Childcare News

The Living Wage Foundation has announced that the new threshold for the real living hourly wage in the UK has increased to £9.30 in the UK overall, and £10.75 in London. This equates to an increase of 30p per hour in the UK, and 20p in London....

Press release from Milton Hall Montessori Children, parents and staff at Milton Hall Montessori raised a fantastic £125.31 for BBC Children in Need this last week. The School raised the funds through selling raffle tickets to win a prize of a...

Press release from Bright Kids Group. Bright Kids Group has been helping to support Children in Need. They held a fancy dress day on Friday 15th November and staff and children donned their best bright, colourful and Pudsey outfits and collected...

Press release from Elmscot Hale Day Nursery & Nursery School. Elmscot Hale Day Nursery & Nursery School has become the first setting in Trafford to achieve Plastic Free status through the Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) scheme. SAS is a UK...

The children at Milton Hall have been talking about Remembrance Day and respecting the two-minute silence. They have made a wreath out of twigs, raffia, wrapped the wreath with red and green organza fabric with poppies made out of red card. The...

Press release from Elmscot Hale Day Nursery & Nursery School. A preschool child from Elmscot Hale Day Nursery & Nursery School has brought his money box into nursery and requested that all its contents are given to the Children in Need...

Last week, Gill Jones, Ofsted’s Deputy Director for Early Education, discussed how Ofsted looks at early reading and phonics teaching as part of its new inspections. She explains in her blog that the new EIF includes a reading ‘deep dive’. This...

The government has reverted to its original requirement of children being able to count to beyond 20 rather 10 whilst also removing shape, space and measure under its early learning goals overhaul. Its proposals for reception pupils’...

The DfE has published the results of its 2019 survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers. The survey which took place from March to July 2019 shows that there are an estimated 72,000 providers in England, offering 1.7 million Ofsted...

Press release from Bright Kids Nursery, Northfield. Children at a Birmingham nursery have been getting curious following the introduction of an initiative that inspires imaginative play in learning. Staff at Bright Kids Nursery, on Norman Road,...

The Department of Education has announced that it will continue its extra funding for maintained nursery schools. This investment will go towards ensuring nurseries and childminders can support some of the most disadvantaged children in their...

The government is allegedly considering extending funded childcare for two-year-olds to all working families in England. A report in The Sun newspaper stated that ministers are seeking new and improved ways to try and help working families who...

The number of four- and five-year-olds, at a "good level of development" at the end of their Reception year has risen for the fifth year in a row, demonstrating once again success in our early years settings. In 2019, 71.8% of children reached...

The Government’s report on the outcome of further education for 2016/2017 has been published with some encouraging statistics. The “Further education: outcome-based success measures, 2016/17” states that 76% of learners and apprentices continue...

Press release from Boys & Girls Nursery. Children from Boys & Girls Nursery welcomed some special little guests into their nursery when the Rangers from ZooLab came to visit to celebrate World Animal Day in October. The children were...

Transparency at last, as DfE ministers are told by the Information Commissioner today that they must reveal the calculation methods used for free and subsidised nursery places. This news will be welcomed with open arms by the early years sector....

It’s very important to teach children about different cultures and traditions, so we like to celebrate all kinds of special days and festivals at Milton Hall Montessori School. This week we all celebrated Diwali; the Hindu festival of light. ...

The Children’s Commissioner and other charities have called for England to follow Scotland’s lead in banning smacking. Last week Scotland became the first country in the UK to criminalise smacking, bringing in new legislation which will see...

Following a backlash from the local community, a nursery has been forced to return a counter-extremism grant from the Government. The Stoke-on-Trent nursery had been awarded a grant from the Home Office’s ‘Building a Stronger Britain Together’...

A mobile nursery based in a double-decker bus will launch next year, with the aim of supporting parents working in the performing arts. The idea for the bus was generated by businessman Mark Radcliffe and actress Charlotte Riley to help parents...

Press release from Milton Hall Montessori School Parents and children from Milton Hall Montessori school in Englefield Green collected dozens of items of food to donate to the elderly in Birchlands Care Home. On Wednesday. 9th October, the...

An industry poll has found that 27% of nursery managers and staff have seen a rise in children biting over the last 5 years. Some nursery managers have suggested that this is due to children having too much screen time and parents being too busy...

A report by the Government has found that families of children with SEND are being let down by the system set up to support them. It found that families needing an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their child are facing a delay of more...

Two years on from the tragedy, a nursery located at the foot of Grenfell Tower has rebuilt their setting in the most spectacular fashion. Grenfell Early Years, which cared for 40 children, was housed at the base of the tower and was cordoned off...

Press release from Elmscot Day Nurseries Nursery Managers and Practitioners of Elmscot Group Day Nurseries, Nursery Schools and Out-of-School Clubs across Cheshire have come together to show their support for World Mental Health Day....

Press release from Hungry Caterpillars We are so proud to announce that Kate, our wonderful Chef from our Chalfont St Peter Nursery has been shortlisted as a finalist for the NMT Nursery Chef 2019 Kate was secretly nominated by her team for her...

Press release from Little Adventurers Nursery. There is extra joy and much celebration at Little Adventurers Nursery, Upminster this week, having just won their 3rd Award this year! Their exceptionally talented Manager, Ginny Andreas said she...

From October, the rules governing how much can be deducted from Universal Credit payments will change. Currently, the Department for Work and Pensions can take up to 40% of this allowance to repay bills such as rent arrears, advance payments and...

In September 2017, the Government launched its flagship childcare scheme for working parents – increasing the number of funded hours to 30. Since the scheme’s launch, however, it has come to light that at least 306 nurseries have closed their...

Nursery’s ‘no-toy’ trial to be made permanent A nursery in Bristol has trialled having no toys for a month in a bid to see what effect it would have on the children. Ilminster Avenue Nursery School decided to swap traditional toys for everyday...

Press release from The Nursery Portishead. A local artist has created a garden mural for children at a Portishead Nursery. Children at The Nursery were excited to see characters, created by Tracie Fry, come to life on a metre high mural that has...

Tes reports that the proposed changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework would harm what is already a "world-class" set of guidelines. In a study produced by a coalition of 12 early years organisations, “Getting it right in the...

Kingswinford Police Station, which was shut down in 2017 due to budget cuts, will now become a crèche after planners from Dudley Council gave the go-ahead. As reported in Birmingham Live, the new setting will have space for 52 toddlers and...

Cheshire Day Nursery has been rated “outstanding” in their latest Ofsted inspection. In the report, the setting was praised for the atmosphere and the impact the staff have on children. The report issued by Ofsted, read: “All children are highly...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries, Portsmouth. Rated ‘Best Nursery in Portsmouth’ on Three Best Rated, Tops Day Nurseries have extended their nursery at the Queen Alexandra Hospital to provide additional spaces for families looking for...

Press release from Rope Green Farm Day Nursery. Rope Green Farm Day Nursery is very proud to announce that during our recent inspection on May 13th 2019 we received an Outstanding grade in all areas. Staff, parents and children are delighted...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. Tops Day Nurseries, based on the Isle of Wight College campus celebrated a recent accolade of becoming names the ‘South’s Nursery of the Year’ by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA). A garden...

Scotland decided to exempt nurseries from paying business tax rates in 2017, which started the following year. Derek Makay, Holyrood finance secretary, said that "Scotland has always been a leader in education and childcare, and this is the...

Reforms introduced five years ago to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are under review, the Department for Education has announced. The review aims to improve the services available to SEN...

A lot of changes have been made since Step Up Pre-School moved to their new setting in Dilton Marsh last February. Rachael Dean, manager and co-owner of the nursery, said to the Wiltshire Times: "We were very lucky to be approved for a grant to...

Press release from Bright Kids Nursery in Crabbs Cross. Bright Kids Nursery in Crabbs Cross celebrated its 18th birthday by throwing a party on Friday 30th August. Children, staff and parents past and present enjoyed a Greatest Showman themed...

We’ve been waiting with bated breath for Ofsted to announce the changes set to come into play; and on the 2nd Sept, a news article was released on the GOV.UK website, providing a brief outline of what these would be. The biggest change is the...

Children 1st @ Plumtree Nursery has raised a little over £1,400 at their summer fair for ‘Harry’s Giant Pledge’, an initiative set up for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, whilst also celebrating their 30th birthday. Unfortunately, cancer will...

Looking after children’s health and wellbeing is high on the agenda of the Little Adventurers Nursery which has just been awarded a Healthy Early Years London Gold Award for their work with children and parents to promote health, wellbeing and...

Press release from The Nursery in Portishead. Children at The Nursery in Portishead, near Bristol, took part in a graduation ceremony to celebrate their completion of pre-school. Each child received a graduation certificate and an ‘Off to...

One mum sparked a debate on online forum, Mumsnet, questioning if her parents should be asking for money to look after their grandchildren. Before going back to work after maternity leave, the unnamed mum asked her parents if they could help out...

Research conducted by the University of Leeds found that children born only three weeks premature during the summer, may encounter ‘significant setbacks’ in education especially if they fall into the earlier school year. The data, from Born in...

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said that the difference in the cost of delivering childcare and the funding paid via local authorities, has risen to an average of £2,166 per year per child, nearly two years after the introduction...

Press release from Cygnets Day Nursery. Cygnets Day Nursery celebrated its fifteen-year anniversary on Friday 19 July with a beach-themed event. Local MP Damian Hinds agreed to visit during the event and asked many questions about the daycare...

The Department of Education has launched a competition to find the best quality early years learning apps to help disadvantaged children with their language and literacy skills. Disadvantaged families in 12 areas across the country will receive...

Dr Eunice Lumsden, who worked as a social worker for 20 years before becoming the Head of Early Years at the University of Northampton, has been appointed to join the Education and Childcare route panel. Dr Lumsden was appointed by the Institute...

Free meals are to be offered at all state-funded nurseries across Southwark to help beat poverty. The scheme is already happening at primary schools where ninety-two percent of school-aged children have taken up the offer of free lunches, and...

Press release from Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School. Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School has recently been visited by a very special guest – Carter the trainee guide dog. Children at Broussa Day Nursery welcomed Carter and his handlers...

Press release from The Nursery, Portishead. Nursery owner Jackie Hardie has announced to parents that a therapy dog will be introduced to the nursery after months of research and consultation. Jackie said: “Making a close connection with a dog...

Cherry Tree Children’s Centre in Dulwich is set to close due to lack of funds, not long after its chief executive was awarded a £36,000 pay rise and £12,000 in back pay. Parents of the children attending the special needs nursery, which is due...

Level 2 carpentry and joinery students from Darlington College have joined forces to refurbish the outdoor play areas at Rooftops Nursery as part of a project supporting their community. Richmond Rooftops Nursery, who follow the Montessori...

Rudgwick Pre-School celebrated 50 years of running last month. The setting was set up by three women to give children an early years education and help them make friends for life. On the day of the occasion, the pre-school was joined by not only...

New Beginnings Nursery has been shortlisted in the Nursery World Awards’ ‘online and social media’ category. The small nursery chain, which has three settings in Essex, was informed of this exciting news after the eminent panel of judges from...

Coram Family and Childcare’s 15th annual holiday childcare survey has shown that the price of childcare has risen by three percent since last summer, up to an average of £138 per week. The prices are more than double what parents would pay for...

Children 1st Day Nursery in Plumtree underwent an extensive £225,000 expansion to create more spaces for children and now boasts a “jungle, building site and river”. The 'outstanding' setting, which is very popular with parents, had to expand...

Training Depot Day Nursery, which looks after children aged one to five, received a Gold Award from Investors in People (IIP). Investors in People set standards for people management and organisation, offering accreditation to agencies and...

Press release from Little Adventurers Nursery & Preschool. Healthy Havering Day Nursery with a Top Manager Little Adventurers Nursery in Cranham is celebrating once again, after reaching the national shortlist of the Nursery World Awards for...

Press release from Elmscot Day Nursery and Nursery School Chester. Elmscot Day Nursery and Nursery School Chester pre-school children have successfully graduated and said farewell to nursery life. Children at Elmscot Chester donned their mini...

The owner of Young Friends Nursery and Nature School in Hove, Louise Lloyd-Evans, has launched an online platform to help other settings go plastic-free. Sustainable Nurseries Against Plastic (SNAP) was created to encourage nurseries to share...

Over 50% of adults still see childcare as being a mother’s job, despite efforts to encourage men to be more hands-on fathers. According to a survey conducted by British Social Attitudes, views on who holds responsibilities for childcare have...

Oasis preschool in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, has been saved from closure despite Mowbray Education Trust announcing in May that issues with funding, as well as the shortage of children, would mean that the setting had to close. Soon after...

Elmscot Woodlands Day Nursery and Nursery School has made a wonderful gesture to those less fortunate by donating and personally delivering items to families in Uganda. Children and families who attend the nursery collected items to donate. They...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. Tops Day Nurseries based at the Isle of Wight College in Newport were delighted to have gained an accolade announcing them as the South’s Nursery of the Year 2019. The very best of the nursery sector was...

Press release from Elmscot Hale Day Nursery and Nursery School. Elmscot Hale Day Nursery and Nursery School has been celebrating the Wimbledon Tennis Championships with a new net and racquets for the children. Practitioners at the nursery have...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. The NMT (Nursery Management Today) Top 20 2019 awards returned once again to the panoramic 31st floor of the Barclays HQ in Canary Wharf  on Thursday 20th June 2019. Operations Director for Tops Day...

A study conducted by Save the Children shows that parents receiving Universal Credit have to take out payday loans to cover childcare costs throughout the summer holidays. Many families have to pay for the childcare upfront during the summer,...

The Department for Education (DfE) announced on Tuesday that they would be investing £22m in order to create 1,800 school-based nursery places for children in disadvantaged areas. Schools in Suffolk and Essex will be receiving funding, but...

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Siobhan Murphy, a senior nursery nurse at Stepping Stones Day Nursery in Nottingham, shared her daily routine working in an early years setting. Stepping Stones is a family-run childcare setting which has been...

The National Education Union (NEU) is calling on Damian Hinds to increase the funding for authority-maintained childcare settings, Eastern Daily Press reported. Three hundred and ninety-two nursery schools across England provide education to...

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has conducted research to show how the number of Level 3-qualified childcare professionals has fallen in the last four years. The survey reported that turnover of staff in childcare settings is above...

Daynurseries.co.uk coordinated research involving 1,000 nursery owners which reported that 60 percent of nurseries said that they do not agree with the idea of a ‘naughty step’. The once-popular way of disciplining ‘naughty’ children might soon...

Ashmore Park Nursery was rated “outstanding” on their last inspection on 12 March. Ofsted inspector, Dr Bogusia Matusiak-Varley said that the nursery was providing children with the “best start in life” and that the setting has “maintained the...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. Tops Day Nurseries in Plymouth recently celebrated an official open day with Claire Bradford, a Regional Rep for Plymouth from the nationally recognised Surfers Against Sewage. Due to Tops Day Nurseries...

Press release from Little Monkey’s Windsor Nursery. Little Monkey’s Nursery Windsor on Victoria Street celebrated Father’s Day on Friday 14th June by serving up a delicious breakfast surprise for their parents. The Nursery Chef, James, made...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. Plymouth’s Deputy Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayoress recently attended Tops Day Nurseries Cattedown’s official open day. Cllr Chris Maven and Cllr Sue Dann spent time exploring the nursery garden with the...

A dad spoke of his family’s ‘whirlwind’ journey after his 23-month-old son was diagnosed with cancer. Dexter Richardson was diagnosed with a Wilms’ kidney tumour on April 3, after workers at First Steps Childcare at Chichester College ‘spotted a...

According to recent studies, phonics and phonology (the study of the patterns of sounds in spoken language) can assist children in acquiring better maths abilities. Scholars at Liverpool John Moores University discovered that discussing the...

Seaham Harbour Nursery, which has been running for the past 13 years, “continues to be outstanding” by giving children the best start, said the latest Ofsted report. The nursery has been celebrating after receiving the ‘outstanding’ rating for...

Press release from Elmscot Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School. A 2 year-old child attending Elmscot Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School in Hale led an incredible activity, where they were able to reach their goal of climbing a tree. Once...

Press release from Tops Day Nurseries. Over 3000 children across the Tops Day Nurseries family took part in Unicef’s Clean Air Day on Thursday 20th June 2019 by completing a number of different educational activities. Children are the least...

Press release from Bright Little Stars Nursery. At Bright Little Stars Nursery, we endeavour to continually develop and inspire our BLS teams across our Nurseries. We value our staff and appreciate they are the key to providing high quality...