Latest news with #NationalDayNurseriesAssociation
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
4 key skills a child should be able to do before school as councils to set 'readiness' targets
There are many skills a child should be able to master before starting school, according to early years educators. Today, education secretary Bridget Phillipson will announce plans for councils to set targets and improve the number of children ready for school in their area. Ministers previously set a target of 75% of children being "school-ready" by 2028. As part of the plans, Phillipson will confirm that all local authorities will have to work with Whitehall to agree targets. She'll also reveal that a tool focused on school readiness data will be launched this autumn, designed to help schools support children through their reception year. Phillipson is expected to say that, alongside government and school leaders, "parents have responsibilities, too. To make sure their children arrive at school ready to learn. Whether that's their first day in reception, or last day in year 11." The stats come after a list of "school-readiness" skills, developed by a collection of early-years educators, was released in March. The coalition said the guidance was the first of its type, intended to help parents prepare children starting in reception classes in England from the age of four. The group, which involved groups from the state and private sector and includes the National Day Nurseries Association and the Early Years Alliance, joined forces to create a clear definition after complaints from teachers of children arriving at school in nappies, lacking basic skills and unable to play with others. The "basic skills" are categorised into four key areas: growing independence, building relationships and communication, physical development and healthy routines. Go straight to a breakdown of the four skills: > Self-care skills > Social skills > Early literacy, numeracy skills and fine motor skills > Emotional regulation Getting children school-ready isn't just about children having the right uniform, packed lunch and arriving on time. Experts say a huge part of school readiness concerns a child's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills, but parents are often uncertain about how to encourage these skills. "When preparing children for school, it's essential to focus on a broad set of school readiness skills rather than rigid developmental milestones," explains educational psychologist, Dr Patricia Britto. "Every child develops at their own pace, and placing too much pressure on them (or on parents) can lead to anxiety and resistance rather than progress." Here's what matters and how you can support your child without overwhelming them (or yourself). A child starting reception should ideally be able to manage simple self-care tasks such as going to the toilet independently, washing their hands and putting on their coat and shoes. How to help: Parents sometimes worry about toilet training, getting dressed, or using cutlery at mealtimes, but the school isn't expecting military-level discipline. "The goal is essential independence, like being able to ask for help when needed and manage simple self-care tasks most of the time," Dr Britto adds. Toilet training: If your child isn't fully toilet trained, don't panic. "Try to set up a predictable routine, use visual prompts, and reassure them that accidents are OK," Dr Britto suggests. "Many schools support kids who still need a bit of help." Getting dressed: Dr Britto recommends letting them practice with easy clothes (hello, elastic waistbands). "Give them extra time in the morning rather than rushing to do it for them," she adds. Eating independently: Keep meals low-pressure. "If they struggle with cutlery, try foods they can manage with their fingers while they build up confidence," Dr Britto suggests. Being able to recognise emotions, take turns, and cope with little setbacks is more important for school success than knowing how to read. "Kids don't need to be social butterflies, but they need to start understanding things like waiting, sharing, and asking for help," Dr Britto explains. How to help: Play turn-taking games (board games, "your turn, my turn" activities) to practice patience. Name emotions as they arise. "I can see you're frustrated that your tower fell," Dr Britto says. "Do you want to try again?' Model problem-solving out loud so they learn what to do when things don't go their way. "Oops, I dropped my spoon! I'll pick it up and try again." "Vygotsky's theory of learning through social interaction shows that children learn best through play and gentle adult guidance," Dr Britto adds. "So, just chatting, playing, and including them in daily life is enough to build these skills." Many parents worry their child should be reading before school, but that's not the expectation. "More critical is exposure to knowing how to hold a book, turn pages, and recognise that words have meaning," Dr Britto explains. "Similarly, early numeracy isn't about doing sums but recognising patterns, shapes, and counting in everyday life." How to help: Make books part of daily life, but let them engage at their own pace. "Looking at pictures, pretending to 'read', and listening to stories all count," Dr Britto says. Point out numbers naturally - counting steps, spotting numbers on houses, or dividing snacks ("one for me, one for you"). Let them scribble and 'write' - early mark-making (drawing, 'writing' shopping lists) is a foundation for later writing skills and a great way to bolster their fine motor skills. Children should have some ability to manage small frustrations, separate from their caregiver without distress and engage with peers in play. How to help: "Starting school is a huge transition, and one of the best things parents can do is create routines that mimic the school day," advises Dr Britto. "Research on executive function (the brain's ability to plan, focus, and manage tasks) shows that kids feel safer and more in control when they know what's coming next." Introduce simple morning routines (eg, "First we have breakfast, then we get dressed, then we brush our teeth"). Practice separating for short periods, such as during playdates, nursery visits, or even saying goodbye for an hour with a trusted adult, to help ease separation anxiety. Talk about school positively, walk past the school, read books about starting school, and let them ask questions. Dr Britto says no child is entirely "ready" in every area before school starts, and that's OK. "What matters most is that they feel safe, supported, and curious about learning," she explains. "Pressure (from ourselves or others) often does more harm than good, so trust your child's pace, celebrate progress over perfection, and remember that schools are used to supporting children at all different stages of development." The best thing you can do? Keep engaging, keep playing, and reassure yourself that your child will get there in their own time. "Seek support from professionals such as your GP and an educational psychologist if you need further clarification about your child's needs and strengths," Dr Britto adds. For families of neurodivergent children, starting school can pose many challenges. Rebecca Varrall, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Neurodiversity Unravelled, advises taking away some of the unknowns by preparing a social story including photos of key people and places to help your child know what to expect when they start school. "Keep communication open, having a home school book to share how your child slept, can be really useful as a barometer of their engagement that day," she adds. "Remember that starting school can be tiring, allow time for low-demand, relaxed weekends for your child to recharge and reset as they are adjusting to so many changes to their daily routine. Change can be tough for neurodivergent children to navigate, taking some of these preemptive steps could help to ease the transition." Read more about parenting: Seven signs your child could be addicted to their mobile phone (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read) Five ways parents can teach 'kindness' as it is named children's word of the year (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read) Talking about extreme online violence with young people: advice for parents (Guardian, 6-min read)
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Schools welcome new and expanded nurseries
More than 40 primary schools across north-west England will get new or expanded on-site nurseries under a £37m government scheme. Schools across the country were invited to apply for funding to create new nurseries or add additional places at their current ones. A total of 42 schools across the region have been awarded funds. While the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the expansion could help create places in areas where there is was capacity, it warned "they must not threaten the existing high-quality provision". Niall Owens, head teacher of St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Coppull, said the news arrived on 1 April "so we were slightly sceptical". "It was hard to believe at first," Mr Owens said. "We are delighted that we will be able to use surplus space to welcome three-year-olds into the school. "Pupils will receive a high-quality nursery education, which will ensure they are ready for the challenges of primary school." Alex Borrill, head teacher of Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton, said the news of the funding came "later than we had hoped", which made the preparation for the September term "a bit more challenging". "This was an opportunity we couldn't let pass. The application window was tight, but we knew it was a priority and one we needed to pursue. Without this funding, making this project a reality would not have been possible." Jo Grundy, head teacher at Unsworth Primary School in Bury, said as well as the government finance, it had also received additional funding from its trust, Oak Learning Partnership, to build its new preschool. "Having a preschool within a school setting makes the transition from nursery to school so much easier for children as they are already familiar with their new environment and routines," Ms Grundy said. Jason Elsom, chief executive of non-profit Parentkind said many parents "struggle with finding good quality childcare". "Parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon," he said. "We know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children. "[The grant] will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life." The NDNA said "with existing providers facing issues of underfunding, higher staffing costs and local recruitment challenges, these new nurseries must not damage or undermine established early years settings". "From the start of this month, private and voluntary providers are facing huge increases in their operating costs, including statutory wage increases, new National Insurance Contribution costs and utility bills to name a few," the executive chair of the NDNA, Purnima Tanuku CBE, said "Nurseries across the country have already started to work with schools and families of children making the important transition into school. It is wrong to suggest that school nurseries are better for children transitioning into reception." Overall, 300 schools across England are creating new or expanded nurseries under the scheme. The government recently announced the rollout of 30-hour, centrally-funded childcare per child from September, which it said would save parents up to £7,500 on average. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. Department for Education Parentkind National Day Nurseries Association 'National Insurance rise may force us to close' Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried Who can get 15 and 30 hours of free childcare?
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Schools welcome new and expanded nurseries
More than 40 primary schools across north-west England will get new or expanded on-site nurseries under a £37m government scheme. Schools across the country were invited to apply for funding to create new nurseries or add additional places at their current ones. A total of 42 schools across the region have been awarded funds. While the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the expansion could help create places in areas where there is was capacity, it warned "they must not threaten the existing high-quality provision". Niall Owens, head teacher of St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Coppull, said the news arrived on 1 April "so we were slightly sceptical". "It was hard to believe at first," Mr Owens said. "We are delighted that we will be able to use surplus space to welcome three-year-olds into the school. "Pupils will receive a high-quality nursery education, which will ensure they are ready for the challenges of primary school." Alex Borrill, head teacher of Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton, said the news of the funding came "later than we had hoped", which made the preparation for the September term "a bit more challenging". "This was an opportunity we couldn't let pass. The application window was tight, but we knew it was a priority and one we needed to pursue. Without this funding, making this project a reality would not have been possible." Jo Grundy, head teacher at Unsworth Primary School in Bury, said as well as the government finance, it had also received additional funding from its trust, Oak Learning Partnership, to build its new preschool. "Having a preschool within a school setting makes the transition from nursery to school so much easier for children as they are already familiar with their new environment and routines," Ms Grundy said. Jason Elsom, chief executive of non-profit Parentkind said many parents "struggle with finding good quality childcare". "Parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon," he said. "We know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children. "[The grant] will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life." The NDNA said "with existing providers facing issues of underfunding, higher staffing costs and local recruitment challenges, these new nurseries must not damage or undermine established early years settings". "From the start of this month, private and voluntary providers are facing huge increases in their operating costs, including statutory wage increases, new National Insurance Contribution costs and utility bills to name a few," the executive chair of the NDNA, Purnima Tanuku CBE, said "Nurseries across the country have already started to work with schools and families of children making the important transition into school. It is wrong to suggest that school nurseries are better for children transitioning into reception." Overall, 300 schools across England are creating new or expanded nurseries under the scheme. The government recently announced the rollout of 30-hour, centrally-funded childcare per child from September, which it said would save parents up to £7,500 on average. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. Department for Education Parentkind National Day Nurseries Association 'National Insurance rise may force us to close' Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried Who can get 15 and 30 hours of free childcare?
BBC News
06-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Schools welcome new and expanded nurseries in the North West
More than 40 primary schools across north-west England will get new or expanded on-site nurseries under a £37m government across the country were invited to apply for funding to create new nurseries or add additional places at their current ones.A total of 42 schools across the region have been awarded the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the expansion could help create places in areas where there is was capacity, it warned "they must not threaten the existing high-quality provision". Niall Owens, head teacher of St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Coppull, said the news arrived on 1 April "so we were slightly sceptical". "It was hard to believe at first," Mr Owens said."We are delighted that we will be able to use surplus space to welcome three-year-olds into the school."Pupils will receive a high-quality nursery education, which will ensure they are ready for the challenges of primary school."Alex Borrill, head teacher of Woodchurch Road Academy in Oxton, said the news of the funding came "later than we had hoped", which made the preparation for the September term "a bit more challenging"."This was an opportunity we couldn't let pass. The application window was tight, but we knew it was a priority and one we needed to pursue. Without this funding, making this project a reality would not have been possible."Jo Grundy, head teacher at Unsworth Primary School in Bury, said as well as the government finance, it had also received additional funding from its trust, Oak Learning Partnership, to build its new preschool. "Having a preschool within a school setting makes the transition from nursery to school so much easier for children as they are already familiar with their new environment and routines," Ms Grundy said. 'A major headache' Jason Elsom, chief executive of non-profit Parentkind said many parents "struggle with finding good quality childcare"."Parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon," he said."We know that childcare is a major headache for parents with young children, from the exorbitant cost, to finding a reliable local place for their children."[The grant] will enable even more schools to help the children in their care to be school ready before moving from nursery to reception, giving them the best start in life."The NDNA said "with existing providers facing issues of underfunding, higher staffing costs and local recruitment challenges, these new nurseries must not damage or undermine established early years settings"."From the start of this month, private and voluntary providers are facing huge increases in their operating costs, including statutory wage increases, new National Insurance Contribution costs and utility bills to name a few," the executive chair of the NDNA, Purnima Tanuku CBE, said"Nurseries across the country have already started to work with schools and families of children making the important transition into school. It is wrong to suggest that school nurseries are better for children transitioning into reception." Overall, 300 schools across England are creating new or expanded nurseries under the government recently announced the rollout of 30-hour, centrally-funded childcare per child from September, which it said would save parents up to £7,500 on average. Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
Sky News
05-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
'We will see closures': The industries hit hardest by national insurance hike
The cost of having staff is going up this Sunday as the increase in employers' national insurance kicks in. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the October budget employers will have to pay a 15% rate of national insurance contributions (NIC) on their employees from 6 April - up from 13.8%. She also lowered the threshold at which employers pay NIC from £9,100 a year to £5,000 a year, meaning they start paying at an earlier point on staff salaries. This is on top of the national minimum wage rising, the business relief rate for hospitality, retail and leisure reducing from 75% to 40% and the rising cost of ingredients and services. Sky News spoke to people working in some of the industries that will be hardest hit by the rise in NIC: Nurseries, hospitality, retail, small businesses and care. Nearly all (96% of 728) nurseries surveyed by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said they will have no choice but to put up fees because of the NIC rise, leaving parents to pick up the shortfall. The NDNA has warned nurseries could close due to the rise, with 14% saying their business is at risk, 69% reducing spending on resources and 39% considering offering fewer places with government-funded hours as 92% said they do not cover their costs. Sarah has two children, with her youngest starting later this month, but they were just informed fees will now be £92 a day - compared with £59 at the same nursery when her eldest started five years ago. "I'm not sure how we will afford this. Our salaries haven't increased by 50% during this time," she said. "We're stuck as there aren't enough nursery spaces in our area, so we will have to struggle." Karen Richards, director of the Wolds Childcare group in Nottinghamshire, has started a petition to get the government to exempt private nurseries - the majority of providers - from the NIC changes as she said it is unfair nurseries in schools do not have to pay the NIC. She told Sky News she will have to find about £183,000 next year to cover the increase across her five nurseries and reducing staff numbers is "not off the table" but it is more likely they will reduce the number of children they have. Joeli Brearley, founder of the Pregnant Then Screwed campaign group, told Sky News: "Parents are already drowning in childcare costs, and now, thanks to the national insurance hike, nurseries are passing even more fees on to families who simply can't afford it. "It's the same story every time - parents pay the price while the government looks the other way. How exactly are we meant to 'boost the economy' when we can't even afford to go to work?" Purnima Tanuku, executive chair of the NDNA, said staffing costs make up about 75% of nurseries' costs and they will have to find £2,600 more per employee to pay for the NIC rise - £47,000 for an average nursery. "The government says it wants to offer 'cheaper childcare' for parents on the one hand but then with the other expects nurseries to absorb the costs of National Insurance Contributions themselves," she told Sky News. "High-quality early education and care gives children the best start in life and enables parents to work. The government must invest in this vital infrastructure to make sure nurseries can continue to deliver this social and economic good." HOSPITALITY The hospitality industry has warned of closures, price rises, lack of growth and shorter opening hours. Dan Brod, co-owner of The Beckford Group, a small southwest England restaurant and country pub/hotel group, said the economic situation now is "much worse" than during COVID. The group has put plans for two more projects on hold and Mr Brod said the only option is to put up prices, but with the rising supplier costs, wages, business rates and NIC hike they will "stay still" financially. He told Sky News: "What we're nervous about is we're still in the cost of living crisis and even though our places are in very wealthy areas of the country, Wiltshire, Somerset and Bath, people are feeling the situation in their pockets, people are going out less." Mr Brod said they are not getting rid of any staff as their business strongly depends on the quality of their hospitality so they are having to make savings elsewhere. "I'm still optimistic, I still feel that humans need hospitality but we're not valued as an industry and the social benefit is never taken into account by government." Aktar Islam, owner/chef at two Michelin-starred Opheem in Birmingham, said the NIC rise will cost him up to £120,000 more in staff costs a year and to maintain the financial position he is in now they would have to make "another million pounds". He got emails from eight suppliers on Thursday saying they were raising their costs, and said he will have to raise prices but is concerned about the impact on diners. The restaurateur hires four commis chefs to train each year but will not be able to this year, or the next few. "It's very short-sighted of the government, you're not going to grow the economy by taxing hospitality out of existence, these sort of businesses are the lifeblood of our economy," he said. "They think if a hospitality business closes another will open but people know it's tough, why would they want to do that? It's not going to happen." The chef sent hundreds of his "at home" kits to fellow chefs this week for their staff as an acknowledgement of how much of a "s*** show" the situation is - "a little hug from us". RETAIL Some of the UK's biggest retailers, including Tesco, Boots, Marks & Spencer and Next, wrote to Rachel Reeves after the budget to say the NIC hike would lead to higher consumer prices, smaller pay rises, job cuts and store closures. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), representing more than 200 major retailers and brands, said the costs are so significant neither small or large retailers will be able to absorb them. Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, told the Treasury committee in November that job losses due to the NIC changes were likely to be higher than the 50,000 forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Nick Stowe, chief executive of Monsoon and Accessorize, said retailers had the choice of protecting staff numbers or cancelling investment plans. He said they were trying to protect staff numbers and would be increasing prices but they would likely have to halt plans to increase store numbers. Helen Dickinson, head of the BRC, told Sky News the national living wage rise and NIC increase will cost businesses £5bn, adding more than 10% to the cost of hiring someone in an entry-level role. A further tax on packaging coming in October means retailers will face £7bn in extra costs this year, she said. "This huge cost burden will undoubtedly reduce investment in stores and jobs and is likely to lead to higher prices," she added. SMALL BUSINESSES A massive 85% of 1,400 small business owners surveyed by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in March reported rising costs compared with the same time last year, with 47% citing tax as the main barrier to growth - the highest level in more than a decade. Just 8% of those businesses saw an increase in staff numbers over the last quarter, while 21% had to reduce their workforce. Kate Rumsey, whose family has run Rumsey's Chocolates in Wendover, Buckinghamshire and Thame, Oxfordshire, for 21 years, said the NIC rise, minimum wage increase and business relief rate reduction will push her staff costs up by 15 to 17% - £70,000 to £80,000 annually. To offset those costs, she has had to reduce opening hours, including closing on Sundays and bank holidays in one shop for the first time ever, make one person redundant, not replace short-term staff and introduce a hiring freeze. The soaring price of cocoa has added to her woes and she has had to increase prices by about 10% and will raise them further. She told Sky News: "We're very much taking more of a short-term view at the moment, it's so seasonal in this business so I said to the team we'll just get through Q1 then re-evaluate. "I feel this is a bit about the survival of the fittest and many businesses won't survive." Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the FSB, said the NIC rise "holds back growth" and has seen small business confidence drop to its lowest point since the first year of the pandemic. With the "highest tax burden for 70 years", she called on the chancellor to introduce a "raft of pro-small business measures" in the autumn budget so it can deliver on its pledge for growth. She reminded employers they can claim the Employment Allowance, which has doubled after an FSB campaign to take the first £10,500 off an employer's annual bill. 1:46 CARE The care sector has been warning the government since the October that budget care homes will be forced to close due to the financial pressures the employers' national insurance rise will place on them. Care homes receive funding from councils as well as from private fees, but as local authorities feel the squeeze more and more their contributions are not keeping up with rising costs. The industry has argued without it the NHS would be crippled. Raj Sehgal, founding director of ArmsCare, a family-run group of six care homes in Norfolk, said the NIC increase means a £360,000 annual impact on the group's £3.6m payroll. In an attempt to offset those costs, the group is scrapping staff bonuses and freezing management salaries. It is also considering reducing day hours, where there are more staff on, so the fewer numbers of night staff work longer hours and with no paid break. Mr Sehgal said: "But what that does do unfortunately, is impact the quality you're going to be able to provide, at a time when we need to be improving quality, but something has to give. "The government just doesn't seem to understand that the funding needs to be there. You cannot keep enforcing higher costs on businesses and not be able to fund those without actually finding the money from somewhere." He said the issue is exacerbated by the fact local authority funding, despite increasing to 5%, will not cover the 10% rise. "It's going to be a really, really tough ride. And we are going to see a number of providers close their doors," he warned. Nadra Ahmed, executive co-chair of the National Care Association, said those who receive, or are waiting to access, care as well as staff will feel the impact the hardest. "As providers see further shortfalls in the commissioning of care services, they will start to limit what they can do to ensure their viability or, as a last resort exit the market," she said. "This is very short-sighted, with serious consequences, which alludes to the understanding of this government." A Treasury spokesperson told Sky News the government is "pro-business" but has "taken the difficult but necessary decisions to wipe the slate clean and properly fund our public services after years of declines". "Our budget choices have already delivered an NHS with falling waiting lists, a £3.7bn rescue package for social care, and vital protection for Britain's small businesses," they said. "We're making tough choices today to secure a better tomorrow through our Plan for Change. By investing in economic growth and early years education while capping corporation tax, we're putting more money in working people's pockets and giving every child the best start in life."
