Following the Early Years announcements made in the Spring budget on the 15 March we are sure that there are many questions you would like answered. It is clearly a big time for early years education and childcare providers but as of yet, local authorities are still waiting for information. DfE are still working through the details to ensure the new offers will be implemented as effectively as possible. All local authorities have been invited to attend various webinars to ask their own questions including how the funding will work.  

Please see here for more information on the announcement.  We will share information about the new offers and funding when we are provided with more details.

There have been recent Ofsted inspections of Childminding provisions that have resulted in a Good or Outstanding grade. Below are some of the themes that have been coming through via the recommendations made in these published reports. By keeping these in mind, alongside your own reflection of your daily practice, the recommendations below will help to support you with providing the best possible practice; 

• tailor activities more precisely to suit the learning needs of younger children, to maximise their learning
• build on the good partnerships with parents further to help them continue
• provide more opportunities for children to extend their independence.
• improve support for children to learn about personal hygiene by washing their hands between outdoors and indoors activities
• teach children to learn about safety by tidying up resources after use to minimise the risks of slips, trips and falls
• provide consistent opportunities for children to engage in regular handwashing, helping them to learn about the importance of effective hygiene routines to support their good health
• adjust some adult-led activities to best suit children's abilities to enhance their learning and enjoyment.
• ensure that there is a consistent approach to managing children's behaviour, so children are clear of the expectations
• extend opportunities to further support children's independence
• extend children's knowledge to a deeper level by providing more detailed information around the subjects they are interested in during conversations
• review the length of some adult-led activities, to ensure they are appropriate for the time children can maintain their focus and concentration.

The actions that have been raised for Inadequate, Requires Improvement or Not Met inspections have focussed on;

• the childminder is unable to explain fully their risk assessment process
• not having a current paediatric first aid certificate
• the childminder being unable to explain their safeguarding knowledge, including how to refer concerns of abuse

There are various resources to share with your staff teams about the significance of bruises, abrasions and marks from the NSPCC including;

• how to identify bruises that may be the result of child abuse
• how to identify and help children who may have been emotionally abused or neglected
• how to identify and help teenagers who may have been emotionally abused or neglected
• fractures in children
• how to identify scalds and burns that may be the result of abuse
• head and spinal injuries in children

The Early Years Alliance are offering early years providers who are members of their organisation free 90-minute sessions, resources and support to deliver a three-week family learning programme to support transitions to school. The resources include key messages as well as home learning activities.

Those attending any of the sessions will be provided with a PowerPoint presentation, tutor notes and handouts for families to support this important process.

Upcoming sessions:

• Friday, 24 March 10am - 11.30am - book now
• Wednesday, 29 March 9.30am - 11am - book now

For further information, please contact connect@eyalliance.org.uk

A 2022 Government consultation sought views on changes to the staff:child ratios (as set out in section 3 of the EYFS) and the EYFS wording around supervision whilst eating to ensure children are kept in sight and hearing of adults whilst eating.

The Government consultation response to the regulatory changes has now been published.

Childcare Regulatory Changes: Consultation Response (publishing.service.gov.uk)

As part of the consultation a survey was conducted and data collected on;

• the likelihood of providers changing their provision as a result of ratio changes
• the perceived impact of the change on provision delivery, including number of 2-year-old places and staffing levels
• the financial impact of such changes on providers’ income and costs and parent - paid fees
• whether (and how) any financial benefits realised by the proposed changes would be passed on to parents through a reduction in fees
• whether providers had made use of the exemption in the EYFS to operate below current statutory staff:child ratios

Please see the findings of the research report below

Findings from the early years staff-child ratio consultation survey (publishing.service.gov.uk)