Early Years News October 2025

Welcome to October

With less than 3 months to go until Christmas, a lot of early years settings are already planning their seasonal activities and planning their holidays for the festive period.

The Autumn term is a busy time of the year, so let Childcare.co.uk take the strain for you and keep you updated with all the latest information from the sector and links to professional development opportunities that will ensure you are ready for the Ofsted inspection changes in November.

There will be a series of carefully researched webinars as well as updated documents. If there are gaps, please let us know and we will review how we can support you.

Ofsted’s new inspection toolkit

Ofsted has released their inspection toolkit, to use from 10th November 2025.

Childcare.co.uk will support providers in lots of different ways including:

• Targeted webinars – free on the night they are presented and recorded for gold members to watch again. The free webinars for October are listed at the end of this newsletter.

• An updated Ofsted inspection preparation pack for gold members.

• Free support on the Independent Childminders Facebook group.

If you need targeted support for your setting, please contact us for more information.

Keeping children safe online

According to the Children’s Commissioner for England, 27% of children say they have seen porn online. We know that online safety is a big part of Ofsted inspection, and it is not included as ‘must’ training in Annex C of the revised EYFS from September 2025.

The requirements are that we keep children safe online in the setting, teach children about online safety and share information about staying safe online with parents, to support home learning.

A good starting point for guidance is the DfE ‘Help for early years providers’ website which has a page dedicated to internet safety including websites and apps that have educational content appropriate for early years children, if you want to allow children online in your setting.

Ofsted and AI

DfE has recently released a document about Generative artificial intelligence in education which is more for schools but makes interesting reading for early years settings as well. It includes some information about how inspectors will view the use of artificial intelligence (AI) during inspections.

Ofsted do not evaluate provision based on whether they are using AI tools or not but focus on the impact of the tools on outcomes for children – and on whether children are safe when AI is used and how we teach them to stay safe online.

Post-inspection survey responses from Ofsted

Ofsted has recently released their post-inspection survey responses for inspections and visits between April 1st 2024 and March 31st 2025.

The surveys cover a range of Ofsted’s remit including early years. It is interesting to note that, out of 10,984 early years providers surveyed only 731 providers replied to the request for post-inspection feedback.

Childcare.co.uk will continue to monitor post-inspection comments when the new inspection toolkit is launched in November 2025 and challenge Ofsted to improve their engagement with the sector.

Keeping children safe in education

The Keeping children safe in education non-statutory guidance has been updated for 2025.

One of the main updates is in relation to online safety and the use of AI.

When considering using AI, providers must be cautious about sites which share incorrect and inappropriate information and disinformation. In the safeguarding statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in Education’ 2025, there are 2 new phrases in the online harm section – disinformation and misinformation.

• Misinformation is false or misleading information shared by someone who believes it to be true – for example, an inaccurate claim about healthy foods shared by someone who things it will help others.
• Disinformation is false information, deliberately created and shared to cause harm, mislead and manipulate others – for example, fake news stories.

Sadly, both can be seen on internet groups and both can be harmful to childminders using the information and sharing it with parents and children.

Social and emotional support for children

The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has released a new series of films to support the social and emotional development of young children – PSED in the early years curriculum.

There are 6 films in the series, which were, ‘created through a global listening exercise involving academic, clinical and practitioner experts’, to help explain how daily interactions support children to grow an emotionally healthy brain, navigate their feelings and support early learning.

Product safety guidance

The Office for Product Safety has updated their guidance on some child safety issues with a new small hazards big harm‘ campaign. Some of the hazards they are targeting with the campaign include small magnets, button batteries, imitation food, small toys, and other small objects, such as drawing pins.

There is a video, new resources and posters and other information to help spread awareness of the dangers.

Lullaby Trust safe sleep campaign

The Lullaby Trust has launched a new safe sleep campaign reminding parents and providers that they must keep their baby’s sleep space empty – apart from baby. That means reminding parents to remove or not use pillows, teddies, bumpers, wedges etc in baby’s cot.

There is lots of advice on the NHS Start for Life website as well as from Lullaby Trust about safe sleep and Childcare.co.uk gold members have access to a recently recorded webinar about safe sleep.

DfE replaces Childcare Choices

A new government website was launched on 1st September 2025 to replace Childcare Choices. The old Childcare Choices link should send visitors to the new Best start in life website. The eligibility checker is available on the new website so you can point parents to it if they want to check whether their child can access funded hours. There is lots of other information which aligns with the information early years providers now have to use on healthy eating, weaning, oral health etc.

DfE best start in life strategy

The DfE ‘Giving children the best start in life’ strategy is designed to support children.

The Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson says the intention is to make early years the number one priority. The strategy sets out a promise for a decade of renewal, with a £1.5 billion spend over the next 3 years on improving family services and early years education.

Worryingly for many early years providers including childminders, nannies and nurseries, a lot of the money is being spent on opening new school nurseries. However, there is also money for inclusion and access for children with SEND and a focus on improving the ‘good level of development’ at the end of reception class in school. There are also going to be new Best Start Family Hubs (up to 1000 across the country) which will hopefully provide opportunities for practitioners to collaborate and connect in their local communities.

Stronger Practice Hubs will also be supported. They already offer free training for early years providers with more to come in the future.

Absences and the EYFS 2025

From September 2025, the wording around absences has changed in the EYFS (page 18, requirement 3.12-3.13). As well as keeping your register as usual and recording times of arrival and departure in a diary or on register sheets, you will also need to think about –

• Writing an attendance policy – you must share with parents.
• Following up absences in a ‘timely manner’ – especially if a child is absent, ‘for a prolonged period of time’, or if a child is ‘absent without notification.’ Some Local Safeguarding Partner (LSP) training is advising a call when a child is half an hour late, if you haven’t received information about the delay from parents. What does your LSP say?
• Considering, ‘patterns and trends in a child’s absences and their personal circumstances.’ For example, if a child is always absent on a certain day or if there are vulnerabilities in their home and family life.
• Referring concerns to local children’s social care services and/or the police to request a welfare check. Contact details for children’s social care and the police should be in your attendance policy.
• Sharing your attendance policy with parents so they know ‘expectations for reporting child absences and the actions you will take if a child is absent without notification or for a prolonged period of time.’
• Reviewing the emergency contacts you keep on file – the EYFS states that, ‘Where possible, settings should hold more than two emergency contact numbers for each child.’ This is because you must attempt to contact the child’s parents and/or carers and alternative emergency contacts if they are absent without explanation.

Childcare.co.uk provides a free Attendance Policy for gold members.

Safeguarding training from September 2025

We have received a lot of questions about the requirements for safeguarding training in the EYFS 2025 Annex C. Childcare.co.uk has already provided 2 safeguarding webinars (a 'basic' knowledge course and a DSL course) that covered the new training requirements. The webinars were recorded so gold members can watch them again.

Additionally, you are advised to do your Local Authority training course (where available) because it will share local contact details. Some authorities make doing their courses a condition of receiving funding so you should check locally.

Members are asking if the Childcare.co.uk webinars are 'ok for Ofsted'. Ofsted check your knowledge and whether you comply with the EYFS and your culture of safeguarding. From September inspectors will likely want to check that you have covered the course content set out in the EYFS. There is also a new safeguarding section in the Ofsted inspection toolkit, which explains how safeguarding will be graded from 10th November 2025, which is a recommended read.

Childcare.co.uk has provided a useful breakdown of the Ofsted inspection changes in this Ofsted inspection framework blog.

There is also a recently updated safeguarding Q&A blog for all members.

Childcare.co.uk webinars are broadcasting in October 2025 to cover some of the changes to inspection, inclusion and leadership and governance in more detail.

It's not about the course you have done - it's about your knowledge of what to do to keep children safe.

Anaphylaxis awareness

The first week in October is Anaphylaxis Awareness Week.

The week aims to raise understanding of this condition which can be fatal.

Childcare.co.uk has an ‘Understanding Anaphylaxis’ training course which will help you to show that you are aware of the risks of children having a serious allergic reaction to food you provide for them in your early years setting.

You can find more information on the Anaphylaxis UK website.

Safeguarding awareness updates

What websites do you use to ensure your safeguarding knowledge stays updated?

The NSPCC website has useful information, blogs and a weekly email newsletter.

The Safeguarding Network has recently launched a new blog as well, which includes lots of useful guidance for your professional development.

You should also keep an eye on your Local Safeguarding Partners website which includes local news and updates about risks in your community.

Planning activities for October

Activities should start with the child and what they already know and can do. You can then support them to practice and consolidate their learning and introduce new ideas.

In October, most practitioners will be thinking about Autumn in their small group planning, for example:

• Autumn changes and nature walks.
• Black history month.
• Hedgehogs – preparing for hibernation.
• Autumn weather.
• Harvest on the farm.
• Autumn fruit and vegetables – for example, pumpkins and apples.
• Scarecrows.
• Halloween (31st October).

Childcare.co.uk has some useful planning guides to support practitioners including –

• Monthly small group planning for all gold members.

• Free Childcare.co.uk childminder organiser with some activity ideas for each month of the year.

Free webinars for October 2025

Our webinars in October 2025 will focus on Ofsted inspection changes from 10th November 2025.

• 7th October – Ofsted inspection changes.

A walkthrough of the main inspection changes.

• 14th October – inspection and inclusion focus.

Inclusion will be a ‘golden thread’ running through inspection.

• 21st October – Leadership and governance.

The webinar will discuss how leadership will feed through all inspection areas.

• 28th October – half term holiday – no webinar.

All webinars start at 7pm and last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Register for 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
 

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. Don’t forget to save it, so you can reference the information later or signpost it for colleagues who have questions. You are welcome to share this page on social media. Also read our previous newsletters

Thank you for being part of the Childcare.co.uk community.