Editor's view

The race is on to get Ofsted's Early Years Directorate up and running. But time is short and the issues and problems that need to be sorted out are many, as our coverage this week shows. The national daycare standards have finally been published, and our Special Report ('On the road', pages 10-11) looks at the main requirements and changes that have been made from the draft proposals. However, the much-needed guidance to accompany the headline standards is not due out until early July, by which time the EYD should be taking over new applications for registration. There seems to...