Teach-Early-Years-14.1

JAMES HEMPSALL OBE IS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CORAM HEMPSALL’S “It’s time to sharpen your pencils and plan” Confirm how many parents will convert from 15 to 30 funded hours I t’s safe to say that 2025 will be another big year for anyone managing early years provision. Anyone in the sector could be forgiven for feeling browbeaten by challenges and changes, and it can be difficult to find the emotional resolve, time, and physical or financial resources to create advantages from them. We also need to have a little in reserve for when the unexpected happens. There’ll be much to navigate as we move from previous government policies and work through new government ambitions. The most place types) performing? Talk with existing parents and confirm how many will convert from 15 to 30 funded hours from September, and how that needs to be offered across term times and beyond. Ensure families know about Childcare Choices and government support to assist them to buy additional hours (Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit). Look at patterns and trends. Consider how these may affect spring and summer terms. What lessons are there for September 2025? This will all help inform place planning, budgeting and resourcing. Continue ongoing monitoring on an “as live” basis and layer on the local announcements of funding rates for 2025–2026 (due in February) and other changes such as guidance. Be aware there is interest from the DfE in how charges should be levied or not, especially for disadvantaged families. New announcements may happen this term. Shadow budgets that consider various scenarios and trends can help here, as well as regular “checking in” to see how estimates are matching reality – or not. Engage with local authorities you contract with. Their information and survey requests are to support you strategically and sustainably. In return, you can ask what is happening in your catchment areas, e.g. supply and demand, school-based nurseries, and breakfast clubs. Keep a lookout for the further government Budget statements for 2026–2027 and 2027–2028, as this may or may not reveal longer-term ambitions for the reform of early years. The summer term By now you will have an informed idea of how your setting has settled into the delivery of expanded entitlements and be better able to consider September 2025. Revisit what parents were saying last term and ask whether things have changed. Is your planning still accurate? How does the transition of older children to school affect occupancy? What are your plans if occupancy is lower than predicted? Look again at how entitlement has affected expenditure and revenue (including charging). This knowledge can be used to finesse your delivery business and staffing model, and 80% Estimated sector income from DfE funding significant shift will be further increases and influences of place funding. DfE funding will be an estimated 80% of total income for the sector as working families’ entitlements move from 15 to 30 hours for nine- plus-month-olds until they start school. That is huge, so it’s time to sharpen pencils and to plan. The spring term If you haven’t already, make time to review autumn term 2024. Look at the take-up of funded entitlements and how that affected expenditure and income (including charging). Do you need workforce capacity, and how is supply and demand (against all 64 Teachearlyyears.com