Teach Early Years - Issue 14.2

News Nursery Now News and views from the early years TWEET TALK In brief... Grandir UK, home of nursery brands like Kiddi Caru and Dicky Birds, has been Great Place to Work-Certified for a third consecutive year. It has also been named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Women for the second year in a row. Nursery campaign group Early Years Voice has written an open letter to the Department for Education calling for a delay in the implementation of the new Early Years Funding Statutory Guidelines and fairer funding for childcare settings. The letter has been backed by 5,327 nurseries, representing 334,432 children. Read the letter at earlyyearsvoice.org An investigation into the charging of mandatory “top-up” fees on top of funded hours by a nursery has resulted in one family being reimbursed £1,173. By law, additional contributions must be identified and optional. Read more at tinyurl.com/TEYgTUF Effective practice The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has published findings from seven independent evaluations of different early years programmes, building the evidence base for early years education. The evaluations focused on two key areas of the EYFS: communication and language and maths. Of the former, one programme, Concept Cat, aims to develop conceptual vocabulary in three- to four-year- olds by introducing abstract terms through stories and play, while the latter included a targeted intervention for Reception pupils, Maths Through Picture Books. Read more at tinyurl.com/TEYeefEV Mixed opinions 77% RESPONDENTS TO TAPESTRY’S 2025 SURVEY WHO FEEL THEIR ROLE IS REWARDING; HOWEVER, 75% DESCRIBE IT AS CHALLENGING AND 74% FEEL THEIR WORKLOAD IS TOO HIGH. LEARN MORE AT TINYURL.COM/TEYTPSRV @ndnatalk.bsky.social A huge congratulations from everyone at NDNA to former Chair of Trustees, Sarah Steel, who was awarded an OBE for services to early education in the King’s Birthday Honours List. @edupolicyinst. bsky.social Young learners in England are facing a deepening crisis. Our Annual Report shows that disadvantaged five-year-olds are falling further behind their peers – and for children with SEND, the learning gap has widened to over 20 months, the widest gap on record: bit.ly/41vfqSE “What has been heartening in the process of these trials has been the response from early years settings towards building this evidence base.” EMILY YEOMANS, CO-CHIEF EXECUTIVE, EEF 6 Teachearlyyears.com