Childcare News
Is This Level 3 SEND Course Right for You?
Considering a Level 3 SEND early years qualification?
Harvest Festival Activities: The Ultimate Path to Autumn Fun
Harvest festival activities for children across the EYFS. Practical nursery ideas for sensory play, crafts, maths and family involvement.
How to Become a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner
See what the Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship covers, module by module
Level 3 EYE: The Ultimate Boost for Your Early Years Career
Explore the Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship, including our fast-track route. See what you'll learn and how to apply.
5 Reasons to Start a Level 2 Practitioner Apprenticeship
Thinking about a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner apprenticeship? See what to expect, what you'll learn, and how Parenta can help.
Early Years Career Progression: A Proven Path to Leadership
See how early years career progression pathways work, from Level 2 through to leadership and SEND specialism.
International Youth Day UK 2026 – Why Early Years Matters
International Youth Day UK 2026 - Why Early Years is the Starting Point International Youth Day UK 2026 falls on Wednesday 12 August, and it's a date worth having in your diary if you work in childcare or early years. Established by the United...
Early Years Governance: Policies, Leadership and Advocacy
Early Years Governance: Policies, Leadership and Advocacy Why early years governance decides what your setting becomes Early years governance is the foundation on which everything else in your setting rests. Funded hours have expanded, and...
Beyond Readiness: Creating Environments Where Children Feel They Belong
School readiness matters deeply - but whose readiness are we really measuring? A four-year-old child stands at the classroom door. Around the child, adults are focused on transition plans, routines, assessments and expectations. Everyone wants...
Emotional Regulation in Early Years – Movement, Play and Big Feelings
Supporting emotional regulation in early years settings is one of the most meaningful things a practitioner can do – and it starts with understanding what children are really communicating. Big emotions are a natural part of early childhood....
Dealing with Big Feelings
Dealing with big feelings in young children is one of the most demanding aspects of early years care. It is when children are at their most emotionally distressed, furious, frustrated, fearful, over-excited or otherwise out of control that...
Musical Games in the Early Years: It’s Only a Game!
Musical games in the early years are one of the most powerful tools in any practitioner's toolkit - giving children immediate, joyful feedback on rhythm, listening, and co-ordination without a worksheet in sight. Gamification has been called a...
Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month in Your Early Years Setting
South Asian Heritage Month gives early years settings the perfect chance to bring colour, culture and conversation into everyday practice. July is South Asian Heritage Month – and it’s a wonderful opportunity for early years settings to open a...
Safer Sleep Guidance in Early Years: What’s Changed and What Ofsted Will Now Inspect
Safer sleep guidance in early years is changing - and if you care for babies or children under 2 in your setting, you need to know exactly what's new. In March 2026, early education minister Olivia Bailey confirmed that the government is writing...
Child Safety Week: Early Years Best Practices
Child Safety Week - Turning Awareness into Everyday Practice in Early Years Child Safety Week 2026 runs from 1st to 7th June, led by the Child Accident Prevention Trust. For early years professionals, this isn’t simply another awareness campaign...
Smarter, faster observation and assessment techniques in early years
Smarter, faster observation and assessment techniques in early years Observation and assessment involve watching, listening to, and reflecting on what children do as they play, learn and interact and are central to early years practice. They...
Supporting your staff and apprentices with SEND to thrive
Supporting Staff with SEND When we think about SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), our focus is often, quite rightly, on the children in our care. However, SEND does not stop at childhood. Children with ADHD, autism or dyslexia,...
Keeping your nursery safe from cyber threats
Keeping your nursery safe from cyber threats In today’s early years settings, safeguarding is no longer just about physical safety. Increasingly, it also means protecting the digital information we hold about children, families and...
2026 DBS guide for early years professionals
2026 DBS guide for early years professionals In early years settings, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. One of the key ways we protect children is by ensuring that the adults working with them are suitable, safe, and...
Oral health in the early years: promoting healthy smiles for life
Oral health in the early years: promoting healthy smiles for life Good oral health in young children is much more than just teaching them how to brush their teeth. Healthy mouths support so much more growing up, such as eating,...
Early Years Well-being Week and Mental Health Awareness Week: supporting children, families and practitioners
Early Years Well-being Week and Mental Health Awareness Week Two important events in the early years calendar are Mental Health Awareness Week (12–18 May 2026) and Early Years Well-being Week (typically held in October). Both provide valuable...
Understanding and Addressing Racial Bias in Early Years Settings
Understanding and Addressing Racial Bias in Early Years Settings Racial bias is an uncomfortable but essential topic to address. Early years settings play a powerful role in shaping children’s understanding of themselves and others, beginning...
Self-evaluation for early years educators
Self-evaluation for early years educators In early years education, we focus on observing and assessing children’s development. But how often do we pause and turn that same thoughtful lens back onto ourselves? The practice of self-evaluation is...
Outdoors and reconnecting with nature
Reconnecting with nature and the outdoors The simple act of stepping outdoors can feel surprisingly powerful, especially in a world that is increasingly fast-paced and digital. For young children, the outdoors is not just a place to let off...
Narrowing the development gap in early years post-pandemic
Narrowing the development gap in early years post-pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on children’s development, disrupting early learning, social interaction and family life with lockdowns and restrictions on movement and...
Celebrating Eid al-Adha in Early Years Settings
Celebrating Eid al-Adha in Early Years Settings A practical guide for inclusive, meaningful practice Eid al-Adha (evening of 26th May to 30th May) is one of the most significant festivals in the Islamic calendar, celebrated by millions of...
Uganda Nursery School Project: UK Charity Builds 7th School
UK Charity to Build New Nursery School in Uganda for Local Children Hundreds of young children in rural Uganda who currently learn in temporary structures are set to benefit from a new purpose-built nursery school. Funded by the UK charity...
Do Babies Belong in Schools?
The early years sector is no stranger to change. Over the past few years, we’ve seen reforms to funding, ratios, qualifications and curriculum expectations. Now, another question is gaining momentum both online and in staffrooms up and down the...
Easter around the world: Traditions to share with children
Easter is celebrated in many ways around the world. For some people, it’s an important religious festival, while for others it’s a time to welcome the changing season, spend time with family and enjoy long-standing traditions. For those working...
Mentoring in the workplace: Supporting apprentices, practitioners and leaders
The early years sector continues to face significant workforce challenges, including recruitment pressures, retention difficulties and increasing professional demands. In this climate, mentoring is not a luxury but a strategic tool that settings...
Ofsted updates: A reminder of what you need to know
Ofsted inspections have long played an important role in maintaining standards across the early years sector. They provide reassurance for parents, accountability for providers, and guidance for improvement. However, in recent years, the...
Succession planning
Across the early years sector, many settings are facing increasing workforce challenges - succession planning being one of them. Recruitment remains difficult, staff retention can be unpredictable, and experienced leaders are often carrying...
The ‘hidden curriculum’ or what children really learn when we are not ‘teaching’
When we think about learning in early years settings, we often focus on planned activities, structured play, and the areas of learning set out in curriculum guides and the EYFS. Practitioners carefully plan experiences that support children’s...
Early years staffing crisis: New national solution launched
Parenta, one of the UK’s leading early years training and solutions providers, has successfully launched its Early Years Workforce Stability Framework alongside the Abacus Advantage™ System at the Childcare & Education Expo in London...
National Careers Week
National Careers Week (NCW) is a brilliant annual opportunity to spotlight careers, inspire ambition and make careers guidance part of everyday conversations in schools, colleges and workplaces across the UK. This year NCW runs from 2nd to 7th...
Eid 2026 in the Early Years
How to support your team and celebrate with children in meaningful, inclusive ways Eid is one of the most important celebrations in the Muslim calendar and a special time for many families and educators in the early years sector. In 2026,...
Getting Professionalism in Practice Right
Getting Professionalism in Practice Right Early years education is sometimes described as “just childcare” by people who do not work in the sector and who really have no idea of what it involves. Those of us in early years know how far from the...
Lunar New Year in Early Years: Celebrating Culture, Curiosity and the Year of the Fire Horse
Lunar New Year is a brilliant opportunity to bring colour, curiosity and cultural learning into your early years setting. It’s a celebration observed by millions of families around the world, including communities connected to countries such as...
Naming Feelings, Growing Minds: Emotional literacy for early years
Why Emotional Literacy in Early Years Matters - In early years, we place great importance on children’s communication, physical development and early learning skills. Yet one of the most influential areas of development (their emotional...
Love of books in early years – Why it Matters
Why a love of books in early years matters Love of Books in Early Years Through Stories - Valentine’s Day is often associated with love cards, hearts and kindness, but it also offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate something equally...
Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week: Skills for Life and Long-Term Growth
Why Early Years Apprenticeships Are the Answer National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) runs from 9th to 15th February 2026 and celebrates the difference apprenticeships make to people, businesses and communities across the UK. It’s a time for...
Making the most of EYPP: Supporting disadvantaged and SEND children
Early Years Pupil Premium - plays a vital role in reducing inequality before it becomes entrenched. For some children, disadvantage begins long before they start school, shaped by factors such as poverty, unstable housing, limited access to...
Positive Relationships in Early Years – Why the key person approach is so powerful!
Building Positive Relationships in Early Years Settings - children learn through connection and relationships. Before they can confidently explore, take risks, communicate or manage feelings, they need to feel safe and secure. That sense of...
Reflective Practice in Early Years
Reflective practice in early years settings means observation is something you do all day long – who is struggling to settle, who is fascinated by the blocks, who always hangs back at tidy-up time? Reflective practice is what turns those...
Why Neurodiversity in Early Years Matters
Every child brings a unique blend of strengths, preferences, sensitivities and ways of learning to our settings. Some children thrive in busy spaces, others need more time to warm up. Some communicate confidently with words, while others prefer...
Resetting Nursery Culture for the New Year
Resetting nursery culture is especially important in January, which marks a midway point in the academic year, combined with the start of the calendar year, and offers a natural moment to pause, take stock and realign your nursery culture after...
Building Confidence Through Play
Building confidence through play is something we see every day in early years settings. Have you ever watched young mammal cubs playing? They move, explore, chase, test and repeat actions over and over. They don’t sit down to formal lessons;...
EAL Support for Young Children
Support young children with EAL through inclusive, language-rich early years practice. Discover strategies that build confidence and communication.
National Career Development Month
Celebrate National Career Development Month by supporting early years staff with training, apprenticeships, flexible working, and professional growth.
The Rise Of Malnutrition In UK Children
Malnutrition in UK children is rising, often hidden by obesity. Learn signs, causes, and practical ways early years settings can support healthy growth.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Support Breast Cancer Awareness this October with Wear It Pink! Join fun pink-themed events, raise vital funds, and show solidarity for life-saving research.
Staying Compliant With Safeguarding Policies
Stay compliant with EYFS 2025 and KCSIE 2025 safeguarding policies. Learn key steps for policies, training, safer recruitment, and child protection.
Childcare Ratios: September 2025 Changes
From September 2025, early years staffing rule changes affect who counts in ratios. Learn the new requirements and EBR criteria to stay compliant.
Why Early Childhood Development Matters
Discover why the first 1,000 days are crucial for early years development. Learn how care and parent partnerships build strong foundations for life.
Recycle Week 2025: Impacting Little Lives
Celebrate Recycle Week 2025 in your early years setting with fun, child-friendly activities that build eco-habits and engage parents in recycling.
Evidence-Based Insights in Early Years
Explore evidence-based strategies to support early years education, with insights from EEF evaluations on language, maths, and child development.
Immunisation in the Early Years
Support childhood immunisation in early years settings by building trust, sharing clear info, and helping families make informed health decisions.
Weaning Children Off Dummies
Discover gentle, practical strategies for weaning children off dummies—supporting speech, confidence, and comfort in early years settings and at home.
UK Government’s Early Years Strategy Summary
A look at the UK Government’s early years strategy and what it means for settings, from Family Hubs to funded childcare and workforce development.
New Early Years Childcare Business Book – Childcare SuperHero – by Dr Allan Presland Becomes Instant Amazon Bestseller
Dr Allan Presland’s new book Childcare SuperHero hits #1 on Amazon, offering powerful business tools and stories to help early years providers thrive.
Mental Health: Top Tips for Educators
Taking care of your mental health isn’t a luxury – it’s essential. By incorporating small self-care practices into your daily routine and fostering a supportive community, you’re not only benefiting yourself but also setting a positive example...
Mental Health Support Starts in Your Setting
A few years ago, mental health was a taboo subject that very few people mentioned. Nowadays, thankfully, times have changed and everyone seems to be talking about their mental health. But does that mean that we all understand it, and what role...
Gender Balance in Early Years: Why It Matters
From the toys we offer to the words we use, children pick up on the gender messages they see and hear from a very early point. These influences shape their ideas about themselves and others which is why gender balance is such a vital...
Ofsted “The Best Start in Life” – Part 3
Ofsted “Best Start in Life” series looks at the things that make high-quality early years education and how practitioners can make sure that every child gets the strongest foundation for future learning. Ofsted “Best Start in Life” Part 1 looked...
Toddler Biting: How to Handle It Like a Pro!
Toddler biting is a common behaviour, often leaving childcare practitioners searching for the best ways to manage and prevent incidents. While it can be distressing for both the child who bites and the one who is bitten, biting is usually a...
Embrace International Family Equality Day!
International Family Equality Day (IFED) takes place on the first Sunday of May, with the next celebration on 4th May 2025. It began as a way to support LGBT families and promote their rights but has since grown into a global celebration of all...
Ofsted 3 I’s: What You Must Know!
Ofsted's 3 I's Explained: What Every Setting Must Know During an Ofsted visit, one of the key things inspectors want to understand is how you plan, deliver, and evaluate your curriculum. This is often framed around the 3 Is - Intent,...
Parenta Supports Healthy Eating In Early Years With Free Fruit And Veg Boxes
Parenta, the UK’s largest training provider for the early years sector, and a leading provider of nursery management software is strengthening its support for early years professionals by helping them embrace a healthier lifestyle. Every new...
Visit Parenta At The Childcare Expo – Exclusive Offers & Prizes Await
We’re thrilled to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Childcare Expo London on 28th February and 1st March 2025 at Olympia London. Come and visit our friendly team on Stand G8 to discover how much we can support you and your setting with...
The Expanding Free Childcare Scheme – Everything You Need To Know!
The UK government has recently introduced a new ‘free childcare’ scheme aimed at supporting working parents/carers and providing children with quality early education. This scheme is designed to alleviate the financial burden of childcare costs...
Changing Children’s Lives: Parenta Trust Opens Its 6th Pre-School In Eastern Africa
Over 230 additional children to receive an early years education in Rwanda each year The Parenta Trust, the Charitable arm of the Parenta Group of Companies, is proud to announce the opening of its 6th pre-school, the Wisdom Nursery School, in...
Changes In Early Years: Reflecting On 2024
An upcoming New Year is a time for reflection and new intentions in many aspects of life, and early years is no different. Taking stock of where we have made progress and where there is still work to do is necessary for continued improvement and...
AI Toys: Game-Changer Or Concern For Early Years Learning?
In many science fiction books and films, talking to a computer, and having it respond intelligently is an integral part of the story. Indeed, this genre has given us some truly memorable characters such as Hal in “2001: a space odyssey”; R2D2...
Safeguarding Updates For 2024: Changes And New Requirements
Safeguarding updates for 2024 - This September, the Department for Education's new statutory guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education wil come into force. This guidance states: all schools, including maintained nurseries, should read...
Retail To Early Years Educator: Parenta Has Been Featured In Nursery World
Parenta is proud to be featured in Nursery World magazine, highlighting the inspiring journey of one of our learners, Jade Stevens. From a retail job to becoming a Level 3 Early Years Educator, Jade's story showcases her dedication and success....
Early Years Funding: Parenta Secures Access To £28 Million To Support The Sector
Parenta Training, the UK’s largest early years training provider, has once again demonstrated its persistent commitment to the early years sector by securing access to a £28 million levy funding pot. This achievement will allow employers to...
Apprenticeship Provider Of The Year: Parenta Wins VTCT Award
VTCT Large Apprenticeship Provider Of The Year Parenta Training, the UK's largest provider of childcare apprenticeships, is proud to announce that it has been named the VTCT Large Apprenticeship Provider of the Year. This prestigious award...
Parenta’s Solution To The Early Years Staffing Crisis? A New Fast-Track Level 3 EYE Apprenticeship
The early years sector is facing a significant challenge; an additional 40,000 Level 3 qualified staff will be needed in the next three years to meet the increased demand from the Government's latest "free" offering. While this initiative is a...
The Impact Of New Staff Ratios In Early Years
In the March 2023 Budget, following a consultation with the industry, the Government announced changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) that would affect nurseries, childminders and group provisions. The changes were in response to...
Safeguarding Children In Educational Settings Made Easy
As early years practitioners, you will be only too aware that no single person can safeguard children. It is only when we understand that working together is of paramount importance that we can ensure the wellbeing, safety, and protection of...
Level 3 Childcare Apprenticeships The Ultimate Game-Changer
As childcare professionals, we strive for excellence and seek to cultivate top talent in our settings. While experience is invaluable, formal qualifications enhance our capabilities and empower staff for career growth, raising childcare...
Navigating Childcare Funding Streams in the UK: A Comprehensive Guide
In the realm of early years childcare in the United Kingdom, navigating the various childcare funding streams can be a complex journey for both childcare providers and parents. With the government's commitment to supporting families in accessing...
Your Path To Success: Thriving In Early Years Education
In a world where career choices are plentiful, the early years sector must be one of the most rewarding, for many reasons. Contrary to common belief, the industry offers much more than just modest salaries – and, in many cases, competitive...
Empathy Strategies for Early Years Educators
Leading early years solutions provider, Parenta, has released a free comprehensive guide on empathy strategies. Aimed at empowering apprentices and early years educators to help young children develop the crucial life skill of empathy. Training...
Transform Team Culture: Building Trust In The Nursery
Improving Team Culture In Early Years: Building Trust Between Colleagues Trusting relationships are at the heart of a positive team culture in the early years. Trust enables staff to authentically reflect together and in doing so, to get...
Safeguarding Simplified: Navigating the EYFS Statutory Framework
My name is Yvonne Sinclair from Safeguarding Support Limited. In this article, I will simplify safeguarding children around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. This latest framework came into force on 4th January 2024,...
Power of Play: Ways to Nurture Genuine Engagement
Unveiling The Magic: Embracing Genuine Play In Child Development In this article, taken from the course of the same name at the Nurturing Childhoods Academy, we are going to be reminding ourselves of the deep-rooted importance of play and how we...
Empowering Children: Nurturing Genuine Kindness Over People Pleasing
Childcare Insights: Nurturing Kindness With Compassion And Boundaries Throughout life, kindness has always been one of my core values: as a parent and teacher, I’ve always emphasised how important it is to be kind to others. In addition, as time...
Matrix Standard Success: Parenta Training Wins Excellence
Parenta Training, the UK’s largest training provider of childcare apprenticeships kicks off its 25th Anniversary year with a celebration of quality. Its first annual ‘continuous improvement check’ (CIC) since achieving matrix Standard...
Unlock Your Future: Level 2 Childcare Apprenticeship Success
When you choose to kickstart your career in childcare and embark on a Level 2 Childcare Apprenticeship, it's more than “just a job” and more than “just a childcare course” – it's a transformative adventure that brings so many benefits to both...