About Early Years by Sarah Neville

19th July 2017

Have you heard about the new CEEDA research project ‘about early years’ yet? Possibly not because it’s so new … but you will do soon because the project organisers are in the process of recruiting 3000 group providers and 1000 childminders to form a panel of experts whose input will inform policy and practice in the future.

There are 4 main themes in the research: how demand for childcare is driven across the country; gaining an overview of capacity and quality of early years providers; recruitment within the sector including the impact of the recent level 3 qualifications debacle for group providers and how policy affects childminder numbers; and the financial impact of policies on provider sustainability.

Participants within the panel will be asked to complete questionnaires 3 times year which, when analysed, will be widely publicised and which will help to inform future policy. This is an ongoing project sponsored by, among others, Pre-school Learning Alliance but it is much bigger than any one organisation or person. If you want to support the project you will need to be committed to providing insight which will help colleagues in the future – and I am delighted to have been invited to join the project’s advisory group where I can wax lyrical on behalf of childminders: I see it as an extension of the work I already do on behalf of childminders for the Ofsted Big Conversation.

If you would like to be part of the panel, you can follow the link here… if you are not sure you want to get involved you can still benefit from the research: keep an eye on the ‘about early years’ website for more information.