POLICY
In case you missed it...
We take a look at some of the key policy updates from the past month
Start Strong launched to give all children a fair start in life
A new national organisation which aims to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for babies and young children has been launched.
Start Strong is led by early years expert Sally Hogg and chaired by Richard Pennycook, former non-executive director at the Department for Education. It aims to build lasting public and political consensus on improving outcomes and reducing inequalities for babies and young children across the UK.
Deprived schools more likely to experience barriers to literacy
Research from national children's literacy charity Bookmark Reading Charity has found that teachers working in disadvantaged communities are significantly more likely to identify poor early language as a challenge impacting literacy in school than those in more affluent areas.
A survey of 3,400 teachers found that 83% of teachers working in the most deprived schools identified poor early language skills as a barrier to improving literacy standards, compared with from 79% in 2023.
RSPCA calls for dog safety to be taught in early years
The RSPCA, founding member of the Pet Education Partnership (PEP), has called on early years settings to include dog safety in their curriculum to reduce the number of children being injured.
The animal welfare charity has urged providers to teach children how to interact safely with dogs after research from PEP found that 65% of children had a negative encounter with a pet, with 73% of these encounters involving dogs.
Parents' screen time affects children's language development, research finds
Parents' screen time has an impact on a child's language development, a study has found.
The research, carried out by academic in Norway, found an association between parents' smartphone screen time and a slower growth in children's receptive vocabulary and grammar. It also found that children's own screen time had an impact on their language development.
NPPF extends important protections for play
The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), a document setting out land use in the UK, has strengthened the recognition of children's play spaces. Local plans are required to set standards for recreational land and facilities, now including informal green spaces where children play.
The framework has said that policies for play and informal recreation should seek to secure a connected netowrk of high quality, inclusive and accessible opportunities.
Under 5 magazine
The magazine of the Early Years Alliance