Childcare News

A report by the Centre for Progressive Policy “Women in the Labour Market” has revealed that lack of affordable and accessible childcare is a barrier to maternal employment, resulting in billions in lost earnings.

We have released a new version of Footsteps 2 for both web and app – we hope you like the new features:  New Progress 2021 report A new progress report for the 2021 curriculum is now available. New Statement Gaps 2021 report This new statement...

Your fabulous new website is built, you have the back-office login details in your hand, and now you can access your site to make changes yourself… hooray! But… when you’re making these changes, are you giving enough thought to the quality of...

Press release from: Watermead Nursery Staff are bursting with pride at Watermead Nursery as they become finalists in two categories for two separate national award ceremonies. Nursery Manager, Kyla Fory said: We so absolutely thrilled to...

Research has shown that parents feel that the Covid lockdowns have improved their relationships with their children, due to them being able to spend more quality time with them at home. Academics at the University of Essex have found that...

The government is to provide funding for specialist training to help 2 to 4-year-olds with language and mathematic skills, as part of the early years recovery plan. The government announced on 6th September that the early years professional...

During Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle on 15th September, Will Quince, MP for Colchester, was appointed Children and Families Minister, taking over the helm from Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford – now junior minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries A GOOD result for Tops Day Nurseries Yeovil Staff and Children at Tops Yeovil are pleased to be celebrating a GOOD rating from Ofsted following their recent inspection. According to the Ofsted report,...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Topsie’s Yeovil is the latest nursery to join the Tops Day Nurseries family. This new addition brings the total number of nurseries owned by Tops Day Nurseries to over 30, providing Early Education and...

A local nursery manager has been selected for the final for the Nursery Manager Award category in the NMT Nursery Awards 2021. Hannah Jennings is a Nursery Manager at Tops Day Nurseries - Newport She was nominated for the Nursery Manager Award....

Press release from: Shenfield Day Nursery Shenfield Day Nursery where children are cherished is definitely a special place and it certainly has some milestones to celebrate this summer. Not only is it the nursery’s 20th anniversary year but...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Staff and Children at Tops Efford are pleased to be celebrating a GOOD rating from Ofsted following their recent inspection. According to the Ofsted report, children feel safe and secure as they confidently...

Nearly 50% of childcare providers in England have had to either fully or partially close at least once since 1st June, due to self-isolation requirements, according to a new survey. The survey, published by the Early Years Alliance polled more...

Education minister, Gavin Williamson, has urged middle-class parents not to rule out apprenticeships for their children as figures reveal that apprentices could be £50,000-plus better off than the average degree student after three years of...

In an open letter published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), footballer and child food poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford has urged more low-income families to sign up for the government’s Healthy Start Scheme. He is calling on health...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Staff and Children at Tops Devonport are pleased to be celebrating a GOOD rating from Ofsted following their recent inspection. According to the Ofsted report, Children feel safe and secure and confidently...

Last month we reported on our customer and industry research into the imminent EYFS Framework changes and how these will affect our Footsteps 2 EYFS tracker, advising that we would be incorporating the new Development Matters framework into...

Your brand is arguably one of the most important assets of your childcare business. It gives it an identity; one that is recognisable, which can connect with existing parents/carers, that can encourage new customers, and can bring your...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Tops Day Nurseries, were awarded the ‘Top 20 Top Rated Nursery Group 2021’ Award from daynurseries.co.uk. This award recognises Tops Day Nurseries as one of the 20 top rated Nursery Groups in the UK based...

Press release from: Milton Hall Montessori This year has been a trying year full of restrictions and rules for all of us. Milton Hall Montessori Nursery School we decided to take a different approach to the restrictions and have taken the...

The DfE has released figures which reveal a fall in demand for 'free childcare' places.   The number of eligible two-year-olds registered to receive funded early education entitlements has fallen by 13% to 124,500 in 2021.  The number of three...

Thousands of children are ‘falling behind in their first five years of life’, are not ready to learn and struggle with their health and wellbeing, reveals an early years manifesto that urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “level up” for young...

Nursery staff have been advised to use everyday activities like snack times and storytime to teach children about counting, addition, subtraction, time and sharing. A report published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) recommends early...

The Department for Education has updated its guidance for early years providers on operating during the pandemic ahead of Step 4 of lockdown easing, which will happen on 19th July.  In an updated version of Actions for early years and childcare...

The Anna Freud Centre has published its findings from a survey about staff well-being, alongside NDNA’s sample well-being policy.  Key points from the survey are:   Nursery staff love their work, and many feel their settings are actively...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries. The 1st June marked the start of Pride Month, a month dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities all around the world. Tops Day Nurseries, an eco-sustainable Early Education and Care nursery group,...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Tops Day Nurseries based at 1000 Lakeside Business Park in Cosham have recently piloted a ‘Real Nappy Scheme’ in a bid to reduce the amount of disposable nappies and baby wipes being used in day to day...

The NDNA has added its support to a petition which is calling for the government to commission an independent review of childcare funding and affordability. The petition is open to all parents, providers and staff working in early years and has...

Robert Halfon, chair of the education select committee and former skills minister is calling on the government to pay apprentice wages and fund their full cost of training “for at least a year” if they work for a small or medium-sized employer...

The government has pledged an additional £1.4 billion for the next stage of its ‘education recovery’ plans. Approximately £1 billion of this will be allocated to 6 million tutoring courses for disadvantaged schools and an expansion of the 16-19...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Tops Day Nurseries are delighted to unveil their official new logo! Over the years the changes within the learning environments at Tops Day Nurseries have reflected their ongoing efforts to become as...

A £1 million ‘early years sports fund’ has been launched by the government to give every child attending nursery in England the chance to have a free sports and activity class. With many early years settings facing financial challenges during...

All state schools in England that have a Reception class are now able to apply for training and resources to help Reception-aged pupils who are struggling with language and communication skills, due to the pandemic. Government-funded early years...

Leading education charity, The Sutton Trust is urging the UK government to put early years at the forefront of the post-Covid education recovery programme; warning that schools in England “will pick up the pieces if early years are not...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Tops Day Nurseries Corfe Mullen, on Blandford Road, have recently welcomed Shaye Jaques, as nursery manager to their setting. Before joining Tops Corfe Mullen, Shaye was the nursery manager at Tops Yeovil...

Press release from: Watermead Day Nursery. Watermead day nursery staff and children were saddened by the news of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. To pay our respects a group of children created a masterpiece with our resident artist to send...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries In December 2020, Tops Day Nurseries were announced as the UK’s first family of early years education providers to be awarded a “Green Flag” status from Eco-Schools at all of its settings across the South....

Following the findings of a recent survey, the Early Years Alliance is urging the government to undertake an urgent review of early years funding in England. Its latest survey revealed that just one in ten parents believe that early years...

A recent report from Nursery World shows that many early years settings fear they will need to turn parents away due of staff shortages, caused by an increased lack of qualified level 3 child practitioners. The DfE temporarily disapplied some...

A survey by leading unions and charities has revealed that government-funded nurseries are facing a survival-threatening crisis due to COVID funding. They are losing an average of £70,000 of income but have to spend an extra £8,000 for...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries Award winning Early Years Education provider Tops Day Nurseries, honoured Captain Sir Tom Moore by taking part in their own ‘Captain Tom 100’. Second World War veteran Sir Tom raised more than £32 million...

Press release from: Bright Little Stars Nursery On Saturday 24th April 2021, Bright Little Stars Nursery officially opened the doors to their newest, purpose-built nursery in Stratford during a small ribbon-cutting ceremony in line with the...

Press release from: More2Childcare Nursery More2Childcare Nursery in Greenwich celebrated its five-year anniversary on Wednesday 21st April, with the Mayor, in an outdoor event. Using grant money obtained from Greenwich Council, the newly...

Cambridge University has paid tribute to expert on play and early childhood, Dr David Whitebread, who has died. Dr Whitebread championed learning through play and was an influential academic and researcher in developmental psychology and early...

Ofsted’s Gill Jones, Deputy Director, Schools and Early Education has posted a new blog on the update of the education inspection framework (EIF) handbooks. In the blog, she sets out some of the main changes to the early years handbook, and...

On Friday 23rd April, the Labour Party launched a programme of early years events – the aim of which is to engage families and demonstrate the importance of early education and childcare services. This is as a result of new data which reveals...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries - Winchester Simon Evans, Senior Nursery Manager at Top Winchester, based at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, was selected as one of the ten finalists for the Famly Children’s Champion 2020 out of the close...

A new report by the NDNA has revealed that LEAs have underspent £62 million of early years government funding. The report states that 55 councils, representing 51%, reported an underspend totalling £30m - and more councils used their unspent...

The early years sector is divided over the latest reforms to the EYFS, with some industry leaders citing that it could encourage a shift from play-based learning to a much more ‘formal’ approach. The changes, set to be introduced from 1st...

Following six months of consultation and input across the early years sector, on 31 March 2021, the Early Years Coalition launched “Birth to 5 Matters” – the eagerly awaited curriculum guidance that has been created by the sector, for the...

Press release from: Milton Hall Montessori Nursery School At Milton Hall Montessori Nursery School, we like to come together as a family and raise money for causes that are close to our hearts. During the end of our Spring Term, we shared with...

Press release from: Little Adventurers Nursery & Preschool Little Adventurers believe in supporting their local Havering community and this includes regular fundraising for the Salvation Army charity. Keen to set themselves a further...

A new report from the Education Policy Institute in partnership with the NDNA has revealed that the early years sector has been heavily reliant on the furlough scheme during the height of winter lockdown. The report, which examines how early...

On 29th March, the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson confirmed his request that Ofsted ‘step up’ its inspection programme over the summer term, with a view to returning to a full programme of inspections from September 2021. During the...

Babies and children in England will get a better start in life, following the publication of a review into reducing inequalities in the first 1,001 days of life. The Early Years Review – The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical...

Press release from: Tops Day Nurseries. Tops Day Nurseries, have been working hard to promote the importance of reading in Early Years Education during the Great Big Read, which took place in the UK throughout March with support from the local...

Press release from: ICP Nurseries Led by the ICP Equality and Diversity Committee, we are excited to announce that ICP Nurseries has adopted The Halo Code, the UK's first Black hair code. No Black employee should have to change their natural or...

The UK government announces a big change to the National Living Wage in April 2021 - Millions of people are expected to receive a pay rise In our previous post, "November Spending Review: Early Years Funding – Treasury announces £44 million...

Figures from the recent Coram Family and Childcare survey have revealed that the cost of childcare has increased by 4% on average due to the current pandemic. It’s no secret that every industry has been affected by the pandemic and the early...

Childcare providers have been offered advice and guidance on how to protect sensitive data and safeguard staff and children by minimising the risk of a cyber security incident. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ - the UK’s...

Lateral flow devices for COVID-19 testing are starting to make their way into nurseries and pre-schools and staff have been told by the DfE that they are able to start using them from 22nd March. The existing government guidance on rapid lateral...

Press release from: Watermead Day Nursery This week is National Intergenerational Week, here at Watermead Day Nursery we are passionate about intergenerational activity and for several years our children have been visiting Longcliffe Nursing...

Press release from: Horn End Nurseries Our children at Horn End had been talking about Captain Tom and we had discussed how all superheroes don't wear cloaks! During the pandemic we have been holding regular special events to recreate the...

Early years chiefs have welcomed the announcement by the Department for Education that all staff from the private, voluntary and independent nurseries (PVI) sector will have access to lateral flow device (LFD) home tests twice-weekly as of 22nd...

In his spring budget, Rishi Sunak announced that the employer’s cash incentive for all apprentices will double to £3,000 as of 1st April 2021 and is set to continue until September 2021. The chancellor first introduced the financial incentive...

At the end of last month, the government announced that phase 2 of the vaccinations rollout will continue by age as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and Public Health England (PHE). Following the first...

Ofsted has announced that it will not restart its early years assurance inspections in March as previously planned. Ofsted planned to return to inspections, to monitor whether childcare providers were meeting the EYFS requirements from 8th...

The Department for Education has reported that the number of COVID cases in nurseries has risen in January. The figures that the DfE released showed 582 reported cases in early year settings during the week of 28th December, even with most of...

Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has responded to a new report from the Anna Freud Centre that revealed a significant number of nursery practitioners have been working with children with...

Press release from Nursery World It is the last chance for the early years sector to voice their opinion and help shape the industry for the better. The second draft of ‘Birth to 5 Matters’ has been published, along with another consultation...

Previously, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) booking system for the COVID-19 vaccination reflected that childcare and early years practitioners were eligible for the vaccine. Some practitioners may have already been vaccinated, or...

Press release from: Milton Hall Montessori The children at Milton Hall Montessori School were able to experience the colourful celebrations of "Chinese New Year" with the help of Sean’s parents kindly borrowed a Lion dance head dress. At circle...

Boris Johnson announced on 27th January that additional funding of £300m will be available for education settings - including early years - as well as ‘COVID premium’ support due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions. The Prime Minister also...

Asda has announced that they will offer priority slots to 5,000 nurseries who shop online with them. The supermarket chain has provided childcare settings with ‘Priority Passes’ - giving them access to slots up to 21 days in advance and letting...

In January, Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), wrote to MP Vicky Ford, asking for nursery staff to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccinations and to provide testing kits to settings instead of...

A child-centred recovery report has been published to highlight how high quality early years provision makes a difference to young children. The key messages from the report are: The importance of effective early years delivery, helping children...

The government has said that schools will not have to complete the EYFS profile in 2021, after they announced that summer KS1 and KS2 assessments would not go ahead this year because of the pandemic. Instead, childcare settings have been asked...