Early Years Digest

26 August 2025

Welcome to the 100th Early Years Digest. Every fortnight we provide a summary of some of the work published in the EY sector.

Click here for a brief history of The Early Years Digest.

 

PRESS & MEDIA 

Children’s exposure to porn higher than before 2023 Online Safety Act, poll finds - The Guardian

Primary school pupils in white working-class regions ‘among worst performing’ - The Telegraph [subscription required]

Members of taskforce on ‘broken’ SEND system named - Schools Week Magazine

Parents in England skipping meals to afford school uniforms, survey finds - The Guardian 

Rise in school absences among five- and six-year-olds - Nursery World Magazine [subscription required]

‘A good thing for children’: summer camps at risk in UK as costs rise - The Guardian

 

FEATURE STORIES

How to keep a baby cool in a heatwave and other important questions answered - The Independent
 

Should babies wear socks all the time? The new battleground in the generational war - The Guardian

How private equity took over your kid’s nursery - The Londoner

'It's sad we have come to this': Inside the schools turning into food banks to stave off holiday hunger - The Big Issue 

Fixing teacher recruitment and retention - lessons from other countries - TES Magazine [subscription required]

Why where you live can affect your school grades – and the gap between areas is only widening - The Independent 

 

BLOGS, PODCASTS & MORE

PODCAST: Why Sleep Matters in Early Childhood Development - Harvard University, The Center on the Developing Child

GET INVOLVED [NURSERIES]: Vitamin Angels NDNA programme submissions 2025 - NDNA

PODCAST: Are the kids ok? The early years - The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS)

CALL FOR EVIDENCE: Identifying impactful programmes to support parenting and the home learning environment in the early years - Nesta & Department for Education (DfE)

 

RESEARCH & POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Do food additives cause ADHD? Here’s what the science says - The Independent
 
Where should the new best start family hubs be located to improve outcomes in the early years? - Nesta
 
SEND and inclusion: a recommended reading list - TES Magazine [subscription required]
 
Early years initial teacher training programme evaluation - Gov.uk
 
 
 

EVENTS & RESOURCES

RECORDING: Stephan Morgan MP: Delivering on the Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life - PEDAL Conference 2025 (11/6/2025)

RESOURCE: A Guide to Brain Architecture - Harvard University, The Center on the Developing Child

Alliance Connect Roadshow: Celebrating SEND – a world without limits - Thursday 16th October 2025, 9:15-16:00, Bristol (Tickets from £55)

Tackling inequalities through proactive support during pregnancy - Tuesday 9th September 2025, 12:00-13:00, online (free)

 

JOBS


Head of Insights - ReGenerate (London, hybrid)

Community Engagement Coordinator - BookTrust (Central England, remote with travel)

Partnerships & Projects Coordinator (part-time) - Home Start London

 

Sign up to the digest

Every fortnight we provide a summary of some of the work published in the EY sector. Sign up using the form below.