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Thursday 11 June

Arrival: 18:00

Starting at 18:15 - 20:15

Interaction for All - supporting children's communication in childminding settings

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This free online training(8 Modules) is designed to build and improve your understanding of child development.

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Early years child development training : Home page

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Drawing on evidence from the EEF and three years of implementation, Andrina Flinders describes how her nursery school used the Early Years Pupil Premium to deliver more effective language support for disadvantaged children.

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Improving Children's Language outcomes with EYPP 

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Improving Children's Language outcomes with EYPP 

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Improving children’s language outcomes with the Early Years Pupil…

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Fully funded Early Years SENCO training places 

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Fully funded Early Years SENCO training places 

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As part of the government’s Best Start in Life strategy, to break down barriers to opportunity and improve early identification and support for children with SEND, the Department for Education is very pleased to announce that Best Practice Network (BPN) has been selected as their delivery partner to provide an additional 9,500 Early Years SENCO training places from April 2026 until March 2028.

Training is available across England and is open to Early Years educators currently working as, or due to start working as, a Special Educational Needs Coordinator in their setting.

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How is it delivered?

The Level 3 Early Years SENCO qualification is delivered over 4 months through Online Taught Sessions and Online Study Units.

The Online Taught Sessions are 3 hours long and consist of live tutor-led training, incorporating pre-reading tasks, breakout room activities, group discussion and group training. Participants can choose to complete the Online Taught Sessions on either weekday mornings, afternoons or evenings. There will also be a limited number of Saturday sessions available.

The Online Study Units are delivered through the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment. Login details and induction training will be provided before the programme starts.

Department for Education Announcement

We are delighted with the high level of interest in the Department for Education's Early Years (EY) SENCO training offer. Having more qualified SENCOs in the EY sector will have positive impacts on children with SEND and on the sector as a whole.

Funding is available for 5,000 places in total. Training will be delivered to cohorts of trainees between October 2022 and August 2024. Each cohort will run for four months. Over 3,500 eligible applications have already been received by the Department's delivery partner Best Practice Network.

We are aware that this could mean long wait times for many applicants before commencing the training. This situation is being managed in the following ways:

Training places are being offered to applicants in order of date received and each applicant is being given an indication of when they can expect to commence the training.

A waiting list will come into effect once the 5,000 places have been filled, again operated in order of date received.

Where an applicant withdraws, applicants will move up the queue.

Pre-training activities will be offered, aimed at preparing applicants for the training and supporting them in their SENCO role pending training. Activities will include provision of the course induction book and pre-reading, regular newsletter and programme updates and cases studies from SENCOs.

BPN are expanding the number of places to be made available in early cohorts so that more applicants can take the training sooner.

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Early Years SENCO - Level 3 | Best Practice Network

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The Level 3 Early Years SENCO qualification is delivered over 4 months through Online Taught Sessions and Online Study Units. The Online Taught Sessions are 3 hours long and consist of live tutor-led training, incorporating pre-reading tasks, breakout room activities, group discussion and group training.

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Young carers can be as young as Five! Let families know there is support.

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We would love to hear your feedback on our Early years network meetings. We are always looking for new and improved ways to deliver our messages and want to ensure the sessions are as useful and engaging as possible for your settings.

We are particularly interested in:

What you currently find helpful

What you would like to see more of

Any areas where additional support or training would be beneficial

Please take a few moments to complete our short questionnaire by clicking the link below. Your input will help us shape and improve future network meetings.

Early Years Network meeting feedback  – Fill out form

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Early Years Free SENCO Level 3 Award apply by 7th June 

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Early Years Free SENCO Level 3 Award apply by 7th June 

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As part of the Government’s Best Start in Life Strategy, to break down barriers to opportunity and improve early identification and support for children with SEND, the Department for Education is very pleased to announce Best Practice Network as their delivery partner to provide an additional 9,500 Early Years Senco Level 3 Award accredited places from April 2026 until  March 2028.

The next round for applications has a deadline date of 7th June to start in June  Early Years SENCO 2026 | Best Practice Network The course is fully funded by the DFE.

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Early Years SENCO 2026 | Best Practice Network

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Applications are open for the Early Years Special Educational Needs Coordinator (EYSENCo) programme, a role that identifies and supports children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

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We are pleased to share details of our upcoming Makaton training, most sessions are suitable for both parents/carers and professionals working with children and young people.

⭐ Level 2 Makaton Training

📍 Queens Park Family Hub
📅 Thursday 4th June
⏰ 9:15am – 4:15pm

This course builds on previous Level 1 knowledge, helping you to develop your confidence and extend your signing skills. You will learn an additional 120 signs/symbols during this course.

✅ Free for parents/carers 💷 £50 for educators ( Costs subsidised by Bedford Council - typically this training costs £90 elsewhere)

⚠️ This will be the last Level 2 course running for the time being. If you have completed Level 1 and would like to learn more please do join us!

⭐ Level 1 Makaton Training

📍 Queens Park Family Hub
📅 Friday 23rd October
⏰ 9:15am – 4:15pm

An introduction to the Makaton communication programme, ideal for beginners with no prior experience.

✅ Free for parents/carers 💷 £50 for educators ( Costs subsidised by Bedford Council - typically this training costs £90 elsewhere)

⭐ NEW: Makaton for Early Years

📍 Queens Park Family Hub
📅 Wednesday 11th November
⏰ 9:15am – 12:30pm

A short, intensive course focusing on around 80 signs and symbols, tailored specifically for early years settings and younger children.

💷 £30 per educator ( Costs subsidised by Bedford Council - typically this training costs £70 - £90 elsewhere)

⚠️This course may also be suitable for running in settings inset training days! Email Rachel.Hadfield@nhs.net for more details

📩 How to book To secure a place on any of the above courses, please email: Julie.Comber@bedford.gov.uk

These courses are a great opportunity to develop skills in supporting communication and inclusion. Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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Kim takes a look at at the latest guidance and takes questions from you about this important topic

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Book your place now!

29th January ~ 7.00pm till 8.00pm - Effective teaching in The Early Years: The Early Years Pedagogical Continuum and ShREC Approach

11th February ~ 7.00 till 8.00pm - Community of practice Nutrition - Following our webinar about the recent updates to Nutrition Guidelines, this is a chance to share, ask questions, delve deeper and get support on all things linked to nutrition in the Early Years.

11th March ~ 7.00 till 8.00pm Hearing the Voice of the Child

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Early Years Educator Webinars with Kim Barnetson

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Book your place now!29th January ~ 7.00pm till 8.00pm - Effective teaching in The Early Years: The Early Years Pedagogical Continuum and ShREC Approach

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Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel website and learning hub

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Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel website and learning hub

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The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel website serves as a national learning hub designed to strengthen child protection practice across England by bringing together insights from serious child safeguarding reviews. It explains the Panel’s independent role in overseeing and commissioning reviews where children have died or been seriously harmed, and focuses on identifying system‑wide learning rather than apportioning blame.

The site provides accessible guidance for safeguarding partners and professionals, publishes national reports and thematic analyses, and hosts an online learning hub with practical resources on issues such as neglect, child sexual abuse, vulnerable babies, and safeguarding Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children, all aimed at improving professional practice and outcomes for children.

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The site provides accessible guidance for safeguarding partners and professionals, publishes national reports and thematic analyses, and hosts an online learning hub with practical resources on issues such as neglect, child sexual abuse, vulnerable babies, and safeguarding Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage children, all aimed at improving professional practice and outcomes for children.

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Evidence Store covering 6 Themes supporting pedagogical practice.

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Evidence Store covering 6 Themes supporting pedagogical practice.

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Educators use a range of teaching approaches while working with children in the early years. We have summarised the evidence behind them. You can use the Evidence Store to find out:

Which approaches are effective, and why;

What the approaches might look like in nurseries, schools and for childminders;

How you can put the evidence into action.

Build your knowledge of this research evidence and combine it with your professional expertise to develop quality practice.

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Put evidence-informed approaches into practice.

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Case Studies on the Effective use of EYPP 

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Case Studies on the Effective use of EYPP 

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﻿Educators’ success stories

Improving children’s language outcomes with the Early Years Pupil Premium

Andrina Flinders describes how investing in staff development and targeted language support helped narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged children.

Why strategy is more important than resources when using the Early Years Pupil Premium to close learning gaps

Nicola Cherry shares how a group of nurseries worked together to strengthen their EYPP strategies.

How investing our Early Years Pupil Premium in staff training boosted children’s outcomes

Headteacher Gemma Sutter explains how a focus on communication and language is improving outcomes for children from lower-income backgrounds.

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The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

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A four-step planning tool for better spending choices

This planning tool introduces key findings from high-quality research to help you reduce the learning gap between children from lower-income backgrounds and others.

The four-page resource guides you through how to be more strategic and make your plans stick.

Download the planning tool

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Please find attached REACHout's new training directory which has all of their recorded webinars organised into a wide range of topics- see below for an overview.

2 Babies

3 Childminder Specific Practice

4 English as an Additional Language

5 Health, Nutrition and Sustainability

6 Maths, Literacy and Cognitive Development

7 Neurodiversity, Inclusion and Mental Health

8 Pedagogy, Practice and Professional Development

9 Physical Development, Sensory and Wellbeing

10 Play, Creative and Open Ended Materials

11 Speech and Language

12 Connect With Us – Find all our events,

booking links & much more!

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Sorry, you do not have permission for that!

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We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we’ll assume you’re okay to continue. (Privacy Policy)

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Every child in our local authority has the best possible start in life, enabling them to thrive and supporting them to be healthy, happy and ready to experience and embrace the wider world.

Read what that looks like for us in Bedford Borough...

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Scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted

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Scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted

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Please be aware

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Jayne Coward, Deputy Director for Early Years Regulatory Policy and Practice

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Scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted

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We’re aware of a rise in scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted, so we wanted to reassure you and let you know what you can do if you receive one. We know that receiving these scam messages will …

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Please find attached two training flyer

One is Oral Health in Early Years training and the other is for Oral Health and Children with SEND - sessions for primary schools.

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Sorry, you do not have permission for that!

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We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we’ll assume you’re okay to continue. (Privacy Policy)

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Early years register providers inspection requirements for Ofsted

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Early years register providers inspection requirements for Ofsted

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Ofsted will begin inspecting early education and childcare providers more frequently from April 2026, in line with the DfE's Best Start in Life strategy. Providers on the Early Years Register will be inspected at least once by March 2030 and then again within a 4-year period, replacing the current 6-year window. Ofsted will also inspect new providers within 18 months of registration, rather than the current 30 months. If Ofsted has concerns about a provider, inspectors will, of course, visit more frequently.

The new inspection windows will be phased in gradually. Providers who have already been inspected under the previous arrangements will gradually transition to the new 4-year window before 2030

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Early years register providers inspection requirements for Ofsted

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DfE requirements for Ofsted when inspecting early years childcare providers.

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The EEF Guide to the Early Years Pupil Premium 

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The EEF Guide to the Early Years Pupil Premium 

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We would like to share an opportunity for all Coram PACEY members to celebrate and promote the unique value childminding brings to families and communities. It is a great opportunity to celebrate and promote the unique value of childminding. The campaign highlights how childminders provide high‑quality, flexible childcare in small, home‑from‑home settings, offering children the time, care and attention they need to thrive. Coram PACEY has also created downloadable social media image templates that childminders can use on their own social media pages to help showcase their setting and share the magic of childminding with families in their community. Find out more and access campaign resources at: https://www.corampacey.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns-media/magic-of-childminding-campaign/

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Digital screens are a part of modern life, but finding the right balance between screen time and other activities for young children can be tricky. That’s why we’ve created this evidence‑informed guidance to support parents and carers in shaping healthy screen time habits for little brains.

https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/screen-time-under-5s/

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Please find the list of link workers that are attached to early years hubs

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Safeguarding Bedfordshire up and Coming Training 

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Safeguarding Bedfordshire up and Coming Training 

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Dingley’s Promise Inclusion Training for Wraparound Settings/Schools

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Dingley’s Promise Inclusion Training for Wraparound Settings/Schools

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If you wish to know more about this training or book you can also email Lorraine.bampton@bedford.gov.uk

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These sessions aim to support families at an early stage, helping them understand what support is available and how to take the next steps with confidence.

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The updated Working Together to Safeguard Children Guidance has published today.

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Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Details

This guidance is for:

local authority chief executives

directors of children's services

safeguarding partners

teachers and education staff

social workers

health service professionals

adult services

police officers

voluntary and community sector workers in contact with children and families

It applies to:

A version of the guidance for young people and a separate version suitable for younger children are also available for practitioners to share.

Statutory guidance is issued by law - you must follow it unless there's a good reason not to.

Working together to safeguard children 2018

This is a factual update to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 to reflect recent changes to legislation, including:

Integrated Care Boards: from 1 July 2022, integrated care boards have replaced clinical commissioning groups as a result of the Health and Care Act 2022

Public Health England: has now been replaced by the UK Health Security Agency and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), which is part of the Department of Health and Social Care, and by the UK Health Security Agency. The Chief Public Health Nurse role has transferred to OHID

Domestic Abuse Act 2021: references to the Domestic Abuse Bill should be read as the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

UK GDPR: references to the GDPR should be read as the UK GDPR. The UK GDPR is the retained EU law version of the GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018

Statutory framework

The updated statutory framework sets out the legislation relevant to safeguarding and it should be read alongside the statutory guidance.

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Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

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Childminders claiming funding for relatives 

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Childminders claiming funding for relatives 

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Please can we remind you that in accordance with Section 16 and 18 of the Childcare Act 2006 childminders are not permitted to claim Childcare Funding Entitlements for a child who is related to them:

“The 2006 Childcare Act prohibits childminders from receiving funding for related children because the definition of childcare excludes care provided for a child by a relatives and parents.

The definition of “relative” in relation to a child means a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister, whether of full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership”

For more information please see Find out what 'approved childcare' is https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs

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You can get help paying for childcare if it's provided by a:

registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery or club

childminder or nanny with a registered childminder agency or childcare agency

registered school

home care worker working for a registered home care agency

This is known as 'approved childcare'.

The rules about how childcare providers become approved are different depending on where you live.

You can check if a childcare provider is approved or search for one in:

If you want to claim 30 hours free childcare in England, the provider will also need to be on an Early Years Register with Ofsted or with a registered early years childminder agency - ask your provider about this.

Sign in to your childcare account

Sign in to your childcare account if you already get Tax-Free Childcare or 30 hours free childcare.

Childcare at school

You can only get help paying for care that is outside school hours, for example after school clubs or breakfast clubs.

You cannot get help paying for:

your child's compulsory education

private lessons during school time (for example, private music lessons during school hours)

If your child has not started primary school, you can get help paying for childcare provided by a school. This includes nursery school fees.

Childcare provided by relatives

If you live in England or Scotland

You can only get Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for childcare provided by a relative (for example, a grandparent) if they're a registered childminder and care for your child outside your home.

You cannot claim for 30 hours free childcare for childcare provided by a relative (for example, a grandparent).

You cannot get help for childcare provided by your partner. This is not accepted as 'approved childcare'.

If you live in England and get 30 hours free childcare, you can pay the childcare provider using Universal Credit, tax credits, childcare vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare.

If you live in Northern Ireland

You can only get help paying for childcare provided by a relative if all of the following apply:

If you live in Wales

You can only get help paying for childcare provided by a relative if they're a registered childminder and care for your child outside your home.

Foster carers

Childcare provided by a foster carer in England only counts if they're registered as a childcare provider. You can search for a registered childcare provider through Ofsted.

You may be able to claim if a foster carer provides childcare in Wales, provides childcare in Scotland or provides childcare in Northern Ireland.

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Help with the cost of paying for approved childcare - Tax-Free Childcare, 15 and 30 hours childcare, childcare vouchers, tax credits, Learner Support.

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Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship 

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Early Years Teacher Degree Apprenticeship 

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University of Hertfordshire are doing some information webinars if anyone would like to join.

Wednesday 29th April, 12.30pm-1.30pm. Register here

Wednesday 20th May, 4.00pm-5.00pm. Register here

Monday 15th June, 1.00pm-2.00pm. Register here

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OFSTED Inspections frequently asked questions

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OFSTED Inspections frequently asked questions

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Ofsted published the renewed inspection framework on 9 September 2025, they have put on lots of online and face-to-face engagement with early years settings to answer your questions. They have published the most frequently asked questions below, so you can see all the answers in one place.

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Since we published the renewed inspection framework on 9 September 2025, we've put on lots of online and face-to-face engagement with early years settings to answer your questions. We're publishing the most frequently asked questions below, so you can see all the answers in one place.

We'll regularly update this as we continue to inspect with our renewed approach, so do bookmark it and check back in future.

If you want to watch any of our webinars, you can find them on our YouTube playlist.

We update our early years YouTube playlists regularly:

1. When will my setting be inspected?

Currently, we inspect early years settings at least once in a 6-year window. However, from the new financial year (April 2026) we will receive funding to move to a 4-year inspection window. This was announced in the Department for Education's ' Giving every child the best start in life ' strategy. As part of this, we'll move to inspect newly registered settings within 18 months, rather than 30 months.

We're still working out what this will look like in practice and will update this blog with more information as soon as we can.

2. Who can take on the role of nominee and what do they do?

The nominee is a new, optional role in early years inspections. A nominee is someone working within your setting who acts as a link between the setting's staff and the inspector during an inspection. The nominee needs to be someone who knows the day-to-day running of the setting well. We explain more about the role of the nominee in our inspection guidance.

The nominee is not the same as the 'nominated individual' for registered early years settings.

You don't have to have a nominee; there is no disadvantage for you and your setting if you choose not to.

If you decide you would like a nominee, you can watch our nominee training video, which explains more about the role.

3. What happens on the planning call?

The planning call is important to help the inspector to:

understand your setting's unique context

gain an overview of your curriculum

explore your views on your setting's strengths and priorities for improvement

understand your approach to inclusion

discuss the arrangements for the inspection with you

The planning call lasts around 30 minutes and happens after your initial notification call, and before the inspector arrives at your setting. Before the call takes place, you'll have received an email to give you time to look at any guidance you need about inspection and to gather the information we need to help us understand the context of your setting.

The planning call will normally take place by video call, unless technology does not allow for this or you would prefer it to be by telephone call.

The inspector will explain the inspection process and the toolkit that guides evaluation and grading. They will also tell you where you can access the latest inspection documents. If the inspection is taking place because of a risk assessment, concern or complaint, the inspector will explain this. This, alongside all the other information about the context of your setting, will help to inform areas of inspection focus, which inspectors will agree with you.

Our early years inspection information explains how we notify you of an inspection and what information we'll need for the planning call. Our early years inspection operating guide for inspectors sets out what inspectors need to do when it comes to the planning call.

4. How do shared observations work?

We are no longer carrying out learning walks during early years inspections. Instead, inspectors gather most evidence through shared observations with leaders who know the children and setting best. This means that you can be alongside inspectors for as much as you can, or want to be.

If you're a leader working in ratio and you can't spend much time with the inspector, don't worry. You won't be at a disadvantage. Inspectors will be flexible and work around when you're available.

As part of shared observations, inspectors have ongoing discussions with you and your practitioners and will talk to parents. They'll want to speak with the practitioner designated to take the lead responsibility for safeguarding and talk with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), where appropriate. If you're a childminder, this is just you.

During shared observations, inspectors:​

track the experiences of a case sample of child(ren) relative to the size of your setting

focus on the outcomes and experiences of children, especially those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are known (or previously known) to children's social care, or who leaders have identified as being particularly vulnerable

observe children at play and in their daily routines

observe the interactions between practitioners and children

5. How will you evaluate my setting if no early years children are present?

If your setting has no early years children on roll and/or present on the planned day of inspection, we'll try to reschedule it. Inspectors want to see the impact of the provision on children that attend. ​

​If you don't know when you'll have early years children on roll again or if you're expecting to have children on roll on a specific date that is more than one month after the notification call, we'll carry out a 'no children on roll' inspection.

In these inspections, inspectors only grade the 'leadership and governance' evaluation area (you can find this in the early years inspection toolkit). This will determine whether your setting is meeting the requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) and the Childcare Register (if applicable). They'll only be able to grade it as 'expected standard', 'needs attention' or 'urgent improvement' in this type of inspection. We'll then follow up with another inspection when children are on roll, and when that happens will depend on the grade.

6. How will you inspect before- and after-school settings and holiday provision?

If you're registered on the Early Years Register but only provide care exclusively for children at the beginning and end of the school day or in holiday periods, you only need to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS. Therefore, inspectors do not grade the 'curriculum and teaching' or 'achievement' evaluation areas during your inspection.

This is the same for before- and after-school settings and holiday provision with children younger than Reception age. If you have one of these settings, you must have regard to, but do not have to meet, the learning and development requirements of the EYFS.

Inspectors do evaluate your safeguarding and welfare arrangements. They will confirm that your setting meets the requirements of the Early Years Register. If your setting is also on the compulsory or voluntary part of the Childcare Register, inspectors will also check it meets these requirements.

Inspectors may want to discuss:

key persons' knowledge of each individual child

how leaders decide on activities and routines to support children

how leaders collect and consider children's views

how well children keep themselves safe and healthy

the quality of support for children with SEND

how children are included in the setting's community

You can find out more in our webinar for out-of-school settings.

7. What do you mean by 'barriers to learning and/or wellbeing' and how do you define 'disadvantaged'?

Inspectors want to understand your setting's context, including your children, their needs and the specific families and community you serve.

Our inspections focus on the most vulnerable children, such as those who are socio-economically disadvantaged (as defined in our glossary of education inspection terminology), those with SEND and those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care. Inspectors focus on these children through various inspection activities and also use case sampling to gather first-hand evidence of their experiences. We want to find out how you're helping children overcome barriers they may face to their learning and/or wellbeing.

When we talk about barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, this means any factors that may make it difficult for a child to achieve as well as they should, and develop positive wellbeing.

Barriers can be caused by a child's individual circumstances, such as their health, development or emotional needs, or by external factors, including family, community or wider social conditions. They can include protected characteristics. There may also be barriers that children face that are specific to your setting's context. These may need tailored approaches to reduce their impact on learning and/or wellbeing.

8. How does case sampling of children work?

To help us select children for a case sample, inspectors will ask you to provide a list of children who:

are disadvantaged (including those who receive the early years pupil premium)

have SEND

are known (or previously known) to children's social care

face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing

Even if there aren't currently any children on roll who fall into these categories, you'll still need to show that you have systems in place to identify and support children who have these needs.

Our early years inspection operating guide for inspectors explains more about case sampling.

9. How do inspections work for co-childminders and childminders without domestic premises?

If you're a co-childminder, we'll normally inspect you together. In some circumstances, we may inspect you separately, especially if you work at different times of the week or from different premises.

Inspectors determine which childminder the parents contract with, who claims funding for the children, and which of you is the key person for which children.

If you're only assisting with the care of children who are the responsibility of another childminder, inspectors will consider you as an assistant for the purposes of the inspection.

You have a shared responsibility to safeguard children, as set out in the EYFS. If you share policies, procedures and resources with your co-childminder(s), inspectors will explore how each of you reflects on your practice and improves what you do, separately and collectively.

It's not possible to operate as a childminder and a childcare on domestic premises setting on the same premises at the same time. Therefore, if you provide or assist with care for children as a childcare on domestic setting and also hold a childminding registration, we'll need to inspect both registrations separately. Inspectors will determine when, where and how settings and childminders operate under which registration.

10. Is 'expected standard' a high standard?

Yes, 'expected standard' is a high standard. If your setting gets graded 'expected standard', it's meeting all the requirements of the EYFS for high‑quality provision. This means that children are healthy, safe, learning well and developing the knowledge and skills they need to start school. We've colour-coded 'expected standard' as green in our toolkit to visually indicate that you're on track and there are no concerns.

It's important to remember that inspectors are looking for a 'secure fit', not a 'best fit' for each grade. This means that each standard within each grade must be met before it can be given.

So, to get an 'expected standard' grade, you'll need to meet all the standards in that column. You'll see words such as 'typically' and 'generally' because the 'expected standard' is not about perfection. For example, you might have an area of learning that you're developing well but it doesn't yet quite meet the same standards as others consistently. So, if that was the case, the inspector may still grade your setting as having a secure fit with the 'expected standard'. To get a 'strong standard', then all standards for 'expected' would need to be met first.

11. Is 'exceptional' the new 'outstanding'?

There is no read-across from the previous grading system, so 'exceptional' is not the new 'outstanding'. It is also important to say that the 'expected standard' or 'strong standard' do not equate to the old 'good' grade.

'Exceptional' will be rare. When considering this grade, inspectors will consider whether your setting's specific practice could support system-wide improvement. 'Exceptional' means practice so unique that it should be showcased: among the very best nationally.

12. Is 'needs attention' the new 'requires improvement'?

As with question 11, the 'needs attention' grade is not equivalent to 'requires improvement'.

Inspectors are likely to grade an evaluation area as 'needs attention' when the 'expected standard' of the particular evaluation area is not met because inconsistencies in practice have a negative impact on children in general, or on a particular group.

The 'needs attention' grade is not a 'fail'. It's about early identification and setting clear actions on how to meet the requirements of the EYFS, before they become bigger problems that need 'urgent improvement'.

13. What are you doing to explain the new grade system to parents?

We've published a video, ' New Ofsted report cards and grades: a guide for parents ', which explains the changes for parents.

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Early years inspections: frequently asked questions

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Since we published the renewed inspection framework on 9 September 2025, we've put on lots of online and face-to-face engagement with early years settings to answer your questions. We're publishing the most frequently asked questions below, so you can see all the

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Bedfordshire Employment and Skills Academy (BESA) and our partner training providers can support you to access education and training to build skills that will improve employability, support career opportunities, and enhance wellbeing.

BESA delivers a range of short courses, qualifications, apprenticeships and employability support for residents, as well as support for local businesses

Enquiry form - www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/besa-contact-us

Email address - BESA@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

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Bedfordshire Employment and Skills Academy | Central Bedfordshire Council

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Find out how we can help you with apprenticeships and getting into work.

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Ofsted has improved how they report the findings of education inspections.

They have designed the new-look report cards with parents and carers in mind, to give you a clearer picture of what’s working well and where the next steps for improvement are – at a childminder, nursery, school, college or apprenticeship provider.

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Understanding Ofsted report cards and grades

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This page explains Ofsted report cards for your child’s education or childcare, including a video and guidance on what’s changed from the old system.

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Ofsted education inspection framework: nurseries, pre-schools, other registered early years settings

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Ofsted education inspection framework: nurseries, pre-schools, other registered early years settings

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DFE Ofsted webinar that discusses the new Ofsted Inspection Framework.

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Ofsted education inspection framework: nurseries, pre-schools, other registered early years settings

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The EYFS Profile report is now available on the FSF: https://eyfs.info/forums/topic/56592-eyfs-profile-report-2024-2025/ (you will need to be signed in to view, please contact your ACE Contact if you need to register)

This is an important document, intended to give settings, schools and LA officers wider comparisons in the geographical area in which they are situated.

This publication is restricted and should not be published or made available in the public domain and is strictly for internal use e.g. by Bedford Borough schools, settings and by colleagues within Children’s Services: Education, SEND and Schools.

Please spend time looking at the report to see the results of the reception children in the schools you work in, or schools that your children feed into.

Consider:

Was GLD below/inline/above Bedford Borough GLD?

What areas were lowest? How did boys do? How did disadvantaged children do?

Do results reflect the children you currently teach?

Do you need to make changes to your curriculum offer, teaching inputs, training of staff, support for parents?

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We now have recordings of the three webinars run by Tamsin Grimmer to share with you.

The titles are:

Attachment & Brain Development

Creating enabling environments including treasure baskets and heuristic play

Engaging with families and listening to the voice of the child

They are aimed at educators that work with babies so if you are interested in watching them or using them in a team meeting for CPD, please email dawn.wilson@bedford.gov.uk who will then share the link and the password.  They are all stored on the foundation stage forum so you must be able to access this; if you are not a member, please include that in your email

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Lift Off To Language Training - Now Updated

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Lift Off To Language Training - Now Updated

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Lift Off to Language (LOTL) is a locally designed language booster group. It is designed to help educators support children in their setting to develop their language and communication skills.

We are excited to announce that we have updated our LOTL training and criteria.

LOTL is now a two-part training course:
✅ Part 1: Face-to-face training session (as we train LOTL 2’s and 3-5’s at the same time you can only train for one age group at the time).

✅ Part 2: Follow-up accreditation visit, where we observe a LOTL group in action in your setting

Please note:

·       There is an expectation that educators who complete the training will go on to run LOTL booster groups.

·       Managers should ensure the most suitable educator is booked onto the course and then ensure that there is support for the on-going quality planning and delivery of LOTL groups.

·       Educators must complete an accreditation visit to continue to run LOTL groups; observations should be completed during the following two terms after face to face training.  Certificates will only be awarded once a successful observation has taken place.

·       Groups should not be run by non-accredited educators (except for those waiting for their booked accreditation visit).

·       Under some circumstances, settings that do not fulfil the accreditation requirements will not be able to send further staff on LOTL training.

In this training, we will:

·       Describe the communication needs of 2-year-olds and 3-5-year-olds in your setting

·       Discuss the benefits of language groups and early intervention

·       Outline how to set up and run LOTL groups for either age group

·       Provide opportunities to plan and practise a LOTL session and explore how to adapt sessions for children’s differing needs

·       Identify strategies to support children’s language skills both within the group and in free play

·       Outline how you can share LOTL activities with parents so they can carry over activities at home.

Training details:
📍 Venue: Queens Park Family Hub
📅 Date: Tuesday 22 September

Time:  13:00 - 15:30

How to book:

Email: julie.comber@bedford.gov.uk

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The 0 - 19 team are carrying out health checks with many families who have 2 year olds.

Please check emails for contact from your link nursery nurse and respond; they would like to know if there are any 2 year olds that you are concerned about within your setting.

Phone: 0300 555 0606

Website: ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net

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The Bedfordshire and Luton Children's Health HUB has been created to make contacting our services by telephone and email easier and more convenient.

There is one shared telephone number, and an email address to access some services, including:

Bedfordshire and Luton 0 to 19 Teams: Health Visiting and School Nursing (calls and emails)

Bedfordshire and Luton Children's Audiology including Newborn Hearing (calls and emails)

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Eye Service (calls and emails)

Bedfordshire and Luton Children in Care Service (calls only)

Bedfordshire and Luton Community Paediatrics Service (calls only)

Bedfordshire and Luton Speech and Language Service (calls and emails)

Our trained Hub administrators will be at the end of the phone to help, advise and signpost to the correct services.

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Access Bedfordshire and Luton children's services through our Health Hub. Call 0300 555 0606 or email ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net.

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We have updated the Easy explainer: early years funding rates - GOV.UK which is designed to support providers to understand the early years funding system. The update includes additional detail on why funding rates vary by age, including the interaction between ratios and funding rates, and what costs the hourly funding rates cover.

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Easy explainer: early years funding rates

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The early years funding rates are the rates that the Department for Education (DfE) pays to each local authority to fund the early years entitlements. This includes:

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Provider sign-for our email update for early years 

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Provider sign-for our email update for early years 

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Please sign up for email updates via the newsletter

Families can now see if they are eligible for working family funding here:

https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support

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It is crucially important that as part of safer recruitment any new committee members or trustees complete an EY2 form. Find out more about completing the EY2 form here:

Apply to join a nursery or other daycare organisation (EY2) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Who needs to submit an EY2 form, and tips for completing it – Ofsted: early years (blog.gov.uk)

If your daycare organisation is a committee-run childcare, you must tell Ofsted about anyone who is going to be a committee member or trustee.

Report changes to registered people in your nursery or other daycare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
You can only report changes in your daycare if you are one of the following:
•the nominated individual of an organisation such as a company, charity or partnership
•the sole owner of the business

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Please ensure that parents are aware that the eligibility code must be verified by their childcare provider before a child can take up the working parent entitlement.  Please ensure that settings check the codes on Synergy (eligibility tab).

For Summer Term, all codes must start on or before 31 March; please ensure that families are being encouraged to apply for their working codes now and that any new codes are checked for eligibility before offering a space for September

Please ensure that you check any code using the eligibility checker on Synergy before promising a place and make a note of the dates, if there are no dates, check the NI number and CODE are correct plus the DOB of the child.

Please also remind existing working families to reconfirm their codes so that they remain eligible for next term; Synergy is up to date with the start, end and grace period dates for existing codes.  A child is unable to start a new setting if their code is in its grace period.

If you have issues confirming eligibility of codes or you need them updated, please contact funding@bedford.gov.uk

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Thank you to those providers that have submitted their headcount data already, we will start making our way through these and processing claims.

If you have finished, please don't forget to let us know by emailing funding@bedford.gov.uk

Please can we ask that you adhere to all deadlines, ESPECIALLY THE 5 WORKING DAYS FOR ADJUSTMENTS.

CENSUS – This needs to be updated at the beginning of each term. Providers will not be able to complete their headcounts unless the census information has been completed.  The information showing how to complete this is contained within the User Guide for Synergy (attached) so please refer to this when completing your headcount.

DOCUMENT UPLOAD – Please remember to upload individual parent declaration forms to each child record on the Actuals tab BEFORE you submit your claim. Any that are submitted without a form will not be processed. You will also need to upload a new parent declaration form if the child increases the hours during the term but please DO NOT alter the hours already entered on the original claim. This is also where you will upload Disability Access Funding (DAF) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) letters to support your claim. Again, any DAF requests without the evidence will not be paid.

PARENT DECLARATION FORMS - Please remember that parents must list the hours they are attending at the setting each day of the week and then give the funded hours each day at the bottom of the column. They also need to include ALL settings if they attend more than one. You are able to support the parents with the form but please do not complete it for them and then ask them to sign or just ask them to sign a blank page which you later complete. Electronic signatures will not be accepted. As advised above, please remember to upload the parent declaration forms onto each child record

User Guide for Synergy - please use this before contacting us to help with any queries you may have. If you do have to contact us, please email rather than call if possible and include screenshots of the issue in your email. This document has been updated to include upgrades, so please ensure you read it.

As usual, we are paying for 13 weeks in the Summer Term with the term dates being 14/04/26 – 17/07/26

Working family codes - must have a start date on or before 31 March to be eligible from April. Synergy is up to date with the start, end and grace period dates for those existing codes. You should always check the validity of the code before offering a place. Please check, by logging into Synergy on a regular basis throughout the term, the dates for reconfirming as ideally a parent should reconfirm their 30H codes before the yellow triangle appears, i.e. before the end date. If a yellow triangle has appeared by the side of the child’s name, this means the code needs to be reconfirmed now.

ADJUSTMENTS – we are having problems with the adjustment email that is on Synergy and they are not able to offer a fix at this time so we have had to turn it off. Providers will have received a document by email; please use this if you are making adjustments to your claim

It is even more important to meet the request to action this within the 5 working days as it may take us longer to deal with adjustments

EY VOUCHER BUTTON - When you add a funded two year old onto Synergy, please do so by using this button (see User Guide referred to above) – this will bring the details through to your page; if the child does not have a code or Synergy does not accept the code, please contact dawn.wilson@bedford.gov.uk

GDPR - Can we remind you not to share log-in details to Synergy as this is a breach of GDPR. We are happy to provide additional log-ins if you email us the details.

Stretched funding – a reminder to all settings.  Please let us know if you are providing a stretched offer to families so that we can ensure Synergy is set up correctly.  Stretching the funding is for when families are attending less than their allotted hours, all year round.  It is easy to set up on synergy but providers are not able to do this by themselves.  Please do not claim for a full entitlement and then stretch the hours; parent declarations and Synergy need to state the actual hours attended by children per week

Please can we ask that you adhere to all deadlines, ESPECIALLY THE 5 WORKING DAYS FOR ADJUSTMENTS.

If a child leaves your setting, please log into Synergy, amend the last date of attendance and weeks attending and press send claim

If a child increases their hours, obtain a new parent declaration form with the new hours, attach this to the child on Synergy and press send claim; do not change any details.

If a child starts later at your setting, please add them in the normal way ensuring that the weeks attended and the attendance dates are correct