s a big shortage of staff and places: the government’s spending watchdog has said that to deliver the rollout, in some parts of the country we will need to double or even triple capacity to deliver the additional hours.” According to Department for Education (DfeE estimates, 40,000 additional educators and around 85,000 new places are required for the expanded offer rollout by September 2025.

A National Audio Office report published earlier this year found that, according to feedback collected by the DfE in March 2024,while 82% of local authorities were confident there were in enough places to meet increased demand in April 2024, this falls to just 34% for September 2024 and 9% for September 2025.

Bridget Phillipson has said that she will setting out the government’s plans to use spare primary school classrooms to create extra places and to recruit more staff by relaunching the DfE’s recruitment campaign over the coming weeks and months.

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One in four children not toilet-trained before school, charity warns

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 14:11:06 +0000

One in four children not toilet-trained before school, charity warns

By Shannon Pite

One in four children due to start school in September are not toilet trained, the children’s bowel and bladder charity ERIC has warned.

According to a report by early years charity Kindred, school staff are diverting 2.5 hours a day, on average, away from teaching and towards supporting children who are not toilet-trained. The report also found that 50% of parents think they are solely responsible for toilet-training their child, while one in five parents think children do not need to be toilet-trained before starting reception.

Juliette Rayner, CEO of ERIC, said: “The longer-term impact of the pandemic and cuts in recent years to many services have resulted in a lot more pressure on families and the professionals who support them, and this is affecting outcomes for children.

“There are many contributing factors that can impact a child’s ability to be toilet trained before school, and there is often a great deal of stigma and shame associated with it. As a charity, our aim is to offer a judgement-free source of advice and information to ensure that as many children as possible receive the support they need to be toilet trained for school.”

ERIC has launched a new campaign, All Aboard the Toilet Train, that aims to help more children get ready to use the toilets independently at school. More information about the campaign is available here.

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Survey reveals tackling low pay and workforce morale key to recruitment and retention in early years

jessica.gibson_EYA — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 13:09:44 +0000

Survey reveals tackling low pay and workforce morale key to recruitment and retention in early years

by Jess Gibson

Addressing poor pay and valuing the workforce are key to tackling the early years staffing crisis, according to a new survey by the Early Years ��.

The survey, which was carried out online between 10 and 19 July 2024 and received 889 responses, found that 78% of settings have found it difficult to recruit staff in the last year, with almost half (48%) finding it ‘very difficult’.    

Almost a third of respondents (61%) reported that staff from their setting had left the sector entirely over the previous six months, while 82% had seen an increase in the number of staff members leaving the sector compared to two years ago. 

The survey also revealed that in the six months prior, 50% of respondents have had to limit or stop taking on new children, while 17% have reduced or restricted their opening hours.

Around four in 10 respondents (37%) said they are actively considering leaving the sector themselves; however, of those, 82% also said that feeling more valued by government would make them reconsider leaving, while 80% said the same of better pay and 53% of improved benefits such as sick pay.  

These findings come just a month before the next phase of the early entitlement expansion, which will offer 15 hours per week of funded early years provision to eligible children aged nine months and older.

In response to the survey results, the �� is calling on the government to: 

determine and publish a set of pay ambitions for the early years sector in England, setting out what it considers to be suitable salary ranges for each role level in the sector – and to ensure that early entitlement funding is set and maintained at an adequate level to enable early years settings to meet those salary expectations.

ensure that the early years is consistently recognised and valued as an education profession.

ensure there are clear and consistent career pathways into and through the sector, as well as funded training and CPD opportunities.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: “It’s incredibly concerning, but sadly not at all surprising, that not only are so many settings continuing to struggle to recruit, but also, a significant proportion of experienced educators are actively considering leaving the sector.  

“As these findings show, staffing challenges have already pushed many providers to limit both places and hours offered. With less than a month before the next phase of the early entitlement expansion, it’s clear just how critical the need to address the sector’s staffing crisis is.  

“But while there is no silver bullet to the sector’s staffing crisis, what today’s findings also show is that this is not an insurmountable challenge. Working in the early years has the potential to be one of the best jobs in the world, and as our results show, valuing the early years sector and, crucially, ensuring that educators can receive a salary which reflects the importance of the work they do are key to attracting and retaining educators in the coming years. 

“At the ��, we know just how passionate, dedicated and skilled the early years workforce is – but the fact is that for far too long, these educators have been undervalued, under-appreciated and underpaid as a result of years of underfunding alongside policies that have failed to acknowledge the importance of the work they do day-in and day-out.  

“As such, we hope that the new government will take urgent action on this crucial issue and work with the sector to develop and implement a comprehensive workforce plan: one that recognises the need to improve retention as well as recruitment and, at long last, tackles the issue of low sector pay. We look forward to working with them to make this a reality.”  

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Report states early years settings ‘essential’ to driving earlier SEND intervention and support

jessica.gibson_EYA — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:49:10 +0000

Report states early years settings ‘essential’ to driving earlier SEND intervention and support

by Jess Gibson

The early years sector is “well placed to act as the foundation of an inclusive education system”, according to an independent report by ISOS Partnership.

The report, Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England, was commissioned by The County Councils Network and Local Government Association to identify the issues facing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and propose a series of recommendations to reform it.

It highlights that more children and young people than ever before are being identified as having SEND, which, combined with other factors – such as a “squeeze on public resources”, a hard-to-navigate system, and inadequate funding – is leading to poorer outcomes for children.

However, the report states that “attending an early years setting is likely to be the first opportunity to identify, assess and put in place support” to meet children’s needs, with obtaining the right SEND support for children in the early years “essential to driving a systematic approach to earlier intervention with a view to preventing needs from escalating later in a child’s education”.

This is evidenced by the recent evaluation of Sure Start from the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), which found lower rates of education health and care plans (EHCPs) in young people aged 16 who had lived near a Sure Start centre, compared with those who had not.

Despite this finding, the acute recruitment and retention challenges in the early years sector, in addition to issues around access to SEND training and expertise, mean that “well-targeted early intervention and a fully-inclusive early years offer” aren’t often available.

The report concludes that the SEND system – from early years and beyond – should be reformed to overcome the range of challenges it faces and to improve the outcomes for children with SEND.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: “The Local Government Association and the County Councils Network are absolutely right to highlight the plethora of challenges facing SEND provision in the early years and beyond.

“Nurseries, pre-schools and childminding professionals are committed to delivering high-quality care and education to children with SEND, but they continue to be faced with a system that is complex, inconsistent, and slow, underpinned by inadequate funding that continuously falls short of meeting providers’ and families’ needs.

“Now, with the sector in the midst of the early entitlement expansion, the need to ensure that every child – especially those with special needs and/or disabilities – can benefit from early years provision has never been greater.

“As such, we hope that the new government has this high up on their list of priorities, and we look forward to working with them to ensure that the early years are central to any plans to improve SEND provision”.

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DfE statistics show continued difficulties with early years places and costs

jessica.gibson_EYA — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 11:59:09 +0000

DfE statistics show continued difficulties with early years places and costs

by Jess Gibson

Parents of children under four cite ongoing concerns with the affordability and availability of early years places in a survey from the Department for Education (DfE).

Released today, the publication – Childcare and early years survey of parents 2023 – provides information on a survey of parents with children from birth to 14. It covers parents’ use of childcare and early years provision, and their views and experiences

The report found that over a third (37%) of families with pre-school-aged children said there weren’t enough places.

In addition, 46% have called for childcare and early education to be made more affordable, with 34% of parents with children under four finding it difficult or very difficult to meet their childcare costs – the highest proportion since 2014.

Further findings from the publication also show that, among families with children from birth to four years:

· 57% living in the most deprived areas received formal childcare, compared to 74% in the least deprived areas.

· 18% were more likely to say that they hadn’t used childcare because they couldn’t afford it.

· 6% were more likely to say that they had not used childcare because they couldn’t find a childcare place as local providers were full.

The full set of statistics and findings can be found here.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years ��, said: “Today’s survey results clearly show the significant cost and availability challenges families continue to face when it comes to early years provision.

"With 46% of families of pre-school-aged children calling for early education and childcare to be made more affordable, a third finding costs difficult to meet, and more than a third stating that there are not enough places, it's clear that urgent action needs to be taken. We know that providers are doing their best to meet demand while ensuring that places are also affordable and high quality, but sustained underfunding and longstanding staffing challenges are making this close to impossible for countless settings.

"Given that the sector is in the midst of the early entitlement expansion, it is absolutely vital that the government engages with the sector to ensure that every family can benefit from access to early education and year. Without this, families will continue to find it difficult to find and afford early years provision."

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Nearly nine in 10 parents of under-fives worried for their children’s future life chances, survey reveals

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:49:32 +0000

Nearly nine in 10 parents of under-fives worried for their children’s future life chances, survey reveals

By Shannon Pite

Parents of young children are not getting the support they need to give children the best possible start in life, new research from children’s charity UNICEF UK has warned.

According to a survey conducted by the charity, 87% of parents of babies, toddlers and children under five saying that they are worried about their children's future life chances, with 66% warning that the cost-of-living crisis had negatively impacted their family, and 63% reporting that they are struggling with their mental health while being a parent.

The report also found that 62% of parents surveyed say that childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing parents, while 25% have had to borrow money/gone into debt to make ends meet/pay for essentials.

UNICEF UK is calling on the new government to do more for young families and commit to a National Baby and Toddler Guarantee, which would mean every baby, toddler, and child under five years gets the support and services they need to thrive in their earliest years and beyond. This would include:

Increasing financial support to families, including ending the two-child limit and removing the benefits cap,
Guaranteeing every child a place in a local, affordable, and quality early education and care setting,
Ensuring every parent with a young child can access mental health support when they need it.

Commenting, Joanna Rea, director of advocacy for the UNICEF UK said: “Investment in children, families, and the early years sector will not only transform the lives of millions living on low incomes, helping children to get a fair start in life that sets them up with the skills they need to succeed, but it will also benefit all children and everyone in society.

“Childhood lasts a lifetime. It is the early years when we have the best chance to set children up with the skills they need to succeed in life, and why it is so important for the Government and society to support parents and help provide the best childhood for everyone, no matter who they are, or where they are born.”

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early years alliance - Under 5 news

The LEGO Group, Early Years ������������� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country

The LEGO Group, Early Years ������������� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country

Response to Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation published on heels of change to inspection judgements

Response to Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation published on heels of change to inspection judgements

Headline Ofsted judgements dropped for schools with early years set to follow at 'a later date’

Headline Ofsted judgements dropped for schools with early years set to follow at 'a later date’

Second phase of early entitlement expansion begins amid uncertainty

Second phase of early entitlement expansion begins amid uncertainty

Families may not get first choice of early years places, government warns

Families may not get first choice of early years places, government warns

One in four children not toilet-trained before school, charity warns

One in four children not toilet-trained before school, charity warns

Survey reveals tackling low pay and workforce morale key to recruitment and retention in early years

Survey reveals tackling low pay and workforce morale key to recruitment and retention in early years

Report states early years settings ‘essential’ to driving earlier SEND intervention and support

Report states early years settings ‘essential’ to driving earlier SEND intervention and support

DfE statistics show continued difficulties with early years places and costs

DfE statistics show continued difficulties with early years places and costs

Nearly nine in 10 parents of under-fives worried for their children’s future life chances, survey reveals

Nearly nine in 10 parents of under-fives worried for their children’s future life chances, survey reveals

The LEGO Group, Early Years �� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country

The LEGO Group, Early Years �� and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood join forces to distribute LEGO® Education sets to early years providers across the country