The scheme is targeted at local authorities (LA) of greatest need, and will be rolled out in two phases:

• Trial (June – July 2026): available in 10 LAs
• Launch (November 2026): available in 30 LAs (10 trial LAs, and 20 additional LAs)

Eligible settings in the trial areas will receive a link to allow teachers to claim a payment.

To be eligible teachers must:

• work within a target LA
• hold Qualified Teacher Status, Early Years Teacher Status or Early Years Professional Status
• work in an early years group-based setting offering funded entitlements

The scheme is part of wider plans to improve children’s outcomes, alongside more funded EYITT places, a new degree apprenticeship route, and consulting on course content and professional status for early years teachers.

Contact EY-teacher.recognitionpayment@education.gov.uk with any questions.

The EYTDA is a 3-year course for those with a level 3 qualification, allowing you to earn as you learn, and upon successful completion you’ll be awarded a Level 6 degree and EYTS. For those who hold a level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner qualification, you can step onto the programme in the second year.

For academic year 26-27 we’re also giving employers a grant worth over £8000 for each EYTDA apprentice in their setting to help support with employing an apprentice. If you’re interested in enrolling onto the EYTDA, please contact an approved training provider.

You can find more information in our Employer guidance, and our Employer Support Grant guidance.

Children need to be out of nappies between 18-30 months, research shows this is what is best for their bowel and bladder health. Potty training can be introduced from 6 months, when a baby can sit up, they can sit on the potty or on a toilet with the right seat and foot support. There’s no need to wait for signs of readiness.

See the guidance Help for early years providers: Toilet training for more information on enabling earlier potty training and working in partnership with parents/carers and sharing the message on earlier potty training. This is about collaboration and support to help children thrive, to support the good health outcomes and ensure children are able to use the toilet independently long before starting reception.

The honours system recognises people who have:

• Made achievements in public life
• Committed themselves to serving and helping Britain
• Through their hard work, are helping to raise standards in our sector

​​​​Nominating somebody is much simpler than you imagine… complete the information below and return to jane.flaherty@education.gov.uk and we’ll do the rest!

Feel free to send back more than one nomination and please do forward on to other colleagues who you think would be able to suggest deserving people.

Please do include as much of the following as possible in the nomination:

• Their achievements
• Examples of what they actually did
• How they have contributed
• Their personal story  
• The impact of their work
• Why what they have done is over and above others that have a similar role
• Circumstances a person has worked/achieved in
• Challenges they have overcome

The deadline for nominations is COP Sunday 12^th July

Nominee Details (the person you are nominating)

NELI is designed to be straightforward to implement, with clear training, structured resources and a strong evidence base. This case study, written by an Early Years Reception Teaching Assistant, provides a first‑hand account of her experience delivering NELI in her setting and the impact it has had on children’s early language skills. 

You can watch an excellent teach- in session on ‘Delivering an Inclusive Mainstream: Early Identification of oral language needs with LanguageScreen and NELI’.

For further information and how to register visit https://www.teachneli.org/

This flexible online training will help you to:

• Build and strengthen your child development knowledge
• Get practical advice and ideas to support children in your setting, including reception classes
• Reflect on your practice and test your knowledge
• Learn from practical training videos filmed in early years and reception settings
• Access modules in any order, at any time
• Download a certificate on completion of each module

The programme includes 8 modules, covering key areas such as:

• Brain development and how children learn
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Mathematics
• Effective curriculum and assessment
• Supporting individual differences and needs

The training has recently been updated to include:

• Additional videos and practical advice for supporting children in reception
• Guidance on supporting the EYFS profile assessment

Access the training:
Visit the Early years child development training to register or sign-in if you already have an account

As part of this commitment, we are developing a national Early Years SEND CPD programme over the next three years to support early years educators in delivering inclusive, high-quality education for every child.

The first phase of this training programme will be available from September 2026, when every early years practitioner will be able to access an initial package of free online training focusing on inclusive practice and developing the knowledge and skills needed to identify and effectively support children with SEND in their settings.

From autumn 2027 a more comprehensive training offer will be rolled out, which will include in-depth webinars and a local support offer, to further develop the knowledge and skills needed to put inclusive practice into action. 

·  providers must meet the grading standards as well as the relevant EYFS requirements to be graded at the ‘expected standard’

·  detail on safer sleeping arrangements and safer eating practices

·  clarity on inspecting when there are no early years children on roll or present

·  inspectors will speak to SENCo and other relevant leaders with inclusion roles

·  information about children with personal education plans.

You can find out more about our changes in our change note and blog post.

These updates only come into effect on 1 September 2026. Until then, our inspectors will continue to use our current early years operating guide, toolkit and inspection information.

• the working parent (9 month - 4 years)
• universal 15 hours (3 - 4-year-olds)
• the early learning for 2-year-olds entitlement

We’d like to hear about your experiences and needs for delivering entitlements to understand how to improve the experience in the future.

We are looking to speak to early years professionals, particularly childminders, involved in the process of childcare entitlements, those who process finances relating to these entitlements and support parents with understanding entitlements.

We would love to show you our potential ideas for how to improve the entitlements process to get your thoughts and feedback in a 60-minute session:

• When: June and July 2026
• Format: Online session, or potential options for in-person or a phone call
• Incentive: £40

Sessions will include a one-off discussion with a researcher, where you will be shown prototypes and ideas for potential future entitlements processes. We will also ask you to share what your current experience is like.

Your insights will play a key role in improving the experience of delivering entitlements across the country.

• Sign up here: Help improve the experience of delivering entitlements - Invitation for research, June 2026 – Fill in form
• Questions? Contact us at gabrielle.mitchem-evans@education.gov.uk
• Feel free to share with colleagues or staff who may be interested.

Registering a childminder assistant: what you need to know – which explains the role of a childminder assistant and the vital role they play alongside childminders

Renewed inspection framework for holiday providers: what you need to know – which explains how we inspect holiday provision

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