National Union of Childminders

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Designed specifically for childminders and their registered assistants (current and former), to provide support, advocacy, and protection for UK childminders, assistants & childminding.

15/08/2026

The government response to the death of Professor Jason Arday is not good enough. Any short mentions given have called for 'reflection' and quiet.

As the National Union of Childminders, we believe this moment raises urgent questions about bullying, discrimination and racism throughout education from the early years to universities, which must be addressed.

Professor Arday broke barriers as Cambridge University's youngest Black professor. Allegations and public discussions about the treatment he experienced have led many people to ask whether enough is being done to challenge racism and create genuinely inclusive environments.

We are calling on the Government, including Secretary of State for Education Lucy Powell MP and Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson to speak out and set out clear action to tackle bullying, racism and discrimination at every stage of education.

Children learn values from their earliest years. Respect, inclusion and equality cannot begin at university - they must begin in childhood. When governments fail to do so, we end up with a media and many institutions full of individuals who discriminate, bully and harass.

It is time for meaningful government action against bullying, racism and discrimination.

RIP Jason Arday
Department for Education

10/08/2026

📣 LUCY POWELL: IT'S TIME TO LISTEN TO THE WHOLE SECTOR.

Andy Burnham is touring Britain, getting out and speaking directly to people about the issues affecting their lives - including the cost-of-living crisis.

We think Secretary of State for Education Lucy Powell should take a leaf out of his book.

She doesn't need to physically tour.

But she does need to start listening to the people who actually deliver education and childcare every day.

Because from where we stand, too much education policy has been shaped by the same familiar voices, organisations and networks for far too long - people who have had influence over education policy for decades. People who in some cases have little or no recent, direct experience of delivering education and childcare on the ground.

That isn't good enough.

💬 Lucy Powell needs to listen to:

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents
👩‍👧 Carers
🏡 Home-based childminders and other early education professionals
👩‍🏫 Teachers
🧑‍🍼 Nursery practitioners
🧑‍💼 Leaders and SEND professionals
…and, crucially, people who have experienced the system at its worst.

That means listening to people who have had negative experiences with the Department for Education, local authorities and regulators such as Ofsted.

Because if government only listens to people who are already comfortable with the system, how will it ever understand what needs to change?

You can't fix a system by only listening to the people who designed it.

The National Union of Childminders is calling on Lucy Powell to open the doors wider.

Come and talk to childminders.

Talk to parents.

Talk to practitioners.

Talk to people who don't agree with you.

Talk to people who have been failed by the system.

Listen to the uncomfortable stories as well as the positive ones.

And then act.

Because education policy should not be designed for the sector from the top down.

It should be built around babies, children and young people, with the people who live it every day.

📢 Lucy Powell - the sector is ready to talk. Are you ready to listen?

Lucy Powell MP Department for Education Paul Waugh

06/08/2026

Prime Minister, we welcome every investment that helps people access mental health support earlier.

But if we're serious about tackling the mental health crisis in education, the conversation cannot stop with the NHS. It must also include Ofsted.

The tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry prompted profound national reflection. In the Coroner's December 2023 Prevention of Future Deaths Report, Ofsted was identified as having contributed to Ruth Perry's death, and the report raised concerns about aspects of inspectors' conduct.

This isn't simply about "pre-inspection nerves."

It's about the impact that inspection systems and culture can have on the wellbeing of the professionals who dedicate their lives to educating and caring for children.

As the National Union of Childminders, we hear from education professionals every week who describe bullying, dishonesty and intimidation from Ofsted inspectors. Many feel intimidated, distressed or broken by their experiences of inspection or regulation by Ofsted. Many tell us they have experienced severe anxiety or depression. Some leave the profession altogether.

When the people who care for our children are struggling to protect their own mental health, we all lose.

Inspection should drive improvement - not fear.

It should be fair - not defensive.

It should be transparent - not leave professionals feeling that their concerns are unheard.

No regulator should be beyond meaningful independent scrutiny. Public confidence depends on accountability.

If we truly want to improve mental health across education, then we need government action regarding Ofsted. This is not only about support after people reach crisis, but also about the systems and cultures that may contribute to that crisis in the first place.

Supporting mental health includes supporting the people who educate and care for our children every single day.

Education professionals deserve an inspection system that is rigorous, fair, compassionate and accountable. Andy Burnham Lucy Powell MP Department for Education Paul Waugh

05/08/2026

Lucy Powell MP Department for Education

02/08/2026

🚨 SCHOOL READINESS IS ABOUT MORE THAN PUTTING ON A COAT.

We need to have a serious conversation about what we mean by “school readiness.”

Yes, children need to develop independence.

Being able to wash their hands.
Use the toilet.
Put on their coat.

But school readiness isn't just about what a child can do.

It’s also about how a child feels.

❤️ Can they separate from the people they love and feel safe?
❤️ Can they communicate their needs?
❤️ Can they begin to manage big emotions?
❤️ Do they feel confident, secure and valued?
❤️ Have they developed trusting relationships with the adults caring for them?

Emotional readiness matters.

And rather than being shocked by growing reports of stress and anxiety among children and young people, we should be asking what more we can do from the earliest years to protect and nurture children's emotional health and wellbeing.

That starts from birth.

So when we hear proposals to move more and more babies and young children into school-based nurseries, we have to ask:

Is that really the answer for every child?

We don't believe it is.

Parents should have a genuine choice of the early education and childcare setting that works best for their individual child from 0–5.

For some families, that might mean care at home.

For some, it might mean grandparents or other family members.

And for others, it might mean the small, nurturing and homely environment provided by a professional childminder.

Childminders provide early education and childcare in settings where children can develop secure relationships, learn through play and experience the warmth and familiarity of a home-based environment.

There shouldn't be one model of early childhood that government decides is right for every child.

Because children aren't all the same.

School readiness shouldn't mean making every child fit the system.

It should mean making sure every child is emotionally secure, supported, confident and ready to learn.

What does “school ready” mean to you?

Lucy Powell MP Department for Education Paul Waugh

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