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Foundation Years March Bulletin

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DfE Updates

     

Monthly Funded Entitlement Payments for providers – Coming October 2026

What’s changing? 

From October 2026, all local authorities must provide monthly, rather than termly, payments for funded early years entitlements if you ask for them. 

This change applies to all early years providers, including childminders, nurseries and other early years settings. 

Why monthly payments? 

Many providers have told us that termly payments can make it harder to manage cashflow and plan ahead. 

Monthly payments can help by: 

✔ Improving financial stability 

✔ Making it easier to manage cashflow 

✔ Supporting better planning for staffing and resources 

✔ Helping you focus on delivering high-quality care and education 

Monthly payments are optional – you only switch if you want to! ──── If you currently receive termly payments, you can request to move to monthly payments from October 2026 

What do I need to do now? You can contact your local authority for more information. Scan the code to view the Best Start in Life strategy which sets out the commitment to monthly payments.

     

Sustainability Support for Education – Top 10 actions for your climate action plan

Early Years settings are leading in way with climate action! Small actions can create a snowball effect and evidence shows climate action delivers wider benefits too: from financial savings through energy efficiency, to improved wellbeing through outdoor learning. 

  

Join the movement and build a meaningful, high impact climate action plan with the help of Sustainability Support for Education — the DfE’s sustainability platform. The platform is your one-stop shop for free, expert recommended actions. Every action comes with quality-assured resources, practical guidance and clear next steps to help you move from ideas to impact as quickly as possible. 

Make sure you’ve got these top 10 actions in your plan. Create an account to save these actions to your list to start developing your plan. Keep returning to the site as a tool to develop and implement your climate action journey; it’s built to support you at every stage. 

     

Safe sleep requirement in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework

Early years providers are required to meet the safer sleep requirements set out in the EYFS statutory framework, which currently links to the NHS safer sleep guidance. To make the existing requirements to follow the NHS guidance clearer, we will update the wording in the EYFS framework so that more detail on safer sleep is set out directly within the framework itself. We intend to introduce this for September 2026, subject to the parliamentary and legislative process.  


See the following links for more advice on safer sleep: 

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) - NHS 

Safer Sleeping Practices for Early Years Educators - Foundation Years 

Home | The Lullaby Trust 

     

The Masked Singer x Do Something Big: Little Makers is here!

The final episode of Little Makers — our three-part series created in partnership with ITV's The Masked Singer — is now live, and the mystery is finally solved! 


The series follows Joel Dommett and a mystery Masked Singer character as they surprise a real nursery, joining children and educators in creative activities. Episode 3 brings the big reveal, so if you haven't watched yet, now is the perfect time to catch up on all three episodes. 


It's a fun, heartwarming way to showcase the creativity and fulfilment that comes with a career in early years, and we'd love your help spreading the word. 


Watch all three episodes now on YouTube and ITVX. 

·       Episode 1 — live now on YouTube and ITVX 

·       Episode 2 — live now on YouTube and ITVX 

·       Episode 3 — live now on YouTube and ITVX   


You can also find clips across the Masked Singer socials on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Liking, sharing or engaging with the content makes a real difference in reaching people considering a career in early years. 

     

Catch up and coming up for the National Year of Reading Early Years activity!

We’ve had an inspiring start to the year, with thousands of early years settings and practitioners taking part in National Year of Reading activity. 

Catch-up 

Professional Development webinar 

·       Explore how we can nurture a child’s identity as a reader and embed storytelling into everyday routines. 

Early Years Spring Term resources and toolkit 

·       Download fresh resources and a self-reflection tool focused on the Spring Term focus of building a Reding for Pleasure culture in your room. 

 Coming up 

Share stories with me booklet 

·       March release: A parent booklet to help make the most of storytelling through everyday moments. 

Early Words Matter conference 

·       27 March | London: With the theme of Science to stories, we’ll celebrate the benefits of shared reading and storytelling on the developing brain. 

The easiest way to take part in early years activity is through our Learning Management System. It has everything you need in one place, with a childminder’s pathway coming soon! You can sign up for free. 

     

SEND Reform Guidance

On Monday 23 February, the Department for Education’s Secretary of State published the Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving alongside a consultation on SEND reform (Putting Children and Young People First). There has also been a series of guidance documents published.

 

The changes announced aim to create an inclusive system where support is embedded from the very start of a child’s life. The Department for Education is committed to developing a locally integrated system, bringing education, health and care together so children’s needs are identified early and families receive effective, evidence-based support from the outset. We encourage your networks to get involved by accessing the consultation at: SEND reform: putting children and young people first - Department for Education - Citizen Space and to take part with events that will be taking place throughout the consultation period.

     

Children of the 2020s age 2 report (EOPS Early Years)

On Thursday 26 February  we published the full Age 2 report from Children of the 2020s: Children of the 2020s: second survey of families at age 2 - GOV.UK. This is the second wave of DfE’s newest early years longitudinal study and is part of the EOPS programme Education and outcomes pathways studies (EOPS) - GOV.UK.  

Key findings include: 

Disparities in children’s language and emotional/behavioural development by family income are evident by age 2 

  • Lower family income was independently associated* with poorer language development, and higher rates of emotional and behavioural problems, by age 2. For example: 

  • Children in the lowest income quintile could say 53% of the 34 test words on average, compared to 68% by those in the highest income quintile 

  • 41% of children in the lowest income quintile had scores indicative of possible emotional and behavioural problems, compared to 12% in the highest income quintile. 

  • Lower family income was also associated with: 

  • Higher rates of depression and anxiety in the primary parent/caregiver; 

  • Fewer and less frequent home learning activities carried out with children; 

  • Higher daily screen time for children. 

A third of families experienced financial strain when their child was aged 2 

  • The age 2 survey took place during late 2023/early 2024 and showed that families’ incomes did not keep pace with inflation during their child’s infancy. 42% of families of 2-year-olds had experienced a drop in income since their child was aged 9 months, and 35% reported at least one financial strain indicator such as not keeping up with bills and debts; finding it very difficult to manage financially; having to skip meals; or not being able to afford essential items for their child. 

  • More families were struggling financially when their child was age 2 than at 9 months. The proportion who experienced at least one financial strain indicator increased from 30% to 35% during this period. 

  • Half of those who had used formal childcare for their child between age 9 months and 2 years found it “difficult” or “very difficult” to afford; and of those who did not use formal childcare, 38% gave the reason that it was too expensive or unaffordable. (Note that the findings on affordability of childcare relate to the period before the April 2024 childcare expansion. This cohort of children would have become eligible to receive government-funded childcare for children of working parents from April 2024 onwards.) 

Parental mental health and parenting style are associated with children’s emotional and behavioural development 

  • Depression and anxiety symptoms in the primary parent/caregiver were independently associated with overreactive parenting (the likelihood of displaying anger or irritability in response to a child’s behaviour), and increased rates of possible behavioural and emotional problems in children. For example the rate of possible emotional or behavioural problems was 41% among children of primary caregivers with depression symptoms, compared to 23% of those without; and 46% among children of primary caregivers with anxiety symptoms, compared to 22% of those without. 

  • Overreactive parenting (the likelihood of displaying anger or irritability in response to a child’s behaviour) was independently associated with emotional and behavioural problems in 2-year-olds. For example, 43% of children whose primary caregivers were in the highest quintile for overreactive parenting were above the threshold for possible emotional and behavioural problems at age 2, compared to 20% of those whose primary caregivers were in the lowest quintile for overreactive parenting. 

  • Depression and anxiety symptoms in primary parents/caregivers were more prevalent in lower income families. In the lowest income quintile 17% of primary parents/caregivers reported depression symptoms and 16% reported anxiety symptoms when their child was age 2, compared with 5% and 6% respectively of those in the highest income quintile. 

The home learning environment is associated with children’s spoken vocabulary at age 2 

  • The home learning environment (HLE) continues to be independently associated with young children’s development. The HLE-Index measures how often someone at home carries out activities such as reading or looking at books, playing with letters, numbers or counting, teaching songs or rhymes, and painting or drawing with the child. More frequent and varied home learning activities were independently associated with higher spoken vocabulary at age 2, whereas children who experienced the least frequent and varied quintile of home learning activities had the lowest spoken vocabulary at age 2. For example, on average, children in the lowest HLE-Index quintile could say 44% of 34 words tested, compared to those in the highest HLE-Index quintile, who could say 74% of words tested. 

On average, children’s spoken vocabulary, and the extent to which they experienced home learning activities, was similar to pre-covid cohorts of 2-year-olds 

  • Parents of 2-year-olds in 2023-24 were carrying out home learning environment activities to a similar degree to parents of 2-year-olds 10 years earlier. 

  • The research provides a preliminary indication that children’s spoken vocabulary at age 2 was not significantly different from earlier (pre-covid) cohorts of 2-year-olds from 2017 to 2020. 

* Multivariate analysis was conducted to determine which factors were independently associated with specific outcome variables. It tested each factor while controlling for the effect of the other factors included in the analysis, such as demographic characteristics. 

This report also includes findings on screen time at age 2, which were published in an earlier summary report in January (Children of the 2020s: home learning environment and screen time at age 2: research brief). 

     

BBC CBeebies Parenting: Supporting parents to discover the power of play

BBC CBeebies Parenting is celebrating the vital role of play in a preschooler’s life from birth, right through to starting school. 

Fundamental to a child’s core development and in particular their language and communication skills, CBeebies Parenting has lots of great content to help support parents/ caregivers to discover more about play in all its forms, highlighting the power it has to connect, educate and inspire. 

  

Check out the BBC CBeebies Parenting collection of expert-backed tips, simple activity ideas, and practical advice to make play easy to fit into everyday life, helping parents/caregivers to support their children’s early development. https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/play 

  

Within in the collection, you can find information on how children engage and learn through play: from sensory play for newborns and tummy time tips, to creative crafts, outdoor adventures, and quick 10-minute games there’s something for every age and stage, and check out the expert led articles below that explain the different types of play. 

  

Families can also explore: 

  • CBeebies Parenting Download Podcast – special episodes on play, including a live bonus episode recorded at the Natural History Museum with play expert Dr Amanda Gummer, celebrity parents Olivia and Alex Bowen and CBeebies legend Andy Day. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lfx0f4/episodes/downloads 

  

The CBeebies Parenting website is full of expert advice, practical ideas, and inspiring activities. Free to share with families you work with.  

For more information, visit bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/parenting 

     

Ofsted Updates

     

Ofsted’s early years blog: latest blog posts

On 17 February, we published a new blog post, what to know before applying to register with Ofsted: choosing names for your childcare setting and legal entity. If you are in the process of selecting a name for your childcare business, this blog post will support you in naming your legal entity. 

We’ve also added 2 new questions to our blog post Early years inspections: frequently asked questions. This blog post now answers the questions: 

  • I'm a childminder, how do I look after the children while I'm on the planning call? 

  • What does ‘practitioners teach mathematics explicitly’ mean? 

We will update our frequently asked questions blog post as we continue to inspect under the renewed framework.   

You can subscribe to email updates to receive notifications of our latest posts. 

     

Sector Updates

     

Interaction with picture books

Sharing a book with one or more children works well when the experience is interactive – it’s empowering for children to take part in the reading by joining in with refrains and sound effects. 

This can lead on to listening out for everyday noises, describing and replicating them. Children can also become creative with noise making, making their own instruments as well as their voices.  

Here are some resources for exploring this topic. 

https://www.scallywagpress.com/images/tick-clock/TickTockTeachingResources.pdf 

     

Support NDNA’s campaign - Nursery: Where the best start happens

Inclusive care in nursery means no child is left behind and quality starts with skilled, experienced early years educators. Early years teams in nurseries drive innovation and with personalised development tracking and close collaboration with local schools. 

Through high-quality early years education, they focus on developing key skills such as communication, social interaction and early literacy and numeracy, ensuring children are confident and ready for school. Download your campaign resources and support PVI nurseries: https://ndna.org.uk/wherethebeststarthappens/?utm_source=foundation_years_newsletter&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NDNA_nursery_where_the_best_start_happens_17_03_26 

     

NDNA free quiz: Food Hygiene

All food handlers, which includes childcare practitioners, must have an understanding of the basic principles of food hygiene. They need to know how to work safely in order to protect the food they serve from contamination. It is a legal and curriculum requirement in the UK. Test your knowledge on food hygiene in your early years setting with NDNA’s free quiz. You can take the quiz online or print off a copy for your nursery notice board or staff room. You can access the quiz here: 

https://ndna.org.uk/my-resources/quizzes/quiz-food-hygiene/?utm_source=foundation_years_newsletter&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NDNA_food_hygiene_quiz_17_03_26

     

Free factsheet: Healthy Eating

Eating well is an important part of keeping healthy. Children who eat a nutritionally balanced diet tend to be ill less often, have more energy and a better attention span. 

Nursery practitioners are in an ideal position to have a positive influence – not only on the nutrition of young children, but also in developing positive attitudes towards food and healthy eating. See NDNA’s free factsheet on healthy eating, written by early years experts here: https://ndna.org.uk/my-resources/free-factsheet/?utm_source=foundation_years_newsletter&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NDNA_free_factsheet_healthy_eating_17_03_26 

     

Maths Champions is already over 50% full — Don’t miss out!

The Maths Champions programme is proving extremely popular, and we’re now well past the halfway mark. With only a limited number of places remaining, this is the perfect opportunity to join a programme designed to strengthen early years maths skills, boost confidence, and support high-quality teaching. By signing up, you’ll gain access to expert guidance, practical resources and a supportive community of providers dedicated to inspiring young learners. Don’t wait until it’s too late, secure your place today and be part of the Maths Champions network. 

  

👉 Sign up now: Maths Champions Programme 

     

Apply to be part of new research projects

The Education Endowment Foundation have launched new research projects to test the effectiveness of innovative programmes and approaches. Applications are open for:  

  • Early Skills for Life: training for staff to deliver lessons in personal, social, and emotional development to 3- and 4-year-old children. The programme aims to improve self-regulation.  

  • Positive Early Childhood Education: professional development for educators working with 3- and 4-year-old children. It focuses on how to encourage positive behaviour and self-regulation through how you respond to children. 

  • Talk with Tales for Children: training and coaching to deliver nine story sessions, based on classic fairy tales. The sessions are designed to encourage conversation and develop language. 

There are also two additional projects for reception classes.  

To find out more and apply, search your setting on the EEF website to check your eligibility. 

     

From Conception to Reception: free webinar on school readiness

Drawing on fresh insights and real examples from ten years of The National Lottery Community Fund’s A Better Start programme, this free-to-attend webinar will explore how communities, services, and early years professionals can work together to create the best start for young children, leading from conception to their first year at school. 

· Date: Tuesday 24 March 

· Time: 11:30am to 12:45pm · Booking: FREE via Eventbrite 

Following the publication of the first A Better Start (ABS) insight report on school readiness, this webinar will look at what ‘school readiness’ means for young children, their families, and the people that support them. 

We will reflect on policy, shared learning, and real-world examples from the five ABS sites in Lambeth, Blackpool, Bradford, Nottingham and Southend. 

This session is for practitioners, local authorities, educators, and anyone interested in early childhood development, offering an accessible space to reflect, learn and be inspired. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/conception-to-reception-reframing-school-readiness-tickets-1982674704413

     

NDNA’s Healthy Body, Happy Me campaign is back for 2026!

It's back! Healthy Body, Happy Me returns on 23 March and we can't wait!  

Your free resources are available to download now so you can prepare. This year's theme is 'Healthy Heroes', exploring everything that helps our bodies and minds feel their best: moving, eating well, resting, drinking water and connecting with others. We have a home learning pack, sponsored by Lidl Foodies, so you can support parents.   

Download your resources so you can be prepared in your setting.  

Healthy Body, Happy Me, is proudly sponsored by Hope and Lidl Foodies.  

Link: https://ndna.org.uk/ndna-campaigns/healthy-body-happy-me/?utm_source=foundation_years_newsletter&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=NDNA_healthy_body_happy_me_17_03_26 

     

Foundation Years is funded by the Department for Education and brought to you by Begin Bright. 
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