News
Sue Robb made Government's Best Start in Life Champion
1+ hour, 50+ min ago (377+ words) Robb will start her new role, supporting delivery of the Government's Best Start in Life strategy, later this month. Unveiled last July, the Best Start in Life Strategy sets out the Government's long-term plan to improve outcomes for children from…...
DfE accused of ‘pitting’ school-based nurseries against other providers with social media post
10+ hour, 50+ min ago (191+ words) The reel (see below) on the Department for Education's social media pages says that school-based nurseries make "life simpler for families' with just one drop-off and "help children thrive from the very start'. The sector has responded with anger to…...
Brian Padgett: 'School readiness is collapsing – and headteachers are being left to pick up the pieces"
1+ week, 2+ day ago (241+ words) Brian Padgett: 'School readiness is collapsing " and headteachers are being left to pick up the pieces'Nursery World Brian Padgett: 'School readiness is collapsing " and headteachers are being left to pick up the pieces' New research from the Kindred Squared charity…...
Government teams up with Peppa Pig to help parents get their children 'school ready"
1+ week, 2+ day ago (184+ words) In the animations, available on the Muddy Puddle Parenting YouTube channel, Mummy and Daddy Pig explore common questions and challenges of being a parent " from infant feeding to early learning and preparing for school. They guide families to the Best…...
Developing the skills to help children process trauma
1+ week, 3+ day ago (166+ words) Developing the skills to help children process trauma'Nursery World What trauma might the babies and young children in your care have experienced? You could be aware of domestic violence, parental substance abuse, severe poverty and parental mental illness. But what…...
Why I don't like... tummy time
1+ week, 3+ day ago (160+ words) Tummy time" " when a baby is placed on their stomach for short periods " has become something that many parents and early years educators unquestioningly adhere to. Tummy time first gained momentum in the early 1990s, around the launch of the Back…...
Child development and environment, part 6: Why all children benefit from 'good forms of predictability"
1+ week, 3+ day ago (207+ words) Child development and environment, part 6: Why all children benefit from 'good forms of predictability'Nursery World Child development and environment, part 6: Why all children benefit from 'good forms of predictability' One famous experiment in developmental psychology, known as the marshmallow task,…...
Reception teachers spend an increased amount of time teaching children who aren't 'school ready’ basic life skills
2+ week, 1+ day ago (155+ words) According to primary school teachers who took part in Kindred Squared's annual School Readiness Survey, 37 per cent of children are starting Reception not "school ready', up from 33 per cent in 2024. Sharper declines in school readiness were reported in the North…...
Funding for three and four-year-olds 22 per cent lower in real terms than its 2017 peak
2+ week, 2+ day ago (135+ words) The IFS Annual report on Education Spending in England: 2025-26 reveals that despite increases in funding rates, childcare providers" costs have risen more quickly than economy-wide inflation, mostly due to increases in the minimum wage, employer National Insurance and pension contributions....
Government to publish first-ever guidance on screen use for under-fives
3+ week, 4+ day ago (189+ words) The Government has said the guidance will offer parents practical support on balancing screens with play, speaking and reading. It comes as new research shows a link between high screen use and poorer language development in two-year-olds. Findings from the…...