Early Years Alliance

09/10/2026

Choose a free gift from TTS Resources worth £50 every time you renew your membership!

We’re delighted to offer Early Years Alliance members the choice of a free gift worth £50 from TTS when spending £30 or more – every time you renew your annual membership!

Following your renewal, we’ll send you an exclusive code to use at www.tts-group.co.uk. This code will allow you to add either a purple mark-making sequin long board, an eco motor skills utensils kit or a TTS glow jewelled pyramid to your order, entirely free.

Simply place an order for £30 or more, enter the code at checkout, and select your choice of free gift.

Alliance members also receive 20% off one order a year, and 10% off all orders. Simply fill in the form below and we'll email your discount codes to you. https://bit.ly/4hBmMMN

Not yet an Alliance member? Join today at www.eyalliance.org.uk/become-a-member or fill out our 10-second form (bit.ly/EYA10form) to find out more about the benefits of membership and how to join.

09/10/2026

** Amended link: Have your say on early years inspections **

An earlier post contained an error that's impacting our data. Please find the corrected survey link here https://bit.ly/eyaofstedoct If you have already completed the survey this morning please accept our apologies for the inconvenience. If you have the time to re-complete the survey using the correct link it would be very much appreciated.

Almost a year on from the introduction of the new Ofsted inspection framework, questions remain over whether it has delivered the positive change many had hoped for - with education secretary Lucy Powell recently suggesting that further reforms may be on the horizon.

To ensure that the views and experiences of early years settings are a central part of these discussions, we are today launching a new short survey to find out more about your most recent Ofsted inspection experience (whether under the old or new framework).

We want to understand:
- how positive or negative was your experience was
- whether or not the inspection had an impact on your wellbeing - and if you are expecting an inspection shortly, if this is a source of stress or anxiety
- whether you feel the inspection process supports you to maintain and improve the quality of your provision

The survey also looks to gather views on the sector's perception of Ofsted's reporting service as well as complaints and concerns under the inspectorate.

The survey, which is open until Friday 23 October can be completed here https://bit.ly/eyaofstedoct

08/10/2026

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Early Childhood Maths Group (ECMG) are running 10 free webinars.

The first one is Best Start in Maths and will run on Thursday 15th October, 4pm - 5pm.

In this webinar, members of the ECMG discuss how to provide children with the best start in maths, sharing practical guidance on how to support mathematical learning in settings and with families.

Join them for free:

Dr Cath Gripton and team present practical and enjoyable ways to help young children develop strong mathematical foundations.

08/10/2026

Is your early years insurance meeting your needs?

At the Early Years Alliance, we understand what it means to run an early years business, and the wide range of risks that come with that.

Our EYA Protect insurance cover bit.ly/4zkmBv8, which is underwritten by our long-term partner Intact Insurance, is tailored specifically to early years settings – meaning that if the worst happens, you can feel confident that you have the protection you need.

We also know that good insurance cover goes beyond the claims process.

That's why we're so pleased to offer all EYA Protect customers access to a 24/7 stress management helpline at no extra cost. Aimed at helping early educators deal with stress, the helpline provides quick assessment and immediate support and therapy, delivered by qualified and experienced counsellors.

You can get a free, no-obligation quote, no matter when your insurance is due to expire here bit.ly/4jaTx4H (You’ll need to register for a free EYA Central account to get your quote if you don’t already have one.) We’ll honour any quote until 31 May 2027, provided your cover needs remain the same, so no need to wait.

If you would like to find out more about our insurance offer, fill in this 10-second form: bit.ly/4jcgt3n

EYA Protect insurance is available exclusively to Alliance members so if you’re not yet an Alliance member, we’ll give you a full quote for both membership and insurance.

07/10/2026

Let's talk with under 5s - Elklan Level 1 training

Thursday 28 January - 18 March 2027, 9.30am - 11.30am

Are you concerned about children's communication, language or learning and want some practical ideas on to how to help them?

Written by speech and language therapists, our Let's talk with Under 5s - Elklan level 1 course will enable you to learn how to enhance and develop children’s understanding and talking.

This fun and interactive course will cover:
- What is communication?
- Adult-child interaction
- Play
- Understanding language
- Helping young children to use words and sentences
- Asking questions and sharing books
- Helping children with unclear speech

Cost: £187 for Alliance members and £243 for non-members

Find out more about this seven-week Virtual Classroom: https://bit.ly/4i8JyM0

07/10/2026

Important safety alert: specific baby sleeping bags

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a safety alert for any sleeping bag products that do not have armholes or include a hood that are marketed or intended to be used for unsupervised baby sleep.

The OPSS is advising people not to buy – and to stop using – these products, which it warns can lead to overheating or suffocation. Individuals who have already done so should contact the business that supplied them as they may be entitled to redress.

The safety alert applies specifically to baby sleeping bags marketed or intended to be used as bags for babies to sleep in unsupervised, when in a crib or cot. The OPSS has confirmed that it does not include items designed to be worn in a pram such as a pramsuit or m**f, or products designed specifically to swaddle a baby.

Read more:

OPSS has issued a safety alert for certain baby sleeping bags because of the risk of overheating and suffocation. 

05/10/2026

NEW course: Manual handling and posture awareness
Member price: £15, non-member price: £30

Did you know that under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it's a legal requirement that anyone doing manual handling at work is trained appropriately? That's why it's vital that early educators have a solid understanding of the importance of safe moving and handling, posture and musculoskeletal health.

Research published in Safety Science found that 98% of UK early childhood educators experience work-related musculoskeletal pain, with 89% reporting lower back pain.

That's why we're so pleased to launch our manual handling and posture awareness training for early years educators, launched in partnership with Jolly Back and developed by an expert physiotherapist. It provides practical, evidence-informed guidance to help educators and their employers reduce injury risk, manage physical demands and support healthier, sustainable careers.

The course, which is made up of five modules, includes:

- manual handling and working at child-height best practice
- risk assessment for safe manual handling
- safe handling manual techniques
- guidance on preventing musculoskeletal disorders in the early years
- posture awareness and practical strategies for musculoskeletal care
- facilitating safer sleep

Book your place: bit.ly/46XcVe6

05/10/2026

Member-only Alliance Connect: Share your thoughts on the early years sector with the Competition and Markets Authority

Online, Thursday 8 October, 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Did you know that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently carrying out an independent market study of the early years sector in England, and that their recommendations could have a significant impact on how the system operates in the years to come?

Don't miss your chance to speak directly to CMA representatives at our upcoming member-only Alliance Connect to share your thoughts on:

- what a well-functioning early years system looks like
- how we can build and sustain a sector that works for children, families and provider
- what is currently working well and what isn’t

Your views will form part of the evidence currently being gathered by the CMA as part of the market study.

Book your free place here: bit.ly/4zfPadf

Please note that this Connect is available exclusively to Alliance members.

05/10/2026

"It's misguided and unfortunately shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what the early years sector is all about - it's about child's education and development."

Earlier today our CEO Neil Leitch was interviewed on BBC Radio 2 about the Conservative's pledge to remove the £100k earnings limit for the 30-hour working parent entitlement offer. Currently if a parent earns over £100,000 they are no longer eligible to receive the 30-hour funded offer for working parents.

At the Alliance we believe it is absolutely right to ask whether the current eligibility criteria for the early entitlements is creating unfair barriers to access, and we know that the £100,000 limit has created challenges for some families. However, it is disappointing that this proposal focuses solely on widening access for those on higher salaries, and not those on the other end of the income scale, who are in most need of support.

You can listen to Neil's interview from around 18 minutes here bbc.in/4hGstrz and read the Alliance's full statement here bit.ly/3TAMVCg

05/10/2026

Last chance to book!

Join 90+ early years professionals in Manchester and discover practical strategies to build truly inclusive settings and prepare for the challenges facing early years today.

With just over two weeks to go until the Alliance Connect Roadshow: Building belonging in Manchester, this is your final chance to get your ticket! Sales end on Wednesday 7 October, so if you've been wanting to join, make sure you don't miss out!

Why attend?
- Practical inclusion strategies you can implement immediately
- Hear the latest thinking on inspection and inclusion
- Choose from four expert-led workshops
- Network with like-minded early years educators
- Gain ideas to support every child to thrive
- Lunch and resources included..and much more!

Join us on Thursday 15 October, 9.30am - 4pm, Kings House Conference Centre, King’s Church, Sidney St, Manchester, M1 7HB

Get your ticket today! https://bit.ly/45c6H9D
Alliance members: £55 per person; non-members: £90 per person (including lunch)