The above conference will cover: Funding, Building Workplace Capacity and Extending Free Childcare.

This timely seminar will bring together policymakers with stakeholders from across the early years sector, as well as local and central government, to discuss key issues for early years education as preparations are made for the extension of free childcare for three and four year-olds from 15 to 30 hours a week to be rolled out nationally from September 2017.
It will provide an opportunity to consider the implications of changes to funding for 3- and 4-year-olds in light of the Government?s response to its consultation on early years funding, which announced a minimum hourly rate and confirmed that 20% of local authorities will see a decrease in funding.
Attendees will also discuss the implementation so far and lessons that could be learnt from the Government?s provision of 15 hours of free childcare a week for 3-4 year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, as well as the from the series of pilot schemes which began trialling the extended childcare offer from September 2016. They will also consider issues around increasing accessibility, and making childcare and early years provision more inclusive, for SEND children including findings from the selected early innovator councils focusing on this area.
Further sessions will assess Ofsted?s plans to bring early years inspections in-house from April 2017, including how this is likely to work in practice and potential implementation issues going forward. They will also discuss ongoing concerns surrounding the early years workforce, including improving capacity, recruitment and retention, in light of a reported further delay to the Government?s early years workforce strategy.

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