Early Years

Tuesday

10th Dec 2024

Early years funding: all you need to know
The government has announced an uplift to the early years pupil premium and higher funding rates for 2025-26
Two children looking through magnifying glasses
Early years pupil premium rising by 45%
Government also announces a £75 million expansion fund for extra early education places and staff
Early years pupil premium rising by 45%

Thursday

5th Dec 2024

Starmer promises record number of ‘ready to learn’ five-year-olds
Prime minister shares concern that some Reception pupils are ‘struggling to speak’, while headteachers say focus on early years is ‘one of the nearest things to a silver bullet’
Keir Starmer

Wednesday

4th Dec 2024

Universal infant free school meals funding increased by 5p
NAHT has warned that many schools will be left having to subsidise free school meals from under-pressure budgets
5 pence plate

Friday

15th Nov 2024

Big increase in schools lowering their age range
Leaders say they hope to support children earlier in life as the government rolls out school-based nursery funding
Significant jump in schools lowering age range
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Don’t jump into early years ‘glassy-eyed’, primary leaders warned
Senior education figures set out challenges for schools interested in bidding for government funding for nursery provision
Blurred vision early years
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Thursday

17th Oct 2024

Revealed: Areas most in need of extra nursery provision
DfE analysis shows Sunderland, the Isles of Scilly and Cumberland need to see the biggest percentage capacity increase by next September as bidding opens for school-based nursery cash
Revealed: Areas most in need of extra nursery provision

Tuesday

8th Oct 2024

Ofsted: Six findings on ensuring children learn in the early years
Ofsted has released an early years research report that focuses on what progress looks like for EYFS children in the four specific areas of learning
Number 6 early learning

Wednesday

11th Sep 2024

Labour’s early years review findings revealed
Unpublished review by Sir David Bell, commissioned by Labour while in opposition, calls for more funding to deliver the party’s school-based nursery plan
Early years
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Tuesday

10th Sep 2024

UK spends less on early education than most OECD nations
The OECD’s latest Education at a Glance study, launched in London today, also highlights the stark differences in attainment between regions in England
UK spends less on early education than most OECD nations

Saturday

20th Apr 2024

Converting school space for childcare ‘costs thousands’, DfE told
The government says a pilot scheme will look at how unused school space could be repurposed for early years provision – but heads’ leaders warn plan must come with funding
Empty classroom
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Wednesday

17th Apr 2024

NI ‘early years communication crisis’ highlighted
More children in Northern Ireland waiting for speech and language therapy per head of the population than anywhere else in the UK, ministers told
Tin can phone Northern Ireland