Expansion of early education entitlements and wrap around provision in primary schools 2023-25

Introduction

In the spring budget 2023, the Chancellor set out large-scale childcare reforms with the aim to increase availability, reduce costs and increase the number of parents using it.

There are multiple phased elements across 2023-2025 to the programme which include:

• Extending Early Years entitlements for working parents
• Supporting providers with a supplementary grant from September to March 2023 and expected rise in rates from April 2024
• Childminder grants
• Support for families on Universal credit
• Alongside these elements, there are changes to the EYFS beginning in September 2023.

There will also be changes affecting primary schools, with support to expand wrap around care (breakfast and afterschool clubs) in 2024

Regular updates

The scale and speed of the changes means that the DfE are frequently updating guidance and messaging. We recommended that you visit this page regularly, where we will publish all the new updates and events in Ealing to support your transition to meet these new changes.

Guidance

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework (effective 4 September 2023)

Resources

Please take a look at our EY 2 year expansion childcare programme introduction (November 2023) for a more detailed introduction to the changes and phased introduction of changes from 2023-2025.

Childcare Choices stakeholder communication toolkit January - April 2024
This pack contains an overview of key messages, communications materials and answers to frequently asked questions to support you to communicate about the changes to childcare policy announced in the Spring Budget.

Social media assets for early years providers to use to advertise the new funded childcare can be found under downloads below.

Support in Ealing

The council is committed to offering you support and guidance and has appointed Leah Forgacz-Cooper, early years project manager, Family information service, to co-ordinate this support.

Steering group

The extension to early years entitlements steering group is made up of representatives from different early years sectors including, childminders, schools, services for children with SEND and also our schools colleagues.

The group works with Ealing Council to bring governance to the project roll out and to ensure that provider views are represented with any decisions made.

The steering group have supported Ealing during the early years funding consultation and regularly feedback their experiences for the expansion to the early years project manager.

Funding

In regard to funding rates from April 2024, we are awaiting our allocation confirmation from the DfE and will be consulting with you about these in the autumn term 2023.

For further information please contact Leah at Email:forgaczcooperl@ealing.gov.uk