Early Years Doorstep Guide
In anticipation for canvassing in the next few weeks and months, NEU have prepared this doorstep guide for our early years members.
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Flexible School Starting Age Bill becomes Law
Campaigners delighted as bill on flexible school starting age in Northern Ireland becomes law.
Flexible School Start Age Law Change Must Pass-Here’s Why
Flexible School Start campaign to drive change for children who should be able to defer Preschool or Primary 1.
Blog
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on early years
Maggie Surgenor-Cooke writes about the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the emotional wellbeing of children, parents and early years practitioners and what can be done to enhance future support mechanisms.
Press release 
Consultation on Deferring School Starting Age: Have your say.
We have been involved in the campaign to bring flexibility to Northern Ireland’s school start for over a decade, and this consultation is a welcome step.
Press release 
Hundreds of school staff march on Downing Street to save nursery schools
150 representatives from maintained nursery schools in England march to Downing Street to deliver a petition to the Chancellor, calling on him to ‘take urgent action’ over funding.
Press release
Sutton Trust report on Childcare in Early Years
Providing good quality early education should be considered by Government and policymakers as vitally important and a funding priority, but for too long it has been starved.
Press release
Impact of the Pandemic on Early Years
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) and National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) report into impact of the pandemic on early years.
Press release 
Early Years Alliance on Underfunding of Sector
It is shameful that the Government continues to let down the Early Years sector. The Government’s current policies and lack of action are clearly a threat to the sector and the life chances of the children they educate.
School Starting Age Flexibility
NEU Northern Ireland lobbies the Education Minister on school starting age flexibility.
Press release
Sutton Trust on Early Years
The report confirms what early years educators have repeatedly told Government: recovery from the pandemic must be concerned with building back the social element in children's lives.
Press release
Early Years Census 2021 Return
The clarification to the census guidance is a limited and confusing response to a worsening crisis. Its offer of top-up funding does not guarantee the necessary level of financial support.
Primary and Early Years assessment
The Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted the flaws in our primary assessment system that fails to put children first.
Press release
Keep early years safe and funded
The National Education Union and UNISON have highlighted a series of funding and safety issues ministers must address to ensure community safety around the care and education of young children.
Keep early years safe and funded
We need urgent funding for early years and maintained nursery schools now to prevent closures in this vital sector.
Press release
EPI report on Early Years and Covid
This report by the EPI is further evidence of the deep financial and structural impact the Coronavirus continues to have on the Early Years sector as a whole.
Press release
Maintained Nursery Schools
Extension of supplementary funding for Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) through to summer 2021
Press release 
Coronavirus: Maintained Nursery School Funding
Education experts call for Downing Street to prioritise Maintained Nursery School funding.
Press release
Coronavirus: Baseline assessment delay
The National Education Union welcomes the decision not to implement reception baseline assessment in September.
Press release
Petition hand-in to defend maintained nursery schools
Ahead of the Budget, a coalition of organisations acting in defence of maintained nursery schools will be handing in a 25,000-signature petition to the Prime Minister at Downing street.
Press release
Baseline assessment to become statutory in September
The DfE has satisfied itself about the technical validity of the tests, but is completely incurious about the effects of Baseline Assessment on the educational experience of four year-olds.
Press release
EPI on the Early Years Workforce
Government should learn the lesson of this report: serious change begins with funding, and with a sustained programme to improve workforce qualifications.
Press release
Labour Party policy on early years education
The fight against disadvantage begins in the early years, and Labour’s policies recognise this.
Press release
Early Years - Labour
Labour Party policy on Early Years Education
Press release
Early Years Funding
We are pleased the Government has bowed to pressure from parents and educators by extending funding for maintained nursery schools for a further two terms.
Blog
Defending the principles of early years education
Following the recent sector-led response to proposed changes to the EYFS, early years expert, Dr Sue Allingham, of Keeping Early Years Unique, sets out the concerns of the sector, and the principles which must be defended.
Save maintained nursery schools
Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) are under threat of closure due to chronic underfunding by the Government.
Press release
Funding for Nursery Schools
Commenting on the passing of Motion 15 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
Press release
Social Mobility
Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments on a report from an All-Party Parliamentary Group on social mobility, published today.
Policy 
Early years education
Early Years Foundation Stage is a distinct phase of education, with specific values and approaches, not just a preparation for school.
Press release
NEU comment on Equity in Education
Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on Equity in Education, the latest report in the Pisa series from the OECD.
Press release
Sutton Trust on Closing the Attainment Gap
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments on the Sutton Trust report Closing Gaps Early, published today.