Westminster Education Forum Keynote Seminar: Key issues for early years - funding, building workforce capacity and extending free childcare  

with

• Alex Magloire, Senior Manager, Early Education and Policy, Ofsted
• Dr Andy Fisher, Audit Manager, National Audit Office
• Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Pre-School Learning Alliance

and

Laura Henry, Laura Henry Consultancy; Julie Hyde, Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE); Sally Panayiotou, Kantar Public and Councillor Neill Young, Portsmouth City Council 

The focus:

Key issues for early years policy and the future provision of free childcare - with latest thinking on funding, staffing and Ofsted’s new inspection arrangements.

Context:

• Takes place as providers prepare for the national rollout of extended free childcare for three and four year-olds, rising from 15 to 30 hours a week from September 2017;
• Comes as government reviews responses to its consultation on the new national funding formula for early years, following concerns from industry regarding funding levels;
• The National Audit Office’s assessment of the progress so far of free childcare, which identified a need for the government to address concerns about funding;
• Figures from Ofqual showing a 30% drop in the number of students completing the Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification between 2014 and 2015;
• Ofsted’s plans to bring early years inspections in-house from April 2017; and
• The launch of Labour’s early years taskforce, aimed at improving access to affordable, high-quality childcare.

Key discussion points:

• Implementation of 30 hours of free childcare from September 2017:
• Progress so far in implementing 15 hours’ free childcare for 3-4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds;
• Lessons from the early implementer and early innovator pilots in extending free childcare to 30 hours and improving provision for children with SEND; and
• The likely effect of the government’s proposed new funding formula on early years providers’ ability to extend free childcare to 30 hours.
• Inspection of early years settings:
• The impact of Ofsted moving inspections in-house from April 2017.
• Workforce issues for early years, including improving quality, recruitment and retention:
• Key priorities for the early years profession including recruitment, retention and training;
• Next steps for encouraging more students to study early years at university and improving professional development; and
• The likely impact of the government’s early years workforce strategy, due to be published later this year.

This seminar will present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and is CPD certified. Places have been reserved by officials from the DH; DfE; IPA and the Welsh Government. Also due to attend are representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council; Leicestershire County Council; Little Acorns Day Nursery, London; London Borough of Newham and Voice.

Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group numbering around 100, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior officials from Cafcass, DCLG, DfE, DH, Ofsted, and other Government departments and agencies, schools and teaching professionals, representatives of trade unions and local government, specialist lawyers, healthcare professionals, policing representatives, specialist academics and children’s charities, together with reporters from the national and trade press.

A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 10 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials at DfE and other government departments; officials at Ofsted and other agencies affected by the issues; and Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.

All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.

The Westminster Education Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion-formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.

To book places, please use our online booking form.

Options and charges are as follows:

• Places at Key issues for early years - funding, building workforce capacity and extending free childcare (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £210 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.

For those who cannot attend:

• Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 10 days after the event for £95 plus VAT;
• Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.

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