early years alliance - Under 5 news

Alliance to investigate impact of school-based nursery policy on PVI early years providers

jessica.gibson_EYA — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:30:10 +0000

Alliance to investigate impact of school-based nursery policy on PVI early years providers

by Shannon Pite

The Early Years Alliance has filed a Freedom of Information (FoI) Act request to the Department for Education (DfE) as part of an investigation into the impact of the government’s school-based nursery policy on private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years providers.

Earlier this month, the DfE announced the first wave of 300 school-based nurseries to receive government funding to repurpose spare space for new or expanded nursery provision.

The government has described wider plans to launch 3,000 school-based nurseries as at the “heart” of its Plan for Change.

However, the Alliance has voiced concerns about the impact of the policy on private, PVI early years providers, including the potential for PVI settings operating on school grounds to be forced to find new premises at short notice because the school in question has decided to open their own nursery provision.

DfE guidance for schools on establishing school-based nursery provision states: “Leasing to PVIs and childminders can be mutually beneficial, offering childcare and additional income for schools. However, you should consider future needs of the space before you enter an agreement.

“Long leases with PVIs or childminders grant exclusive possession, limiting reoccupation until lease end. Licences offer more flexibility and are easier to terminate but must be carefully structured to avoid being considered leases.”

The Alliance states that it has been made aware of a number of recent instances of primary schools terminating leases with PVI providers operating on their premises to instead open their own provision so they can apply for or obtain funding under the new government grant.

The organisation’s FoI request asks:

How many of the primary schools awarded funding under the school-based nursery capital grant have had private, voluntary or independent early years providers operating on their premises over the past two years?
How many of the primary schools awarded funding under the school-based nursery capital grant have served notice on private, voluntary or independent early years providers operating on their premises over the past two years?
How many of the school-based nurseries awarded funding under the school-based nursery capital grant are within two miles of a registered PVI early years nursery, pre-school or childminding setting?

Commenting, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch said: “We have been repeatedly assured by government that school-based nursery provision is intended to work alongside, and not replace, PVI provision, and that only schools that can demonstrate that there is a local need for additional places would be awarded funding.

“And yet, despite this, we are now receiving reports of high-quality PVI providers being forced to seek new premises – or worse still, close altogether – because the school whose premises they were previously operating from has told them to leave. This is completely unacceptable.

“Private, voluntary and independent providers are an absolutely critical part of the early years sector, delivering the vast majority of early entitlement places, and providing the kind of flexible care and education that so many working families around the country desperately need. Any policymaker who thinks that school-based nurseries can ever replace the provision delivered by PVI settings has fundamentally misunderstood the early years.

“Our hope is that our Freedom of Information Act request will help shine a light on the true impact of the push for more school-based nurseries on PVI settings, and ensure that those working in the private, voluntary and independent sector don’t end up as collateral damage as a result of this policy.”

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Report shows one in three children not meeting their Early Years Development Goals

jessica.gibson_EYA — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:42:18 +0000

Report shows one in three children not meeting their Early Years Development Goals

by Jess Gibson

One in three children are not meeting their Early Years Development Goals, according to a report by The Centre for Young Lives.

The report, A Fresh Start for Children and Family Support: Delivering joined-up place-based support through Family Hubs – Part 1: Building from the Foundations, assesses the current provision of children’s centres and Family Hubs to understand the availability of place-based children and family support provided by local authorities across England.

From the data – gathered from Freedom of Information request returns from eight out 10 �㽶��Ƶapp in England – the report states that cuts to both funding and provision since 2010 have “left many children and families with nowhere to turn for extra support”.

Additionally, almost half (49%) of these local authorities reported further cuts to their budget for children’s centres and Family Hubs between 2023/24 and 2024/25, with �㽶��Ƶapp in the Yorkshire and Humber region reporting budget cuts on average of 10%.

The report also outlines a costed model for the future of existing joined-up children and family support, while emphasising the need for a phased scaling up of investment.

The thinktank’s other recommendations include:

the Department for Education (DfE) issuing new guidance on the core provision of children’s centres and Family Hubs.

additional investment in the Family Hubs budget jointly funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the DfE, as well as other departments when appropriate.

local authorities and health services working together towards stronger integration.

This report is Part 1 of the Centre for Young Lives’ research into joined-up, place-based family support. The next report will be published in the summer.

Baroness Anne Longfield, executive chair and founder of Centre for Young Lives, said: “We welcome the Government’s target to increase the number of ‘school ready’ children by age five to 75% by 2028, but to meet this target, a further 40,000-45,000 children must be meeting their development goals each year.

“Our new report sets out the provision of children’s centres and family hubs across local authorities in England today, making the case for scaling up investment to reach more children and to deliver the government’s opportunity mission. Evidence has made clear the short- and long-term benefits of children and families accessing joined-up place-based family support.”

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Alliance CEO criticises "insulting" messaging in school nursery promotions

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:54:25 +0000

Alliance CEO criticises "insulting" messaging in school nursery promotions

By Shannon Pite

Alliance CEO Neil Leitch has written to early education minister Stephen Morgan criticising the promotional messages used in the DfE's announcement of 300 new school nurseries.

Social media posts shared by the Department for Education's official accounts today (2 April 2025) included claims that school-based nurseries provide “high-quality early education in familiar school settings”, that they give children “a smoother transition to reception year”, and that they are at “the heart" of the government’s "Plan for Change”.

Writing to the early education minister, Neil said:

Dear Minister

I’m writing to share my concern and frustration over the statements made by the Department for Education as part of today’s announcement of the first wave of 300 new school-based nurseries.

These statements include assertions that school-based nurseries provide “high-quality early education in familiar school settings” and give children “a smoother transition to reception year”, and that school-based nurseries are at “the heart [of the government’s] Plan for Change”.

As far as I can tell, there seems to have been no consideration given to the impact of these messages on the thousands of dedicated, hard-working early years professionals working in private and voluntary settings.

To be clear, those working in the PVI sector also provide high-quality early education, and ensure that children have smooth transitions to school. What’s more, many operate for far greater hours during the day than many schools, as well as during typical school holidays, providing vital support to working families. As such, I’m in no doubt that they too should be at the heart of the government ‘Plan for Change’, particularly given that they continue to deliver the vast majority of early years places.

Given the vital role that PVI providers will play in the ongoing rollout of the early entitlement expansion to younger children – and I know from my own direct conversations with department colleagues that the DfE is well aware of this – I cannot understand why the government continues to put out messaging that suggests that our vital part of the sector is held in such disregard.

With settings already struggling in the face of national insurance rises, minimum wage increases and updated charging guidance, morale in the sector is as low as I’ve ever seen it. As such, alongside urgent discussions around the need to secure additional financial support for the sector in this year’s Spending Review, I think it is vital that we also meet to discuss the Department’s school-based nursery policy and how we can ensure that the promotion of work in this area does not end up insulting those working in the PVI sector, as it has done today.

I look forward to arranging a time to discuss this further.

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

DfE launches first wave of school nurseries

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:50:01 +0000

DfE launches first wave of school nurseries

By Shannon Pite

The Department for Education has confirmed the first wave of 300 school-based nurseries to receive government funding to repurpose spare space for new or expanded nursery provision, with the majority opening from September 2025 to support the expansion of the early entitlements.  

The Department confirmed that funding for the programme had doubled to £37 million. Overall, the new settings will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, according to the government.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

"Delivering on our promise of a better early years system is my top priority, which is why we’ve more than doubled our investment in this first phase so thousands more children can benefit from a high-quality early education from this September.

"We said we’d act, and now we have. But this is just the beginning - we’ve set a hugely important milestone to get tens of thousands more children every year school-ready by age 5 as part of our Plan for Change.

"We’re raising the bar for early years, delivering on our manifesto commitments and building a system that gives every child the best start in life."

However, Alliance CEO criticised the government for overlooking the contribution of PVI settings, saying:

"While the government is absolutely right to look at how to improve the availability and accessibility of early years provision, particularly in so-called 'childcare deserts', the fact is that boosting nursery places in primary schools alone simply won't be enough to meet ever-increasing demand.

“With more than three-quarters of entitlement places currently delivered by private and voluntary nurseries, pre-schools and childminders, it's clear that this vital part of the early years sector should be central to any plans to drive up capacity - especially given we're just months away from the final phase of the entitlement expansion and many schools simply do not have the resources, or staff with the necessary skills and experience, to deliver high-quality education and care to under-threes.

"Why, then, is the government continuing to drag its feet on ensuring that PVI providers are both adequately funded and supported to tackle the longstanding staffing crisis?

“Ultimately, if the government is truly serious about breaking down barriers to opportunity, it must come to the realisation that increasing school-based provision can only ever be one piece of a much larger puzzle. Failing to recognise this will simply mean more families will lose out."

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Alliance challenges inconsistent LA funding agreements

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 10:02:16 +0000

Alliance challenges inconsistent LA funding agreements

By Shannon Pite

The Early Years Alliance has launched an investigation into local authority funding agreements that place greater restrictions on providers than is required by the Department for Education's (DfE's) statutory guidance.

As of 1 April, an updated version statutory guidance for local authorities on early years and childcare is now in effect. The revised guidance contains new information on how early years providers should deliver the early entitlement offers, including clarification that providers must make all additional charges – whether for nappies, wipes or lunch – clear and upfront to parents, and that these charges must not be included as a condition for parents accessing their hours.  

According to the guidance, local authorities are "permitted to place requirements on providers in those arrangements in order for providers to receive free early education and childcare funding". However, the guidance also states that �㽶��Ƶapp "are required by legislation to limit the requirements they place on any provider or childminder agency to those which ensure:

places are delivered completely free of charge to parents
places are provided flexibly in a pattern which meets the needs of parents
that the funding provided is used properly and in accordance with any arrangements made with providers
that the provider meets the needs of disabled children and children with special educational needs
effective safeguarding and promotion of welfare of the children for whom the early education and childcare is provided
that providers actively promote fundamental British values and do not promote as evidence-based views or theories which are contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations
that the early years provider takes any measures identified in a report from Ofsted to improve the overall effectiveness of the provision (see A4.12 and A4.15)
are necessary for the effective administration of the arrangements."

Despite this, however, the Alliance has received a number of reports of local authorities whose local funding agreements go far beyond the scope of the original guidance. The organisation is now in the process of collating and analysing the examples shared by providers, to help inform our ongoing discussions with the Department for Education.

If you believe that your local authority agreements includes restrictions that exceed the requirements of the statutory guidance, please fill out our quick-and-easy form so that we can raise in our discussions with government.

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Alliance criticises lack of reference to early years sector in Spring Statement

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:09:54 +0000

Alliance criticises lack of reference to early years sector in Spring Statement

By Shannon Pite

The Early Years Alliance has criticised the government for failing to provide addition financial support for the early years sector during this year's Spring Statement.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. delivered the statement to the House of Commons on 26 March. However, despite stark warnings of the potential impact of national insurance increases, minimum wage raises and changes to guidance on charging, there was no reference to the early years sector during the parliamentary session.

Despite this, the Treasury has responded to concerns about government impact assessments showing that welfare cuts announced at the Spring Statement could push an additional 50,000 children could be pushed into poverty by arguing that these assessments do not take into account the impact of "falling childcare costs"

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “It is both disappointing and incredibly frustrating that the early years sector has been ignored yet again in today’s Spring Statement.

“Given the wealth of research showing that a strong early years sector is key to economic growth, you would have thought that today offered an ideal opportunity for government to commit to investing what’s needed in the sector as part of a wider growth strategy.

“Instead, we are facing a situation where, despite being majority-government funded, private and voluntary settings are being forced to absorb upcoming national insurance increases – alongside minimum wage rises – with no support from the Treasury. As a result, many settings have been left with no choice but to substantially increase parent fees, or risk permanent closure.

“If the government is truly serious about both growing the economy and ensuring that every child gets the best start in life, surely it has no choice but to invest in the sector that can help it do both. The sooner the government’s actions on the early years start matching its rhetoric, the better for everyone.”

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Coram annual report shows disadvantaged and SEND children more likely to struggle to access early years provision

jessica.gibson_EYA — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:01:06 +0000

Coram annual report shows disadvantaged and SEND children more likely to struggle to access early years provision

by Jess Gibson

Disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are more likely to struggle to access early years provision in England than their peers, according to Coram Family and Childcare’s annual Childcare Survey.

Coram’s report is based on its 24th annual Childcare Survey, which used survey data from local authorities between November 2024 and February 2025.

The survey and report follow the rollout of the first two phases of the early entitlement expansion of funded hours for eligible working families in England. It found that, with the new ‘funded’ hours, a part-time early years place for a child under two now costs an average of £70.51 in England – a 56% decrease since 2024.

However, the report also identified that families not eligible for the new entitlements – such as those not in work or not earning enough to be eligible – face higher costs to provide the same level of early education, paying up to £105 more per week for a part-time early years place for a child under two and £100 more per week for a two-year-old. Furthermore, for parents of three- and four-year-olds in full-time early years provision, the average weekly cost is £126.94 in England, a 4.7% increase since 2024.

While around eight in 10 local authorities in England who responded to the survey saying they have enough early years provision for at least 75% of children eligible for all funded entitlements, the report also founds gaps in availability for children with SEND: only 29% of local authorities in England that responded to the survey report having enough provision for at least 75% of children with SEND in their area.

Coram is recommending that the government take a number of key actions to ensure a “balanced” system, including:

updating the current funding model to ensure rates cover the true cost of provision

the removal of parental work criteria from the government-funded entitlements to give all children an equal right to quality early years education and provision

the creation of a more flexible SEND funding system

addressing sufficiency gaps by ensuring that new school-based early years settings are opened in areas of most need.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “While it is positive that early years places are becoming more affordable for those families who are eligible for funded places, it’s clear from today’s findings that the early years sector in England is fast becoming a two-tier system. 

“With the bulk of the early entitlement offers skewed towards working families, more and more children from disadvantaged backgrounds – who we know benefit the most from early education and care – are at risk of being frozen out of accessing affordable places.    

“Add to this the fact that children with special educational needs continue to find it more difficult than their peers to access provision, and there's no doubt that under the existing system, the children most in need of support are now the least likely to be able to access it.  

“As our own recent research has shown, the combined impact of next month’s national insurance increases, wage rises, and updated charging guidance is likely to see settings limit places and raise their fees. It’s clear, therefore, that far more sector support is needed if every child is to be able to benefit from affordable provision.  

“Ultimately, we know the only way of achieving this is to adequately fund the sector, both now and in the long term. If the government is truly committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, there simply is no other option.” 

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

New National Insurance cost support excludes private and voluntary early years providers

jessica.gibson_EYA — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:40:51 +0000

New National Insurance cost support excludes private and voluntary early years providers

by Jess Gibson and Caroline Wadham

The government has today published new guidance on a government grant for increasing National Insurance contributions that confirms private and voluntary early years providers are not eligible for support.

As announced by the Chancellor in October’s Budget, from 6 April 2025, employer national insurance contributions will increase to 15%, with the per-employee threshold at which employers start to pay National Insurance reduced from £9,100 to £5,000 per year.

The guidance announced today details how schools and maintained nurseries will be supported to meet the costs of these increases, confirming that they will receive additional government funding to manage the changes. The grant will be available to early years provision run by:

schools (both maintained and academies)

governor-run academies and maintained nursery schools

all other maintained nursery schools.

However, no additional support or funding has been confirmed for private, independent and voluntary early years settings.

The early years NICs grant funding will be paid to local authorities in September 2025 to distribute to eligible early years settings in their area. It will be the responsibility of local authorities to notify eligible early years providers in their area of their NICs rates ahead of the 2025 to 2026 financial year.

This payment is separate to the entitlements funding rates announced in December 2024.

Further information on grant eligibility and methodology can be found here.

Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: "It beggars belief that the government is willing to provide millions in additional funding to support state-run early years settings with the cost of National Insurance contribution rises, and yet is offering no equivalent support to private and voluntary providers.

"The expansion of the early entitlement offer means that for many PVI settings, government funding now makes up the vast majority of their income. How can it be then, that the Treasury – having failed to reflect these additional costs this year's early years funding rates – has now excluded these providers from the support so readily offered to their state-run counterparts?

"The harsh reality is that for all the current focus on school-based nursery provision, it is the PVI sector that delivers the vast majority of early years places, particularly for younger age groups. As such, if the government is to have any hope of making the expansion of the funded entitlement a success, it surely has no choice but to provide the financial support private and voluntary providers need to remain sustainable. The faster the government wakes up to this reality, the better for everyone."

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Parents set to face shortages of government-funded early years places and rising costs

jessica.gibson_EYA — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:32:18 +0000

Parents set to face shortages of government-funded early years places and rising costs

by Jess Gibson and Shannon Pite

Early years settings and childminders in England have warned they are likely to limit the number of government-funded places on offer and increase their prices, a new survey by the Early Years Alliance has found.

According to the online survey, which received over 1,100 responses from early years settings, of the 98% of respondents offering government-funded places to three-and four-year-old places, four in ten (41%) are likely to reduce the number of funded three- and four-year-old places they offer over the next year, while a further one in six (18%) said that they could opt out of the three-and four-year-old scheme altogether. 

Of those respondents (98%) currently offering funded places for two-year-olds, nearly a fifth (18%) are likely to reduce the number of places they offer over the next year, while a further 5% could opt out of the two-year-old scheme entirely. 

The survey also highlighted that while the funded entitlement for eligible working families of two-year-olds and under-twos is set is to increase from 15 to 30 hours per week from September, next month’s policy changes have also prompted many settings to rethink any expansion plans. 

Only a third of providers offering funded two-year-old places for 15 hours a week are planning to extend all these places to 30 hours a week from September (when the entitlement scheme is due to expand), with around two in five likely to do the same for funded places for under-twos.

Only just over a third (36%) of those offering funded two-year-old places currently plan to extend all 15-hour places to 30-hour places, while over a quarter (28%) will only extend some places, 10% don’t plan to extend any and a further 26% are undecided.

Of those settings (61% of all respondents) currently offering funded under-twos places, only 41% are planning to increase all 15-hour places to 30-hour places, with 19% only planning to extend some places, 6% not planning to extend any and 17% undecided.

Survey respondents highlighted that these changes are a result of the combined impact of National Insurance rises, minimum wage increases, and updated rules on charging – all of which are due to come into effect in April.

The research also found that as a result of the growing pressures on early years settings, over the next 12 months:

94% of respondents are likely to increase fees for non-government funded hours.

77% said they are likely to introduce or increase the price of optional extras, such as nappies, meals and trips.

68% said they are likely to restrict when funded hours can be claimed.

28% said they are likely to permanently close.

The Early Years Alliance is calling on the government to take urgent action to mitigate the impact of upcoming policy changes by: 

increasing investment into the early years – with a particular focus on increasing funding rates for three- and four-year-olds – to ensure that providers are able to meet rising cost pressures while keeping parent fees as low as possible

establishing a mechanism to ensure that funding rates continue to increase in line with provider costs going forward

either exempting early years providers from the National Insurance changes or committing to compensating providers in full for the increases.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “These survey findings should set alarm bells ringing across government. At a time when ministers are looking to significantly expand the early entitlement scheme, we have a huge proportion of providers warning that the exact opposite is likely, with many forced to limit funded places or opt out of the offers entirely due to unsustainable financial pressures. 

“While we of course recognise the need to ensure clarity and transparency for parents when it comes to additional charges for entitlement places, the fact is that this updated guidance has been implemented against a backdrop of severe and sustained underfunding, which the government has yet to address, or even acknowledge. Add to this the impact of upcoming increases in both National Insurance contributions and the national minimum and living wage, and you have a perfect storm of challenges for early years providers – one that many will not be able to survive.   

“If the government is to have any chance of ensuring that families can access the quality, affordable early years care and education that they’ve been promised, then it needs to support the businesses that deliver this. That means ensuring that funding actually meets the cost of delivering high-quality places, both now and in the future, so that providers don’t need to rely on additional charges to keep their settings afloat and are able to withstand changes like the upcoming National Insurance rise. 

“It is one thing to recognise the importance of the early years, but it is quite another to deliver the financial and practical support that settings need – and make no mistake, our sector needs it now. We therefore urge the government to work with the sector and ensure that the early years gets the investment it needs to deliver on the promise made to parents – before we reach the point of no return.” 

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally:

Report shows child safeguarding reviews silent on issues around race and racism

jessica.gibson_EYA — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:49:37 +0000

Report shows child safeguarding reviews silent on issues around race and racism

by Jess Gibson

The safeguarding needs of children from Black, Asian and mixed-heritage households are not being met, according to a new report by The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (TCSPRP).

The report sought to understand the specific safeguarding needs of children from different racial backgrounds and how agencies helped to protect them. It focused on the cases of 53 children from Black, Asian and mixed-heritage backgrounds who died or were seriously harmed between January 2022 and March 2024.

Overall, the report revealed a lack of talk or action regarding race and racism in child safeguarding, with many local areas failing to acknowledge the impact of race, ethnicity, and culture.

Findings in the report identified:

a lack of focus on race, ethnicity, and culture in both safeguarding practice and reviews, leading to insufficient critical analysis and reflection on how racial bias impacts decisions and service offers.

a hesitancy to address racism and its manifestations, leading to the safeguarding needs of Black, Asian and mixed-heritage children being ‘invisible’ both in practice and in terms of learning via reviews.

that many opportunities to learn from serious safeguarding incidents involving Black, Asian and mixed-heritage children are missed due to a failure to acknowledge race, racial bias, and racism.

The panel’s lead recommendations include:

acknowledging and challenging racism by ensuring appropriate internal systems are in place to support practitioners to recognise, discuss and challenge internal and institutional racism.

empowering practitioners to hold conversations with children and families about race and identity.

including opportunities for self-reflection to identify and challenge their own biases.

child safeguarding partnerships reviewing local strategies and approaches to addressing race, racism, and racial bias.

Jahnine Davis, panel lead for the report, said: “The silence around race and racism in child safeguarding practice is deeply concerning.

“Ensuring that Black, Asian, and mixed-heritage children are safeguarded requires a collective effort to build knowledge and understanding at both local and national levels.

“This means challenging current policies and practices, and how services are designed and delivered, recognising how racism and racial bias impact our work to protect children.

“We must recognise racism as a child safeguarding issue – whether it underlies the harm caused to children or hinders professionals from acting accordingly to protect them.

“This report is a call to action for all safeguarding professionals. We need to be more willing, reflective, critical, and committed to addressing the impact of race and racism in our work. The silence must end now.”

Tags:

Under 5 news

Publish externally:

Publish internally: