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With consultation on a draft early years inspection framework closing on Friday, two ELC experts lay out what needs to change to make it work for the sector

Despite expansion in funded provision, early years providers are struggling in a post-pandemic world – and schools need to pay close attention, finds Hannah Fearn

Early Years Alliance chief urges the government to act on findings in the Commons Education Select Committee’s report on the early years sector

The early years needs to be our number one priority, says the Commons Education Select Committee chair, as he explains why he has launched an inquiry on support for childcare and the early years

Early years expert Lynn McNair explores the possible impact of raising the school starting age in Scotland

A research project by Nesta has uncovered startling data showing that some regions are doing great work closing the disadvantage gap – and that could help other areas to follow suit, as two researchers on the project explain

Finland has 9 children per teacher in pre-primary education – in Scotland, it’s 130. If we want to emulate the Nordic countries ‘kindergarten stage’ it’s going to take massive investment, writes Emma Seith

If Scotland wants a successful ‘play-based kindergarten stage’ the key will be highly trained staff – and plenty of them

New data betrays the extent of the problem facing all types of early years settings – from funding to places. That’s something that should worry all in education, including the government, given that it has just set out ambitious learning goals for 2030

In the final piece of a series on how Covid has hit education, academics behind a major research report turn their attention to school staff and the widespread wellbeing issues that lockdown created

Ahead of the launch of the new National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership, Cat Scutt, from the Chartered College of Teaching, outlines why the drive for more professional development in EYFS should be welcomed

While the current focus is on academic ‘catch-up’ after the pandemic, we need to bear in mind how the Covid lockdowns affected EYFS pupils’ physical development, too, say these academics