Ofsted Consultation webinar
In early February 2025 Ofsted launched a consultation on proposed changes to the way Ofsted inspects education. In this webinar they explain what the proposals mean for early years providers.
Click the button below to watch the webinar.
Employment Allowance
Employment Allowance is being increased to protect businesses by providing relief of up to £10,500 per annum on their employer Class 1 NICs liabilities from 6 April 2025. Early Years Childcare Providers are entitled to claim the Employment Allowance if they are private businesses or charities, and the Department for Education expect the vast majority will be eligible to do so.
Click the button below for further guidance to childcare providers on the relief available and eligibility rules.
New Digital Service to Check Early Years Qualifications Now Live!
In January, the Department for Education announced the Check an Early Years Qualification (CEYQ) service to help Early Years (EY) managers verify whether qualifications meet ratio requirements. This free service is now live.
CEYQ service allows managers to check staff qualifications quickly and easily by entering key details such as the qualification name, awarding organisation, and course start date. A clear outcome is provided, which can be printed for records. This tool saves managers valuable time during recruitment and HR processes, ensuring they have appropriately qualified staff in place ahead of the expansion of funded childcare entitlements in September 2025.
CEYQ is currently available for EY managers only. Practitioners should continue using the Early Years Qualifications List (EYQL) to check their qualifications and, if further clarification is needed, can contact Ecctis.
Strengthening the Early Years Workforce – Foundation Years’ Recruitment & Retention Vodcast Series
Foundation Years recognise the ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining high-quality early years educators. To support the sector, they launched a four-part vodcast series last month, featuring expert insights, real-life experiences and practical strategies to help settings attract and retain skilled educators.
Each episode delves into key aspects of workforce sustainability, from addressing recruitment barriers to fostering professional development and staff wellbeing. Seb Thorpe, Head of Begin Bright, spoke to sector leaders, educators and policy experts to gather perspectives and offer actionable solutions that support long-term retention.
If you missed the series or want to revisit key discussions, you can watch all four episodes by clicking the button below.
NDNA’s Healthy Body, Happy Me is back for 2025 with ‘Busy Bodies’
Get ready to jump, stretch, wriggle and roll, as this year we are celebrating all things active with our theme Busy Bodies.
This year’s Busy Bodies theme is packed with activities designed to get children moving and excited about physical play. From tummy time to twisting bodies and twirling fingers, balancing like a flamingo and taking on a fun 10-minute daily challenge, we’re promoting active play every step of the way.
NDNA’s annual Healthy Body, Happy Me campaign encourages better health and happiness, by giving nurseries free resources for play, learning and fun, to aid children’s development for all ages.
Be prepared for Healthy Body, Happy Me. You can download your free resources, home learning pack and check out all of the week’s activities by clicking the button below.
Foundation Years free toilet training posters and handouts for early years settings and parents
When children can confidently use the toilet on their own, their transition to reception is easier.
These downloadable posters and handouts aim to help parents with toilet training and help educators prepare children for using the toilet when they get to school.
The resources include a child checklist for using the toilet, a 'toilet story for school' and a handout for parents.
Click the button below to download the resources.
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