Investment for increased Ofsted regulation and inspection On 22 June, the Department for Education announced new investment of over £8 million per year to increase safeguarding standards in the early years sector. This funding will go towards: 3,000 additional...
Click to Read in English Cliciwch i ddarllen yn Gymraeg Today, the Welsh Government has published the updated National Minimum Standards (NMS) for regulated childcare along with a separate standalone National Minimum Standards (NMS) for regulated open access play. The...
Click to Read in English Cliciwch i ddarllen yn Gymraeg The Welsh Government has confirmed a £55 million investment in childcare, including the rollout of funded childcare to more two-year-olds across Wales and £10m capital funding, as part of the First Supplementary...
On Friday 12 June, Ofsted published its updated early years toolkit, operating guide and inspection information, effective for inspections in England from 1 September 2026. The updated documents can be found here. Ofsted has also produced a summary list of the...
In March 2026, Minister Bailey wrote a letter informing early years settings in England of amendments that the Department intends to make to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory frameworks later this year. The letter mainly focused on safer sleep but also...
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, has today (26 May 2026) written to the independent Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requesting a review of the English early years childcare market. This review would form part of the...
