Early Years

Tuesday

26th Aug 2025

How to use continuous provision in Year 1
Schools are increasingly opting to use continuous provision beyond the early years, says KS1 lead Katie Jenkins, who shares her top tips for getting this approach right for Year 1
Year 1 children in activity area

Friday

22nd Aug 2025

Early years needs funding to cope with free childcare expansion
The rollout of 30 hours of funded childcare for nine-month-olds is welcome news for parents, but providers need financial help to meet rising demand
Why early years providers need more government funding

Monday

11th Aug 2025

7 books to improve your early years provision
Amid a focus on raising standards in Reception, Julian Grenier shares recommended reads for teachers and leaders who want to better understand early years pedagogy and practice
Hands with painted number 7

Wednesday

30th Jul 2025

£1K payments for new early years staff in shortage areas
Government announces welcome payments to boost recruitment alongside a campaign to attract more men into the early years workforce
Small child counting money

Wednesday

23rd Jul 2025

School-readiness data won’t be available to the public
Headteachers’ leaders had previously warned against the new targets becoming ‘another stick to beat schools with’
Target covered by sheet
Exclusive

Monday

7th Jul 2025

Nursery teachers in disadvantaged communities to be offered £4,500
The DfE has also announced new funding for partnerships between schools and nurseries to strengthen transitions
Nursery teachers in disadvantaged communities to be offered £4,500 incentive

Friday

4th Jul 2025

School-readiness targets ‘must not be a stick to beat schools’
With the DfE launching a new data tool in its drive to increase the number of children who are school-ready, heads’ leaders warn that ministers cannot rely on ‘targets alone’
School readiness targets must not be a ‘stick to beat schools’

Monday

30th Jun 2025

Why leaders need to spend more time in the early years
To truly understand the issues early years teachers are facing, school leaders need to engage more deeply with this stage of education, writes Julian Grenier
Small boy playing with puzzle pieces

Tuesday

3rd Jun 2025

Why oral language is the key to learning to write
Building children’s oral language, along with their motor skills, will make the challenge of learning to write less intimidating, explains Julian Grenier
oral language learning to write

Thursday

22nd May 2025

Is this the way to close the early years attainment gap?
Boys eligible for free school meals aren’t reaching a good level of development as often as their peers, writes Sarah Charlton – but there are practices that can help
early years attainment gap gingerbread man

Thursday

8th May 2025

Why early intervention is crucial for children with a visual impairment 
Supporting children with a visual impairment in the early years helps with their transition to school, explains Lucy Chetty
Baby looking through heart shape

Saturday

3rd May 2025

Why we must hold on to the ‘magic’ of the early years
In the push to see more children reach a good level of development, we can’t forget the intangible benefits of patience, persistence and empathy in EYFS, writes Julian Grenier
Why we must hold on to the ‘magic’ of the early years