Early Years News May 2026

This May 2026 newsletter marks a year of monthly newsletters from Childcare.co.uk.

These comprehensive monthly updates are for all early years providers and will help you to stay informed about changes in the early years and build into a library of invaluable information and guidance.

As we move into May and the middle of Spring, you might be thinking about sun safety with your early years children. In many early years settings, May also heralds a time for celebration with May Day and the flowers will be blooming in the garden.

EYFS - safer sleep

DfE informed all early years providers that changes were coming to the safe sleep requirements in the EYFS from September. However, the wording was initially unclear and left a lot of providers confused about what was required. Childcare.co.uk submitted a list of member questions to DfE for their consideration.

DfE has now answered some of the questions - but there are more outstanding and Childcare.co.uk will continue to support members by following up and chasing until we get answers.

Safer Sleep Information & Resources

DfE - safer sleep further guidance

DfE has released further guidance, created in collaboration with the Lullaby Trust, which provides advice to help providers create and maintain safer sleep environments. It includes information on:

• Providing an appropriate sleep space.
• Safe use of cots, mattresses, bedding and sleep bags.
• Supervising children while they are sleeping including using monitors.
• What to do when babies and children fall asleep whilst travelling.
• Checking babies and children while sleeping and managing their temperature.
• Safe positioning and use of comforters.

DfE has also published answers to frequently asked questions to help providers prepare for the EYFS changes which are expected to come into effect from September 2026.

As soon as DfE has replied to the other questions, mostly in relation to outside sleeping and Forest School providers, the information will be shared with members.

Safeguarding - new PANTS resources

NSPCC has released a series of videos for different ages of children to add to the PANTs resources currently available. The videos, lesson plans, classroom activities and supporting resources help you to deliver age-appropriate sessions with children aged 3- to 11-years-old.

Practice - sustainability changes

Childminders are not included in the DfE requirement to designate a sustainability lead and create a climate action plan. However, environmental sustainability should be part of every early years setting, so the next generation start their sustainable living journey early.

The UN sets out 17 key indicators to becoming sustainable and these are linked closely to the work we do in the early years, to create a better world for our children.

Childcare.co.uk has a series of climate change guides for gold members to support changes they might be thinking about making to their settings to focus on sustainability with the children - whether you are growing wildflowers, learning about the weather or starting new recycling projects to link with the latest Govt bin change initiatives, let's get the children involved.

Ofsted - grading yourself

When you are preparing for your early years inspection, think about how you will answer this question: 'How do you grade yourself?' During the planning call, your Ofsted inspector might ask you to grade yourself. They are typically asking how you think you are getting on and where you think you sit on the early years inspection toolkit grades which are 'met' and 'not met' for safeguarding and range from 'urgent improvement' to 'exceptional' for the other inspection areas.

If you are asked this question, think about your current practice and what you intend to demonstrate during inspection. This will then be evaluated by the inspector who will look for evidence during the inspection when they carry out shared observations.

UKHPA - illness update

The UK Health Protection Agency has updated their 'Public health exclusion periods for young children' document but it only looks like a few changes to layout rather than anything important. The new document is available with an update guide.

DfE - free online training

DfE has a series of free online training modules available for early years providers including childminders. There are 8 modules so far and they have said that more will be added over time.

Each module takes around 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete and is useful to show evidence to Ofsted that you are continuing your professional development journey.

Research - parents support young children's literacy at home

The National Literacy Trust has shared information about the home learning environment and the part it plays in supporting children's literacy at home. We know that in England early years providers must support children's home learning to comply with the statutory EYFS and there is an expectation during Ofsted inspection that inspectors will note whether children are developing a love of reading.

Many parents shared that they were struggling to juggle work, childcare and household responsibilities and longer working hours was leading to less engagement with their child which meant that reading, talking and playing was declining in the home learning environment. Screens are normal in children's lives and parents recognise this leads to an unhealthy atmosphere but the advice they receive is conflicting. Families report they are motivated to support their children's reading at home and access to libraries and community services help with this. You might bear this in mind when you are suggesting ideas for home learning - reduce pressure, recognise family struggles and make it fun.

Parent partnerships - BBC parenting collection

Tiny Happy People is now part of the CBeebies parenting collection. The collection contains expert-backed tips, simple activity ideas and practical advice to make play easy to fit into everyday life. For example, you can signpost speech and language resources, nursery rhymes and guidance on home routines, health and wellbeing to parents on the website.

Health and safety - your back matters

You can download free guidance on back health and manual handling from the Jolly Back website.

National Children's Bureau is advertising the resources and included a useful 'key tips' guide including:

• Arrange and organise learning environments to ensure that stooping, bending over and awkward postures are reduced to a minimum.
• Use an adult height desk or table and chair for administration and regular computer or laptop use.
• If you regularly use a computer, laptop or mobile device for work, a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) risk assessment is required by law. You will find guidance on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

It is important to do manual handling training if you are regularly lifting and carrying children.

DfE - before reception

DfE has produced a paper which provides more information about getting children ready for reception, to support effective transitions into school. The guidance emphasises that starting reception should be a gradual, well-planned process - not a one-off event. A successful transition depends on strong collaboration between early years settings, schools, families and wider services.

Key priorities in the new guidance are to ensure children feel safe, confident and ready to learn, with their wellbeing, sense of belonging and early development placed at the centre of all transition activities. To summarise the guidance, DfE states that effective practice includes:

• Schools building positive relationships with families and sharing clear information about children's needs and development.
• Creating close partnerships with schools and regular communication.
• Using reciprocal visits to build familiarity.
• Schools offering transition events and support for parents, helping them understand expectations and how to prepare their child.
• Early years educators, including childminders, attending school stay-and-play sessions.
• Supporting parents with school readiness advice - the Kindred2 school readiness survey stated that parents often over-estimate their child's school readiness.
• Ensuring continuity in learning and routines, so children experience consistency across settings.

The guidance stresses that transition should begin early but appropriately, recognising it as part of a continuous early education journey, rather than something rushed just before school starts.

Health and safety - toothbrushing

The 'Starting Reception' website has added some useful resources about toothbrushing which can be shared with parents. The resources talk about when to brush, how to brush, resources needed, top tips for toothbrushing and other ways to ensure good oral health. The resources might be used alongside your setting's Packed Lunch Policy guidance for parents or as stand-alone guide to support parents with toothbrushing at home. Childcare.co.uk has additional oral health resources for gold members.

Inclusion - free SEND resources

Ofsted are focusing on SEND in their inspections and feedback from providers who have had recent inspections suggests that a lot of inspectors are evaluating the quality of training undertaken by settings.

Childcare Works in collaboration with Dingley's Promise has created a collection of resources and videos to support inclusive practice for early years providers, childminders and schools including SEND assessment guidance on the 'Help for early years providers' website and information about developing an inclusive curriculum and more.

Ofsted - your teaching approach

Ofsted has shared their definition of teaching in the early years inspection handbook (page 16 of 54). The definition includes lots of examples of ways early years providers can support children's learning. During inspection, inspectors are looking at why the approach you have chosen to use works well for the children in your care at the time. How does your teaching approach drive progress?

Ofsted don't do a 'learning walk' anymore - they want you to share information about your curriculum and teaching during the planning call and they will evaluate how effective it is during the inspection. They will also ask about key person responsibilities, so they plan for the shared observation with the right person who can help children to thrive.

There is further guidance on teaching and all aspects of Ofsted inspection in the Childcare.co.uk inspection preparation pack.

Safe sleeping and buggies

During an Ofsted Facebook live 31st March 2026 - at 35 minutes - in response to a childminder asking a question about children sleeping in a buggy, Caroline Hearn - Specialist Adviser, Regulatory Policy, Ofsted stated: 'It's one thing to be out and about (with children sleeping in a buggy) but there's a lot of information on Lullaby Trust about it not being a safe place to sleep. They don't get that good movement in there, it's not got the right kind of mattress, it's not got the right kind of ventilation. There's a difference between a buggy as a permanent thing and just being out and about in one and a child falls asleep on the school run.'

The thinking is that you cannot be sure that is all in place if a child is regularly sleeping in a buggy. Let's look at Ofsted's reply in more detail:

Movement - DfE state babies must be put down on their backs. Lullaby Trust states that once babies can independently roll from back to front and back again, they can be left to find their own sleeping position. If baby is not yet able to roll both ways and they roll onto their front, you should gently turn them back over until they have developed the strength to do it independently.

We must not use devices, wedges, straps or rolled-up blankets to restrict movement or keep a baby in one position. Note that sleep pods or nests also restrict movement and should not be used.

Mattress - DfE state that it must be firm so the head does not sink in more than a few millimetres (no memory foam or squishy sofas), flat (no raised corners or cushioned edges) and waterproof (wipe-clean, waterproof cover to prevent bacteria buildup inside the foam). Mattresses must fit the cot snugly with no gaps larger than 3cm (to avoid entrapment risks). The mattress must be in good condition, free from sagging, rips, tears or holes. The rationale, therefore, is that a buggy, whether it lies flat or not, does not have a safe and appropriate mattress for regular sleep.

Ventilation advice from the Lullaby Trust:

• Open doors/windows if it is safe to do so to allow air to flow.
• Use a fan: to keep the room cool, but it should not be aimed directly towards the baby.
• During the day: keep curtains or blinds closed during the day to prevent the room from heating up.
• Avoid overheating: overheated rooms increase the risk of SIDS.
• Monitor temperature: use a thermometer to ensure the room stays within the 16–20°C range.

DfE has also released advice about ventilation and air space in early years settings recently.

MTD questions

We are receiving a lot of questions about making tax digital and how to calculate expenses.

Childcare.co.uk spoke to HMRC and they shared lots of useful information.

HMRC then updated their childminder BIM (business income manual).

HMRC also released further guidance - Claiming expenses and keeping records if you're a childminder.

HMRC - how to calculate expenses

What HMRC has not done is told childminders exactly how to calculate expenses for MTD - and that is because they say that they want to allow for flexibility because each childminder has a unique setting and circumstances. Instead, what they have provided are some general rules. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions on the group:

• You can calculate your expenses using area of the house and time use calculations - or you can continue to use the current childminder BIM % because it is reasonable.
• You cannot claim wear and tear once you start using MTD, but you can claim for a reasonable % of the cost of replacing or repairing household items damaged because of work. This means that when you buy something or do something that is used for both home and work, you can estimate a reasonable % for your expenses - think about how much of the time it will be used for each.
• The childminder BIM expense examples for, for example, gas, electricity, rent, council tax are fair and you can continue to use them or use your own using the examples provided for the self-employed.
• You can do a separate calculation for each meal provided to childminded children or you can claim a reasonable % for food costs. Don't forget, if parents pay for meals you should include their payment as income and continue to claim food costs as an expense.
• HMRC advise that you get a receipt where possible, but if it's not available add the expense to your records - date, item or reason for expense and amount.
• You can't claim for yourself cleaning the house, but you can claim a % for a cleaner; you can't claim for yourself washing your windows, but you can claim a % for a window cleaner etc.
• If you work out a % to use, keep a record of how you have done it in case of audit. HMRC say they are looking for consistency and fair calculations.
• Car expenses have not changed - it's still 45p / mile up to 10,000 miles. A lot of childminders keep a notebook in their car to record business miles.

There are more questions and scenarios outstanding with HMRC, but these general rules should help those members who are starting MTD from April 2026. Childcare.co.uk is still working to overturn the loss of the wear and tear allowance.

Ofsted - inclusion during inspection

If you have an inspection without any children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in the setting, Ofsted has reassured providers that it does not necessarily mean you will not be able to gain an 'expected standard' grade. You should think about children with barriers to their learning or vulnerabilities (new siblings, communication and language concerns, neurodivergence, children new to the setting etc) and share information with your inspector about how you support them.

The Ofsted early years inspection handbook definition of SEND has been expanded to include children with a range of vulnerabilities who you support in the setting. You might also talk about previous children on roll and how you have supported them to make the best possible progress from their starting points.

Monthly group planning for May 2026

This year, Childcare.co.uk monthly group planning is focusing on special days through the month, to build a planning library which can be archived and used in the years ahead.

Always bear in mind that planning should start with the child and what they already know and can do. In most early years settings, a 'book as a hook' is used to spark curiosity and discussions, with lots of open-ended questions, promote critical thinking. Planning can then be delivered at the appropriate age and stage level for the children in the setting at the time.

The themes for May 2026 in our May group planning guide cover:

• Underpinning theme - May Day.
• Week 1 - Dawn Chorus Day - all about birds.
• Week 2 - International Families Day - all about families.
• Week 3 - Spring flowers.
• Week 4 - Patterns and shapes in nature.

May is also National Smile Month - you will find Childcare.co.uk oral health resources here.

Webinars for May 2026

Childcare.co.uk deliver free weekly webinars for all early years providers. The webinars are then recorded for gold members to watch again at their own convenience.

Webinars planned for May 2026 cover:

• 5th - Themed planning - children only know what they know. Part of our role is to support them to learn something new.
• 12th - Inspection and CPD - what are Ofsted inspectors looking for when they ask about your professional development during the inspection planning call and during inspection?
• 19th - Safeguarding refresher - domestic abuse.
• 26th - Making tax digital - an update to check in with members and share latest advice and information.

Register for our free webinars

More information and resources

Childminder Guides

Childminder Paperwork

Childminder Policies

Childminder Organiser

Childminder Diary

Childminder e-books

Childminder Budget Planner

Safeguarding Quick References Cards

COEL Quick Reference Cards

Health & Safety Toolkit

Information Sheets for Parents

Early Years Safety Blog

Activities Ideas & Resources

Childminder Insurance
 

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