Opinion: Editor's view - There are exciting ideas to think about in the bleak midwinter

However, our intrepid staff team struggled in and made sure that our regular readers would not be missing out on major news stories, such as the final report of the Good Childhood Inquiry and the Government's update of the Ten-Year Childcare Strategy (see News, pages 3-9).

Nursery World managed not to miss an issue throughout the Blitz and the Second World War, so we weren't going to let a bit of bad weather get in our way.

For children of all ages, of course, the snowfall is a source of wonder and joy - the prospect of school being closed, snowballs in the park and hot chocolate to drink. And those nurseries and schools that have stayed open have an ideal opportunity to use the snow for some hugely exciting activities building on children's interests and full of learning potential.

When the snowman starts to lose interest, though, you'll find our concise guide to 'Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare - Building on the Ten-Year Strategy' a really useful summary of the Government's proposals for the sector (see Analysis, pages 10-11).

Those looking to dig beneath the surface a bit further should go to the DCSF website to study the report of the Early Years Stakeholder Group that informed the Childcare Strategy Update. This includes recommendations such as ditching the term 'childcare' in favour of 'early learning', and clarifying the relationship between Early Years Professional and Qualified Teacher Status 'once and for all'. Much food for thought!