Colleagues and I at @nestauk.bsky.social have launched a microsite to support local authorities as they develop their Best Start in Life local plans. Includes data profiles, guidance and sign up forms for free coaching and events
products.nesta.org.uk/bsil
Anyone interested in data and the early years should register for our upcoming event in Bradford, organised by the brilliant @rachelwilcock.bsky.social Register now! www.nesta.org.uk/event/using-...
I've just spent a bit of time reading through these posts and highly recommend anyone thinking about how to engage in and support place-based change to take a look!
My newsletter Early Years High 5 is out now
1 Half of children on FSM aren’t ‘school ready’
2 Teaching assistants feel undervalued
3 Age matters in EYFS data
4 What can England learn from global SEND policy?
5 Where should the next 400 Family Hubs go?
📩 Read more: www.linkedin.com/newsletters/...
We are pleased to share Funding Futures, a project commissioned by Collective Futures, Henry Smith Foundation and the Ethos Foundation, and delivered with EPI, Mime and Isos Partnership. It identifies the most effective ways to target early years investment and reduce local disadvantage gaps.
A small hand gives a high 5 to a big hand
📣𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀
Check out the lastest edition of my free monthly newsletter on Linkedin
www.linkedin.com/build-relati...
The 30 hour policy extension is the continuation of a huge shift in government funding in the early years, from what had been a much greater focus on supporting lower income children's development, to money going to better off families for childcare.
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
Some great analysis by my colleagues at Nesta looking at where new Best Start Family Hubs should be located in order to improve outcomes for children in the early years. It's important to look deeper than local authority level data!
www.nesta.org.uk/data-visuali...
With the release of the Explainer Series of short animations/videos by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, read Voices blog by Sarah Cartner as she shares her experience of being one of the practitioners who helped co-produce these films.
ihv.org.uk/news-and-vie...
#HealthVisiting
Spending on the new childcare entitlements next year could be £1bn higher than initially forecast in March 2023 - a 25% increase.
So what's going on? I break down the numbers that @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social and @maxwarner.bsky.social set out in @theifs.bsky.social post-Spending Review briefing.
May research update!
Each month, I put together a list of new research about early childhood and policy, including benefits policy, ECEC, parenting support and services. After being told many times to share it beyond the Nesta team, I've finally gotten around to it. First edition here:
My colleague @rachelwilcock.bsky.social is organising an excellent event for anyone interested in how we use data to improve services for children and families in the early years. Sign up now! www.nesta.org.uk/event/using-...
A few weeks ago 250 people join us for our online event - sharing learning on 'how to support early years innovation in local authorities'. Catch up now with the recording on youtube to hear from leaders from local authorities, DfE and funders! www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Np...
More than 250 people joined our launch event for the A Fairer Start Local report last week. Watch on youtube to hear what we learned by working with three local authorities to support innovation in early years services. www.youtube.com/live/H_Np9ET...
🚨 We’re hiring! My team at @nestauk.bsky.social are looking for a Quantitative Analyst 📊
If you’re interested in generating data-led insights which can have a real world impact, this may be the role for you.
More information in the job advert, but happy to answer any queries about the role!
The result was an enhanced maternity pathway with closer working between health visitors and midwives, and renewed focus on support for families in the antenatal period, building stronger more positive relationships and a 45% increase in health visitor antenatal assessments
Our approach evolved from explorative workshops with service leaders and practitioners (including empathy mapping and storyboarding), through to iterative low-stakes testing (including role play) to improve the ideas, and a formal process evaluation as the new way of working was rolled out.
Our innovation in the early years report shares what we've learned about how to innovate effectively in early years services www.nesta.org.uk/report/innov.... Read the report to see how we used a 'test and learn' approach to increase integration of health visiting and midwifery teams in Stockport
Today we launched the final report for A Fairer Start Local - innovation partnerships with the brilliant Leeds, York, Stockport & GMCA. I wrote this for the LGC on the lessons we learnt on innovating well, hopefully useful for the emerging Opportunity Mission!
www.lgcplus.com/services/chi...
A Fairer Start Local: how to support early years innovation in local authorities 📅 24 April 2025 🕛 12:00 – 13:00 📍 Online
Want to learn more?
🎟️ Join our lunchtime webinar on 24 April to hear from those who delivered the programme – from Nesta analysts and designers to early years leaders and practitioners in local authorities.
Register to attend: bit.ly/41j24ZN
This report is the culmination of some incredible partnership working between nesta and local authorities. Take a look to see what innovation in the early years can achieve!
A highlight of my time at Nesta so far is bringing colleagues from York, Stockport & Leeds councils together to reflect on the difference they've made through 'A Fairer Start Local'. We've distilled all that wisdom into a report launching soon. Sign up to hear more! www.nesta.org.uk/event/a-fair...
🧵 My team @nestauk.bsky.social recently did a really interesting piece of analysis comparing borrowing rates of library books to speech & language therapy referral rates in Leeds, showing that areas with high levels of re-referrals to SLT correspond with low borrowing of books 1/2
This report from Better Purpose was commissioned by a collaborative group of early years funders. It addresses 'what works to improve children's outcomes'. Definitely worth reading! www.betterpurpose.co/early-childh...
The government is putting integrated EY support at the top of the policy agenda in England, but getting the infrastructure for data collection and sharing right from the start is crucial.
I wrote a blog for @nestauk.bsky.social on lessons we can learn from Wales' Flying Start programme 🏴
I'm a bit late to the party but have finally got a copy of the book and signed up for the next book club event in March! Looking forward to it :)
Our @ihealthvisiting.bsky.social
annual HV survey published‼️
A call to get the basics right, with action to rebuild the HV workforce that has been cut beyond the bone in too many areas🚨
The needs of babies, children & families must lie at the heart of all service transformation👶🏾👶🏼👶🏿👇
Our Manifesto for Childminders sets out 9 actions to address plummeting childminder numbers, ensuring children have the very best start in life.
Let's make 2025 the year for childminding!
www.pacey.org.uk/wp-content/u...
The UK AI Opportunity Plan and Gov's response is now live...
There's lots to comb through, but a few first thoughts below 🧵(1/8).
www.gov.uk/government/p... @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social
The largest early years program, the "free entitlement" to funded childcare, grew from £1bn in 2001 to £4bn by 2023 (in today’s prices).
Planned spending will double in the next 4 years, marking the fastest and largest expansion on record. [THREAD 1/4]