More Affordable Childcare: the key points

Meeting the costs of childcare

• Tax-free childcare scheme for working families of 20 per cent of childcare costs. Phased in from autumn 2015.
• £200m of support with childcare costs within Universal Credit from April 2016.

Funded early education

• 15 hours of funded early education for 20 per cent of two-year-olds from September 2013 and 40 per cent from September 2014.
• Government will amend the law so that local authorities (LAs) cannot refuse to fund a place at a good or outstanding provider (including childminders).
• Law will be changed to prevent LAs from making additional quality-based requirements on good or outstanding PVI providers.
• LAs will be required to fund a place at a new provider prior to first Ofsted inspection if an eligible child wants a place.
• 'Expectation' that LAs should only fund places for two-year-olds in good or outstanding settings.
• Government will 'consider' whether this should be required from September 2015.
• LAs duty to provide information, advice and training will be refocused on inadequate or 'requires improvement' providers.
• Early education funding will be reformed to be simpler and more transparent, with a national funding formula introduced 'in time'.
• No regulatory changes to funding for 2014-15.
• From 2013-14, LAs required to publish more information about centrally retained funding

Increasing the amount of affordable provision

• Legislation to introduce a new childcare registration system with single set of welfare and safeguarding requirements, which will also apply to those caring for five- to seven-year-olds.
• Strong case to remove staff to child ratios and staff qualification requirements for providers of wraparound care for children in full-time education.
• Providers of after-school and holiday childcare will not be required to meet EYFS learning and development requirements for four- and five-year-olds.
• Government will encourage informal childcare by raising the threshold for having to register with Ofsted to three hours of regular care per day.
• The government wants to make it easier for nurseries and childminders to expand by extending the planning relaxations recently introduced for state-funded schools to nurseries, such as using vacant office space

Making better use of schools

• Government will work with schools and childcare providers to make it easier for out-of-hours provision to be available on school sites.
• Schools have freedom to change their opening hours, and will be given responsibility for setting their term dates.
• Maintained schools will not have to consult on offering out-of-school facilities.
• Childcare providers will be able to open new locations, eg at a school, without having to register each site separately.
• From September 2013, Government will work with schools to find more flexible ways for them to provide early learning for two-year-olds.

Improving information to parents about childcare

• Government will ask an independent organisation to work with parents to find out what they think of the current information sources and make recommendations about improving services.

EYFS requirements

'Common misconceptions' about EYFS requirements are set out. Not required are:

• 'Freeflow' of children between indoor and outdoor areas
• 'Learning journeys' or other similar documents
• Written risk assessments for all issues and risks
• Various written policies other than a core list (for childminders no written policies and procedures are required)

See the full report