National Union of Childminders

11/10/2026

Nine in 10 school heads who responded say inspections still ‘negatively affected’ staff wellbeing

11/10/2026

🚨 PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE. SO WHY DOES GOVERNMENT KEEP WAITING UNTIL CHILDREN NEED HELP BEFORE INVESTING IN THEM? 🚨

It really is becoming basic maths.

We understand prevention everywhere else.

🏥 HEALTH: prevent illness where possible rather than simply paying to treat it later.

🛡️ DEFENCE: invest in preparedness because prevention and deterrence matter.

💷 PUBLIC FINANCES: early intervention can avoid far greater costs later.

So why, when it comes to our youngest children, do we still seem so willing to wait for the crisis?

PREVENTION ISN'T JUST BETTER THAN CURE.

IT CAN BE CHEAPER THAN CRISIS.

And nowhere should that principle matter more than in the first years of a child's life.

🧠 Before school.

❤️ Before mental-health difficulties become entrenched.

🗣️ Before speech and language difficulties become barriers to learning.

🤝 Before children struggling socially are labelled "difficult".

📚 Before educational inequalities widen.

👨‍👩‍👧 Before exhausted families reach breaking point.

INVEST EARLY. SUPPORT EARLY. VALUE EARLY.

And that means recognising something politicians too often forget:

EARLY EDUCATION DOESN'T ONLY HAPPEN IN SCHOOLS.

It happens around the kitchen table.

It happens in a childminder's home.

It happens in nurseries.

It happens while a mother or father stays home caring for their baby.

It happens when grandparents provide loving, consistent childcare.

It begins with good maternity care.

It is strengthened when fathers and partners have meaningful opportunities to care for and bond with their children.

It happens every single day, long before a child walks through a school gate.

💥 THAT IS WHY NUC BELIEVES GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO THINK MUCH BIGGER ABOUT INVESTMENT IN THE EARLY YEARS.

Yes, invest in Family Hubs.

But don't stop there.

Invest in:

💜 CHILDMINDERS - with genuinely fair, sustainable funding for funded early education.

💜 PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY NURSERIES - so delivering government-funded places does not threaten the sustainability of the very settings families depend upon.

💜 PARENTS WHO CHOOSE TO CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN FULL-TIME AT HOME - because unpaid care is still care, and nurturing, playing, talking, reading and responding are fundamental parts of children's early development.

💜 MATERNITY CARE - because supporting a child's development begins before birth and continues through those critical first months.

💜 PATERNITY AND PARENTAL LEAVE - because fathers and partners should have meaningful opportunities to participate in the earliest stages of their children's lives.

💜 GRANDPARENTS AND KINSHIP CARERS - whose contribution to childcare and children's development is enormous but too often economically invisible.

💜 EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT - so children do not have to "fail" or wait years for a diagnosis before somebody decides they qualify for help.

Because early-years investment isn't simply childcare policy.

It is health policy.

It is education policy.

It is economic policy.

It is employment policy.

It is family policy.

It is social policy.

And it is an investment in Britain's future.


Department for Education Lucy Powell MP Paul Waugh The Labour Party

10/10/2026

The fear that many educators rightfully have over Ofsted inspections cannot go on.

The system must be changed, and the NEU will continue to fight for an accountability system that works for all.

Use our Ofsted risk assessment guide to help protect educators against the workload and stress caused by Ofsted. Click here to find out more 👉 bit.ly/4axm9NB

10/10/2026

🚨 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2026: HOW MANY MORE LIVES MUST BE DAMAGED BY OFSTED BEFORE GOVERNMENT ACTS? 🚨

💚 “LIVED EXPERIENCES HEARD: REAL VOICES, REAL CHANGE.”

That's the theme of World Mental Health Day 2026.

But today, the National Union of Childminders has a question for the Department for Education:

WHEN WILL THE REAL VOICES OF PEOPLE HARMED BY OFSTED FINALLY BE HEARD?

⚠️ 1,038 DAYS AGO, on 7 December 2023, a coroner concluded that an Ofsted inspection had contributed to the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

A mother.

A daughter.

A sister.

A respected education professional.

A human being.

Her death should have marked a fundamental turning point in how the wellbeing of education professionals is protected during inspections.

Ofsted promised change.

But today, serious concerns remain.

And it is no longer just one union raising the alarm.

🚨 LOOK AT WHAT PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING.

🔴 THE CORONER

Following Ruth Perry's death, the coroner identified serious concerns about Ofsted's inspection processes and their impact on wellbeing.

🔴 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEAD TEACHERS (NAHT)

NAHT has raised serious concerns about the mental health risks associated with inspections.

It even brought legal proceedings challenging Ofsted's proposed inspection reforms.

🔴 ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEADERS (ASCL)

YESTERDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2026, ASCL PASSED A FORMAL VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN OFSTED'S LEADERSHIP.

ASCL described the current inspection system as an:

“OVERBEARING MESS.”

It called on Government to pause inspections and urgently review the system.

🔴 NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION (NEU)

The NEU has campaigned for Ofsted to be abolished and replaced with a fairer, more supportive inspection system.

🔴 NATIONAL UNION OF CHILDMINDERS (NUC)

Our members have shared deeply distressing accounts of their experiences of Ofsted inspections.

Some report:

💔 Serious anxiety and emotional distress.

💔 Damage to their mental health.

💔 Financial hardship and threats to their livelihoods.

💔 Feeling powerless when challenging inspectors' conduct.

💔 Losing confidence in a complaints system they believe does not adequately hold inspectors accountable.

These are the experiences our members have reported.

THEIR VOICES DESERVE TO BE HEARD, INVESTIGATED AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

What say you Lucy Powell MP and Paul Waugh?

National Education Union Association of School and College Leaders Childcare Registration

10/10/2026

Childcare Registration

Union also considers indicative ballot on industrial action if more is not done to mitigate the impact of inspection on wellbeing

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

Lucy Powell MP Paul Waugh Department for Education

09/10/2026

🚨 GOVERNMENT HAS TODAY SAID CHILDREN SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A DIAGNOSIS TO GET SUPPORT. SO WHY ARE WE UNDERFUNDING THEIR EARLY YEARS? 🚨

IF SUPPORT SHOULDN'T WAIT FOR A DIAGNOSIS, WHY SHOULD IT WAIT UNTIL A CHILD STARTS SCHOOL?

🏡 EARLY INTERVENTION MUST INCLUDE CHILDMINDERS AND NURSERIES!

Many parents and carers recognise that their child may need additional support long before receiving a formal diagnosis.

And many families choose childminders because smaller groups, lower child-to-adult ratios, flexibility and individual attention can be particularly beneficial for children with additional needs.

💜 Familiar adults.

💜 Consistent relationships.

💜 Flexible routines.

💜 Individualised learning experiences.

💜 Close partnerships with parents and carers.

THESE ARE REAL STRENGTHS OF HOME-BASED EARLY EDUCATION!

And here's why today's announcement matters so much.

🧠 ADHD

Great Ormond Street Hospital explains that although ADHD may be considered earlier, diagnosis is not usually confirmed until a child is around six years old and has started school.

🧩 AUTISM

A UK study using the Millennium Cohort Study found that 79% of children identified as autistic by age 14 received their diagnosis AFTER starting school.

That means many children may spend their entire early years without a formal diagnosis.

And yet their needs are real.

Their development matters.

Their families need support.

A CHILD DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE A DIAGNOSIS FOR THEIR NEEDS TO MATTER!

🚨 NOW LOOK AT THE FUNDING!

According to the Department for Education's national average local-authority funding rates for 2026–27:

Under 2s: £12.04 per hour

2-year-olds: £8.90 per hour

3- and 4-year-olds: £6.61 per hour

⚠️ THAT IS A DROP OF APPROXIMATELY 45% BETWEEN UNDER-2 FUNDING AND FUNDING FOR 3- AND 4-YEAR-OLDS!

These are national averages paid to local authorities, not necessarily the exact rates received by individual childminders, as LAs can take a %. Many LAs pay considerably under these amounts.

But the message is unmistakable.

THE FUNDING FALLS AS CHILDREN GET OLDER - EVEN THOUGH THEIR NEED FOR INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FALL!

A three-year-old awaiting an autism assessment may need considerable additional support.

A four-year-old showing signs of ADHD may need help with emotional regulation, attention and transitions.

A child without a diagnosis may still need additional adult attention, specialist advice or adjustments.

SO WHY SHOULD FUNDING FALL SO DRAMATICALLY AT THE VERY AGES WHEN MANY CHILDREN'S ADDITIONAL NEEDS ARE BECOMING MORE APPARENT?

💜 NUC BELIEVES TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT MUST LEAD TO ACTION.

We want Government to:

✅ Increase funded childcare rates for two, three and four year-olds in childminder settings.

✅ Ensure childminders and nurseries can access additional SEND funding based on children's needs, without unnecessary diagnostic barriers.

✅ Provide better access to specialist advice, training and early intervention.

✅ Recognise the benefits of smaller, home-based early years settings.

✅ Ensure parents and carers retain genuine choice over the setting that best supports their child.

FAIR FUNDING ISN'T JUST ABOUT SUPPORTING CHILDMINDING BUSINESSES.

❤️ IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING CHILDREN.

❤️ IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING FAMILIES.

❤️ IT'S ABOUT GIVING EVERY CHILD THE BEST POSSIBLE START.


Department for Education Lucy Powell MP Paul Waugh Bridget Phillipson

09/10/2026

🚨 GOVERNMENT: EARLY SUPPORT MUST MEAN EARLY YEARS TOO! 🚨

BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN!

Today, 9 October 2026, a major independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism has been published.

The Government is placing greater emphasis on providing children with support BEFORE they receive a formal diagnosis, including additional resources for schools.

👏 NUC WELCOMES THE PRINCIPLE OF EARLIER SUPPORT!

But we have one very important message:

💜 EARLY INTERVENTION MUST INCLUDE EARLY YEARS SETTINGS - INCLUDING CHILDMINDERS! 💜

Children do not suddenly develop additional needs when they start school.

Some children show signs of developmental differences in their earliest years.

Some families spend years waiting for assessments.

And many parents choose childminders precisely because of the individualised support that home-based early education can offer.

🏡 CHILDMINDERS CAN OFFER SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL:

💜 Smaller groups and lower child-to-adult ratios.

💜 Close, consistent relationships with a familiar adult.

💜 Flexible routines tailored to individual children.

💜 A calm, familiar, home-based environment.

💜 Opportunities for individual attention and support.

💜 Close communication and partnership with parents and carers.

💜 Early identification of emerging developmental needs.

For some children with SEND, including children autism and ADHD, or those awaiting assessment, these features can make a real difference.

EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT - AND FAMILIES DESERVE A CHOICE OF SETTINGS THAT MEET THEIR CHILD'S NEEDS.


Department for Education Bridget Phillipson Lucy Powell MP Paul Waugh