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Children's News Feed

Automatically curated from DfE announcements, education news, and sector updates.

Scottish MSPs commit to ensuring children can take up funded places at cross-border nurseries

Scottish MSPs have agreed a motion in Parliament for the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to ensure that local authorities fund cross-border childcare places.

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Policy May 27, 2026

Best Start Champion Defends Strategy Against Claims of Sector Division

The Government's Best Start in Life champion Sue Robb has denied allegations that the Department for Education is deliberately pitting private and independent nurseries against school-based provision. The claims suggested the early years strategy creates unhealthy competition between PVI settings and maintained nursery schools.

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Early Years May 27, 2026

LONG READ: Settings revise image-sharing policies as AI misuse rises

Concerns over breaching children’s rights and images being manipulated by criminals using AI has led some groups to stop sharing pictures of children online.

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Early Years 3 weeks ago

Scottish MSPs commit to ensuring children can take up funded places at cross-border nurseries

Read Summary

Policy 3 weeks ago

Best Start Champion Defends Strategy Against Claims of Sector Division

Read Summary

Early Years 3 weeks ago

LONG READ: Settings revise image-sharing policies as AI misuse rises

Concerns over breaching children’s rights and images being manipulated by criminals using AI has led some groups to stop sharing pictures of children online.

Read Summary

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Early Years May 27, 2026

Interview: Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is the outgoing Waterstones Children’s Laureate after taking on the role in 2024. Frank is a multiaward- winning children’s book author and screenwriter. He has campaigned for greater access to reading for children. Frank will become a BookTrust Reading Rights Ambassador when hi...

Policy May 26, 2026

Education Secretary refers childcare add-on costs to competition watchdog

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has formally requested that the Competition and Markets Authority investigate additional fees charged by childcare providers to parents accessing government-funded hours. The review will examine whether these extra costs undermine the affordability of the expanded childcare entitlement programme.

Early Years May 26, 2026

Inadequate funding and rising costs pushing nurseries to ‘breaking point’, warns charity

Findings from the National Day Nurseries Association's (NDNA) sustainability survey reveal that two-thirds of settings expect to either break even or make a loss this financial year due to rising costs and a shortfall in funding, limiting their ability to invest in staff development, early intervent...

Policy May 25, 2026

Nurseries charging parents extra fees to cover government underfunding

Parents of nursery-age children are reportedly paying thousands of pounds in additional charges for consumables such as food and nappies to compensate for inadequate government funding of free childcare hours. The Early Years Alliance has described these charges as a 'cross-subsidy', prompting the Education Secretary to refer the matter to the competition watchdog for investigation.

Policy May 25, 2026

Education Secretary orders review of hidden childcare costs

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate additional costs families face when accessing government-funded childcare provision. The review will examine whether providers are charging unfair fees for extras such as meals, nappies and activities alongside 'free' hours.

Policy May 24, 2026

Phillipson orders CMA review of hidden childcare charges hitting parents

The Education Secretary has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to examine nursery practices including non-refundable deposits and compulsory add-ons. The move comes amid concerns that families are facing unexpected costs despite the government's expansion of funded early years hours.

SEND May 21, 2026

Early Years Identification 'Significant' for SEND Support at School

New research reveals that early years settings play a crucial role in identifying children with special educational needs and disabilities, directly influencing the quality of support they receive when transitioning to primary school.

Early Years May 21, 2026

Most schools have no plans to open nurseries despite government push, report warns

Seven in 10 schools say they have no plans to open school-based nurseries (SBN), throwing into question the government’s goal to see 3,000 settings opened or expanded.

Early Years May 20, 2026

Ofsted acknowledges 'relationship' between lower gradings and high levels of deprivation

Ofsted has acknowledged a 'relationship' between higher levels of deprivation and lower gradings under its new school inspections framework, with analysis of report cards revealing that just three school-based early years settings were deemed to be ‘exceptional’.

Early Years May 20, 2026

Benedict’s Law changed allergy policies in schools. Early years settings must be next

Benedict’s Law was developed following the death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died from anaphylaxis at school in 2021 after being mistakenly given cow’s milk. It strengthens requirements around allergy safety in schools. Benedict’s mother Helen Blythe and Adam Fox OBE, a professor in paedia...

Early Years May 20, 2026

Bright Horizons closes nursery for the 'foreseeable future' due to staffing issues

Bright Horizons has 'temporarily' closed its New Southgate Nursery and Pre-school in Barnet after experiencing 'significant staffing challenges.'

Early Years May 20, 2026

DfE awards universities £3 million for children’s brain development research centre

The Department for Education has announced the recipients of a £3 million contract to contribute to research on children’s brain development designed to underpin Government policy.

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