Every month, Foundation Years sends a monthly news bulletin to our subscribers, featuring the latest news, events and announcements from the sector. This provides a space to share information and best practices, and we invite contributions from relevant organizations.
You can sign up to receive our newsletter, or if you would like to contribute to the newsletter, click the subscribe button here:
You can also view some of our previous newsletters below:
- Join the National Education Nature Park
- Join us at the Nursery Management Show in London on Friday 28 November
- Catch up on our early year webinars about the renewed inspection framework
- Connecting Families Through Digital Innovation
- Free maths programme for early years settings in England
- Family Corner has just relaunched, and it’s better than ever!
- A Special Approach to Making it REAL to Support Families and Practitioners
- NDNA free quiz: EYFS comparison quiz 2025
- Free early years activity: picture perfect
- Free guide: getting the most from your Early Years Pupil Premium
- Recruitment and retention support
- Join the National Education Nature Park
- Ofsted consultation response and supporting materials
- Seven effective tips for supporting transitions in the early years
- Free maths programme for early years settings in England
- Sharing the Science: The Early Childhood Explainer Series
- Marketing & Promotion Tips for Early Years Educators
- Join the National Education Nature Park
- Early Years Teacher Roundtable Discussions
- School Based Nurseries Phase 2 Announcement
- Have your say – future of the National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL)
- Boost children’s maths and language learning with Maths Champions
- Join us at the Childcare & Education Expo in Coventry on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 September
- The importance of self-care strategies for staff, children and settings
- New research on the early years workforce across the UK
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs
- Supporting children to enjoy the best start in life – learning from A Better Start
- Building on a decade of A Better Start
- Free Childcare Toolkits for Providers and Schools
- Summer Message from Minister Morgan
- Do Something Big campaign – recruitment support available
- Early Years Initial Teacher Training – Research Findings
- Early Years provider email
- Updated early years Foundation Stage frameworks now published
- New Disability Guidance and Training for early years Providers
- Early Years child development training – free online training
- Reception staff needed – We’re interested in learning from you!
- Sign up to webinars about the renewed inspection framework
- Early years Blog – Nannies: What you need to know
- Supporting Providers to have Courageous Conversations in Early Childhood Education
- Free early years wellbeing activities for children aged 3-5 years old
- Explore NDNA’s free online early years and childcare training courses
- Free blog post: Transition to school
- SEND Assessment Guidance for early years Educators
- New EEF evaluations strengthen the evidence on early years practice
- Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life strategy
- Protective Preparedness for Education Settings Webinars – Martyn’s Law
- National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) Review
- Early Years Education Recovery Programme Evaluation Publications
- Ofsted early years blog: Applying to register with Ofsted
- Consultation on changes to education inspections
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs
- NDNA’s free factsheet: Risk assessment with Citation
- Free early years maths activity: sorting socks
- NDNA’s free blog post: inclusion in early years
- NCB-led programme of learning and evidence to be extended
- Department for Education Early Education and Childcare Provider Regional Roadshow
- Please help us by completing the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers
- Watch Now – Nurturing Nutrition: Event recording and resources available
- New Ofsted research report
- Boost children’s maths and language learning with Maths Champions
- New funded opportunity for early years professionals from the EEF
- Boost children’s language skills with Early Talk Boost
- Spotlight on Success: Brogan’s Apprenticeship Journey
- Invoicing, Consumables and Charging Structures
- Making Funding Work: The Use of Government Funding as a Sustainable Business Model
- The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
- Operation Encompass in Early Years
- Do Something Big – Summer drive of Early Years Careers campaign
- DfE announces fully funded Early Years SENCO training for 2025-26
- Ofsted blog: How we look at the use of Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) in our inspections of early years settings
- Access fully funded professional development for your staff
- Sensory food education
- Marketing and promotion guidance for early years settings
- Safer mealtimes – packed lunch policy and updated nutrition guidance
- NDNA’s free factsheet of the month: Outdoor play
- Have you connected with your local Early Years Stronger Practice Hub?
- Announcement: Publication of Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (EYTDA) Training Provider Guidance
- Publication of Experts and Mentors Programme Evaluation Report
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) nutrition changes from September 2025
- Ofsted consultation: Improving the way Ofsted inspects education
- Learning about the ‘outdoors’
- How are Place-Based Partnerships Changing the Game for Families?
- Stay One Step Ahead – Working with Small Steps Big Changes to develop an innovative home safety programme
- Ahmed vs Captain Amazing!
- EEF adds new approaches to their Early Years Evidence Store
- Six Early Years Packs
- Introduction of the Experience-Based Route for Early Years Staff
- Closing soon! Survey of practitioners in their first year working in an Early Years role
- Check an Early Years Qualification (CEYQ) Service is Now Live
- Ofsted consultation: Improving the way Ofsted inspects education
- Foundation Years Event – Creating Inclusive Early Years Environment
- Strengthening the Early Years Workforce – Foundation Years’ Recruitment & Retention Vodcast Series
- Childcare Works launches two new FREE toolkits for early years and wraparound providers
- New resource: EEF Guide to the Early Years Pupil Premium
- NDNA’s Healthy Body, Happy Me is back for 2025 with ‘Busy Bodies’
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs
- Support to develop a Climate Action Plan for your setting
- New toilet training guidance for early years educators
- Education Sector Protect & Prepare Webinar
- Childcare Choices campaign toolkit
- Reminder: Survey of recent recruits to early years roles
- Ofsted consultation: Improving the way Ofsted inspects education
- Updated: Become a childminder: pre-registration briefing
- A Special Approach to Making it REAL Webinar – Thursday 13th March, 2025
- Music in the Early Years
- New early years research funding available
- NDNA’s Healthy Body, Happy Me is back for 2025 with ‘Busy Bodies’
- ‘Do Something BIG’ campaign – updated recruitment information and resources
- Reminder: Survey of recent recruits and applicants to early years roles – please complete by 31st January
- Using the Early Years Qualifications List to check qualifications: Why the course start date matters
- Early years child development training – free online training
- Apply now! 15 hours childcare for eligible working parents
2024 Newsletters
- Announcement from Minister for Early Education
- Early Years Funding: 2025 to 2026
- Commissioned research on vulnerability and inclusion
- Celebrating Practitioner Success on the Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP)
- Digital technologies in early years settings: what does ‘good’ look like?
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Frameworks 1st November Update
- New guidance for early years professionals from the Education Endowment Foundation
- Early Years SEND Partnership Training and Seminars
- Expanded support opportunities available for registered practitioners on the Early Years Professional Development Programme
- Nottingham’s Family Mentor service – making a real difference
- Supporting Early Minds Webinar
- Help us improve our newsletter
- New capital funding for expanding or opening school-based nurseries
- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) safeguarding reforms from September 2025
- New childminder flexibilities coming into effect from 1 November 2024
- Safer Sleeping Practices for Early Years Educators: New vodcast available
- Ofsted’s Early Education research
- Sharing evidence-informed practice to support early years education and childcare
- Help Ofsted to develop their understanding of vulnerability & inclusion
- Boost children’s maths and language learning with maths champions
- The benefits of outdoor play sessions for young families in Bradford
- How Southend peer support workers are meeting the needs of local families
- Stronger Practice Hubs Programme extended until March 2025
- New SEND Early years child development training module available now
- Early Years SEND assessment guidance and resources
- Removal of single headline grades for schools and implications for early years settings
- Our response to the Big Listen
- Updates to the Early Years Inspection Handbook
- EEF calls on early years educators to complete their annual survey
- An additional 800 nurseries to benefit from free Maths Champions programme
- Learn more about the impact of A Better Start
- Registration opens for Blackpool Better Start’s annual conference
- LEAP exceeds its own expectations
- Early Years SEND Partnership Training and Seminars
- Inclusive Strategies for Empowering Neurodivergent Nursery Staff
- DFE Roadshows
- Government funded childcare offer for 9 month olds goes live
- SEND training and assessment guidance
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs extended
- Early years FAQs for providers and practitioners
- NDNA Managing a Nursery Team
- Early Intervention and Learning Conference 24-25 September
- Stronger Practice Hubs: Sharing evidence-informed practice to support early years education and childcare
- EEF Launches New Resource to Support Physical Development in Young Children
- Early Years SEND Partnership
- EEF Story Choices Trial
- NDNA Maths Champions
- Foundation Years Survey
- New Secretary of State for Education & Ministers
- Education Secretary Begins Push to Recruit 6,500 New Teachers
- Reminder for Early Years Providers to Check Eligibility of Working Parent Entitlement Codes
- Survey on Childcare Entitlements Expansion
- Early Years Evidence Store Physical Development Module Now Live
- The Early Years Conversation Project – Now Recruiting Across London
- BBC Tiny Happy People
- DfE launches safeguarding and experience-based route EYFS consultations
- New content published on Foundation Years
- NPQ in Early Years Leadership for Group and School settings & Childminders: autumn 2024 cohort
- Rollout of the £289m National Wraparound Childcare Programme
- Latest from Ofsted
- Stronger Practice Hubs – evidence informed resources
- Join the NDNA ‘Maths Champion’ programme
- University of Cambridge EY practitioner research
- Family Hubs: Middlesborough’s tongue-tie clinic
- Book your free place at A Better Start’s annual conference
- Improving oral health in early years children
- Setting up a targeted healthy lifestyle pilot in Nottingham
- Childminder consultation launch
- Childminder start-up grant scheme
- Wraparound childcare
- Entitlements expansion – second wave launch
- January 2024 EYFS changes – reminder!
- Vodcast for schools on the EYFS Profile
- Early Years Experts and Mentors programme
- The Big Listen
- Latest support and resources available
- A Better Start national evaluation team podcast
- Early Years Speech Language and Communication: Conception to 2 years conference
- LGA resource pack: early years education and childcare
- Foundation Years Live events in March
- Support our ‘Do something BIG’ workforce recruitment campaign
- Early Years Financial Incentives pilot
- Wraparound childcare
- Independent Evaluation finds significant positive results of the 2021 EYFS education reforms
- Reminder! Paediatric First Aid in the EYFS
- Experts and Mentors Programme: last chance to sign up for free support
- Register now for Stronger Practice Hubs Learning and Dissemination Event
- Changes to your Child Development Training login
- Ofsted’s early education updates
- Introducing Chaos & Calm’s Sparkles Sensory Storytime
- PACEY regional networking event – for those working as early years professionals
- Sign up for Maths Champions at no cost!
- Update from the DfE on expanding childcare entitlements for eligible working parents
- Funding rates published
- Applications are now open for the new 15 hours entitlement!
- Ofsted updates the Early Years inspection handbook
- Home Learning Environment Little Moments Together campaign
- Experts and Mentors Programme: sign up now for free support
- National Apprenticeship Week
- EYFS Profile content published on Foundation Years
- Boost child maths and language development by three months: join free programme
- LEYF Early Years Training Academy graduation ceremony
- Early Years Alliance upcoming events
- The value of partnership working: LEAP and Stockwell Partnership
- How Better Start Bradford’s Happy Early Years (HEY) Fund is supporting the introduction of heuristic play sessions
- Dad’s health matters!
- Working towards making Nottingham a UNICEF Child Friendly City
2023 Newsletters
- New Early Years Foundation Stage frameworks now published
- Expansion of Childcare Entitlements
- Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results 2022/23
- Stronger Practice Hub Website Launched
- Mental health for early years children
- Updates to GOV.UK One Login
- A Better Start through Workforce Innovation
- Chatter Challenge
- Better Start Bradford bringing MECSH to the Bradford District
- EYFS Profile results 2022/23
- Government funding update
- Launch of start-up grants for childminders
- Access codes for 15 hours of childcare per week for two-year-olds from April
- Education Recovery Programme
- Updates from Ofsted
- Update from the LGA
- Update from the EYSEND Partnership
- Boost children’s maths and language learning by 3-6 months with Maths Champions
- Sign up to deliver subsidised educational programmes tested by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
- Out of School Club Awards Winners Announced
- Out of School Alliance welcomes £289million investment into Wraparound Childcare Programme
- Inclusive family financial education events from Learning Curve Group
- Early Years Foundation Stage Updates
- Childminder Start-up Grants Scheme
- New module added to DfE’s Early Years Child Development training – Mathematics
- Updated EYFS Profile handbook and EYFS guidance on exemptions
- Support DfE’s Early Years Educator apprenticeships campaign
- Updates from Ofsted
- Could you be a peer for the Local Government Association?
- PEDAL’s Playtime with Books programme
- Dads cook too
- Management of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in education settings
- Upcoming Foundation Years Live event – Saturday 7 October, Nottingham
- Catch up on Foundation Years Online
- Early Years Foundation Stage Assessment Support Survey
- Early Years Education Recovery – Experts and Mentors and Childminder Mentors Programme
- Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP)
- Physical development in early childhood: a new blog from Early Education
- Updates from the LGA
- Millie’s Mark celebrates its 1,000th accreditation
- Q and A sessions with Department for Education
- New vodcasts
- Autumn Foundation Years Events
- DfE Early Years SENCO training
- Join an EEF focus group
- Ofsted update early years inspection handbook
- LGA Early Years Improvement Support Grant
- LEYF partners with City Harvest
- New learning from A Better Start