Early Years

Wednesday

11th Feb 2026

Ofsted: We ‘could do more’ on early years safeguarding
MPs question senior Ofsted official on whether the safeguarding system in the early years is fit for purpose
Small child in a bubble

Friday

6th Feb 2026

School-readiness focus for new Best Start in Life ‘champion’
The DfE’s appointment of Sue Robb comes amid concerns that too many children are arriving in Reception lacking basic skills
Sue Robb

Thursday

22nd Jan 2026

Reception staff spend over an hour a day on toilet assistance
The first term of Reception is often ‘written off’ because of the need to give basic life skills to children who are not school-ready, staff warn
Children washing their hands

Tuesday

6th Jan 2026

Schools’ growing role in early education revealed
DfE research shows that school-based day nurseries are on the rise, and that schools have the most qualified staff
Data reveals growing childcare role for schools and nurseries

Monday

1st Dec 2025

Social media use in pre-school children ‘deeply alarming’
Former education minister’s comments come after research from Centre for Social Justice suggests more than 800,000 children aged 3 to 5 have used social media
Social media

Thursday

27th Nov 2025

EYFS: Rise in Reception pupils with ‘good’ development
DfE data shows an increase in the proportion of four- and five-year-olds meeting their development targets – although results are still below pre-Covid levels
EYFS

Tuesday

11th Nov 2025

School-readiness target is ‘risky’, expert tells MPs
The ‘good level of development’ measure is a ‘blunt tool’ to assess children, particularly pupils with SEND, MPs have been warned
Children lining up on a start line

Friday

31st Oct 2025

Early years recruitment not boosted by DfE payments
A government pilot scheme offering £1,000 payments to attract early years staff resulted in fewer applicants than expected, a review shows
Teacher recruitment

Thursday

30th Oct 2025

Wealthiest households fuel demand for delayed school starts
The affluence of the area in which a school is located is linked to the number of summer-born children who start Reception a year later, research shows
Pupils

Thursday

9th Oct 2025

Fewer disadvantaged pupils hit phonics test standard
DfE data from the phonics screening check results also shows that the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has grown slightly
Phonics

Friday

26th Sep 2025

RBA technical problems prompt concerns over progress data
Teacher Tapp survey of KS1 and EYFS teachers finds 67 per cent faced technical issues when administering the Reception baseline assessment
EYFS Building Blocks
Exclusive

Thursday

4th Sep 2025

Early years inquiry to scrutinise staffing and school readiness
Workforce sustainability in early years will be examined by Commons Education Select Committee, as will families’ access to services and the quality of outcomes for children
Small boy playing with puzzle pieces