As Nursery Insurance Specialists, NCi Nursery regularly keep up to date with issues affecting the childcare and pre school education industry not just from speaking with our nursery customers but by also attending trade shows and discussing issues such as risk management with trade bodies and regulators. The following publications and websites may therefore be of interest to anyone working in the nursery or pre school education sector:
 

The new Ofsted – the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills – came into being on 1 April 2007. It brings together the wide experience of four formerly separate inspectorates. It inspects and regulates care for children and young people, and inspect education and training for learners of all ages.

Ofsted want to raise aspirations and contribute to the long term achievement of ambitious standards and better life chances for service users. Their educational, economic and social well-being will in turn promote England's national success

To achieve this Ofsted aim to report fairly and truthfully; listen to service users and providers; and communicate their findings with all who share their vision, from service providers to policy-makers. Ofsted do not report to government ministers but directly to Parliament (and to the Lord Chancellor about children and family courts administration). This independence means you can rely on them for impartial information.

The Government launched the ChildcareLink helpline and website in December 1999 as part of the National Childcare Strategy. This strategy aims to help people back into the workplace by removing the childcare barrier. The ChildcareLink service is funded by the Department for Education and Skills.

The ChildcareLink service comprises the ChildcareLink web site, a national information line 0800 2 346346, and details of local Children's Information Services (CIS). The CISs provide face-to-face or phone advice on all aspects of childcare.

The ChildcareLink national website provides childcare and early years information collected from English local authorities, with sign-posting information from the Welsh National Assembly. The website helps you find useful information about the different types of childcare and early education in your local area and helps you to make the right choice for the whole family. The site also contains details of your local Children's Information Service, who can provide additional help and advice with all aspects of childcare and early years.

Nursery World is the UK’s leading publication for practitioners and decision-makers across the early years education and childcare sectors.

Local authority advisory teachers, private nursery managers, pre-school leaders and childminders are among more than 100,000 Nursery World readers who span private, voluntary, independent and maintained provision.

As the only weekly title serving the early education and childcare workforce, they combine unrivalled news coverage with in-depth reports and practical features, so enabling their readers to keep pace with and respond to the frequent changes in Government policy.

Silkysteps is a great site and forum for teachers, parents, day carers and anyone with an interest in the Nursery and Pre School sector. Silkysteps is an ongoing combination of all past and current work by Ruth Grimes.

Having moved to Cornwall from Enfield with her family at the age of 11 she remained a part of the community for over 24 years. Her involvement with the Early Years began when her youngest brother attended the local Playgroup. A love of working with the children soon developed and strong working relationships were formed with several groups in the area.

Once the eldest of her 3 children started Playgroup in 1988 she took up the reins of employment and has now gained over 18 years worth of knowledge and experience.
Providing illustrative pictures and craft activities to amuse and help the children explore became a part of everyday life and now forms the very foundation of Silkysteps. Written work on the series of craft eBooks began back in 2003 and were / are a jointly inspired collection of everything found to encourage the children to express their own creativeness and unique ability.

With support and guidance at the time & a short spell of online eCommerce sales, the collection grew into what it is today ~ and indeed what it continues to grow into  .... After a personal relationship breakup and the need for a fresh start, in 2005 she moved 'Oop North' with her two younger children to be closer to family members.

From there and with the help of Darlington's Business link & Business Venture unit began to build the reality of a dream - a website dedicated to offering free quality resources for the Under Fives and their Early Years education.

National Day Nurseries Association is a national charity which aims to enhance the development and education of children in their early years, through the provision of support services to members. It seeks to develop, encourage and maintain high standards in education and care for the benefit of children, their families and their local communities.

Run a Day Nursery. This UK website gives expert advice and help on running your Day Nursery. With extremely useful and regularly updated content on a wide variety of topics including recruitment, childrens needs, the day to day running of a day nursery, health and safety, staffing and much much more.

Run a Day Nursery comes highly recommended and is a must visit for anyone seriously considering setting up a day nursery or going it alone in the Nursery World.