Royal honours for early years professionals

* The early years sector was recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List last weekend as Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, and Professor Christine Pascal, chair of Early Childhood Education in the Centre for Research in Early Childhood at University College Worcester, were both awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Mrs Murphy said, 'I am absolutely delighted to receive this honour and I am pleased to accept it as a recognition of the work of the NDNA. This public acknowledgement reflects how much society now values day nursery provision and the growth of...