News - Archive

On 21 June 2007 organic campaigning body the Soil Association and the organic children’s food company Organix launched a new set of awards that aim to find the best-fed children in UK nurseries. The Nursery Food Awards aim to champion those nurseries or early years settings that are providing the best freshly prepared meals and snacks for young children. The competition is also open to childminders. Click on the heading above to find out more.

On the subject of food, did you see the 2006 Ofsted short survey 'Food for Thought: a survey of healthy eating in registered childcare'?  Based on a short survey of 110 settings, It looks at whether children in the paid daily care of others receive good-quality meals, whether they learn at an early age the benefits of a healthy diet and highlights the good practice found across a range of childcare settings.  Visit the National Initiatives section of this website to see a copy.

For more information on each of the following articles click on the heading above:

Ofsted asks childminders not currently looking after children to consider resigning their registration

From September 2008 Ofsted will have the power to cancel the registration of childminders who have not looked after children for three years. 

Cancellation will disqualify that person from providing childminding or other registered childcare in the future, unless Ofsted agrees to waive the disqualification.

However a childminder who voluntarily resigns their registration now will be able to apply directly to Ofsted to re-register if they want to start providing childcare again.

Child Safety Week competition for 'switched on' children

Encourage children to enter the 'switched on kids' crossword competition - help encourage them to be aware of using electricity safely

The Great Big Northumberland Picnic - Learning Landscapes

Childcare providers all over Northumberland will be celebrating the grand launch of Northumberland Learning Landscapes on June 20th.  They will take part in the Great Big Northumberland Picnic by taking the children in their care for a picnic on that day.  All children who take part can receive a sticker and a certificate.

Registered childminders all over England and Wales will be celebrating National Childminding Week from 16 – 23 June.  The annual week of celebration is coordinated by the National Childminding Association of England and Wales.  This year’s theme, ‘supporting families’, reflects the services that registered childminders provide to parents and families.

The Daycare Trust, a national childcare charity, has launched a competition asking children to show how they feel about their childcare.  This is the springboard for this year’s National Childcare Week, which runs from  11 – 15 June.  This year the theme is ‘Childcare benefits for life’.

For more information click on the heading above.

From April 16 the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register is available for applications from providers who are not currently able to register - in the main those caring for children:

• in the children's own home (aged from birth to 17)
• aged 8 to 17 in premises other than in the children's own home
• aged from birth to under 8 in provision that is exempt from compulsory registration eg sports provision

The voluntary part of the register will eventually replace the previous Childcare Approval Scheme which allows over-7s childminders and nannies to become 'approved' .  Registration on the voluntary Childcare Register will provide the same benefits.  For more information click on the heading above.