As we head deeper into summer and inch our way out of lockdown, the early years sector faces serious challenges on several fronts, not least the survival of many settings.
There seems to be no prospect of a substantial rescue package or transition funding for early years providers as the new school year looms. The latest announcement that pre-Covid headcounts will be used to set September funding allocations for local authorities does not amount to extra money, and it is not at all clear how councils will pass this on to settings.
With Ceeda research showing recent occupancy levels of around 48 per cent for nurseries and 35 per cent for childminders, and many not expecting a significant upturn in September, there will be troubled times ahead.
We interviewed Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford – she is taking a robust view of the sector’s pleas for help (pages 6-7).
Meanwhile, resistance to the revised EYFS continues to grow, with a robust campaign being organised by a wide group of early years experts under the banner #Rightfromthestart.
The DFE has been provoked into publishing a blog calling the campaign claims ‘misleading’, which has been met with further detailed arguments, and resistance is likely to continue.
There are many reasons that the process of EYFS revision has been unsatisfactory, including the lack of openness on who the DfE worked with, the selective interpretation of the pilot and consultation findings, and refusal to implement changes called for by the majority. We now have a document that is far more about end assessment than the whole birth to five phase. The yet-to-be-seen curriculum guidance will be vital.
Oh for the days of Birth to Three Matters, many would say! Read about research into its continued use and validity here.