Education and childcare reforms come into effect

The expansion of the free childcare programme will see the number of disadvantaged two-year-olds eligible to receive 15 hours of free care a week double from 130,000 to 260,000.

The initiative, launched in September 2013, represents a £1.2bn investment by government to help give young children from disadvantaged backgrounds a better early education.

However, local authorities in some areas have struggled to find enough places for all those two-year-olds expected to be eligible: a CYP Now investigation published last month revealed more than half of councils are expecting a shortfall, with the 260,000 places target set to be missed by around 40,000.

Controversial childminder agencies also begin operating from today. The initiative, championed by previous childcare minister Elizabeth Truss, is aimed at making it easier for parents to find a registered childminder.

The agencies have proved unpopular with the early years sector, which is concerned that individual childminders will no longer have to be inspected by Ofsted, which will instead assess the quality of agencies.

The start of the new academic year will see the introduction of free school meals for all infant school-age children. The flagship Liberal Democrat initiative, which is costing £1.2bn to deliver, will mean all children in reception, year 1 and year 2 receive a free hot lunch.

The extension of the free meals policy – previously it was only available to children whose parents were in receipt of certain benefits – has meant many schools have had to upgrade their kitchen facilities, with some only able to offer packed lunches until work is complete.

Another significant change is the introduction of many aspects of the new special educational needs and disability (SEND) system. Reforms coming in include health, education and care plans to replace statements of SEN; local offers of support; access to independent advice; and personal budgets for children and young people.  

The government has trialled the new arrangements with a number of councils over the past year, and despite concerns that some areas were struggling to meet the deadline, ministers are confident the system will be ready everywhere.