Early years leaders back plans to scrap isolation rules
Fiona Simpson
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Early years leaders have backed plans to end the use of isolation to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in education settings from September.
Current restrictions mean that children are split into bubbles of classes, year groups and nursery groups depending on the size of the setting.
In many cases vast numbers of children are being forced to isolate at home if one child tests positive.
According to latest Department for Education figures, last week 279,000 children were self-isolating having potentially been in contact with a positive case in school.
Early years data shows that on 24 June, 937,000 children were attending childcare settings – about 58 per cent of the number of children who usually attend childcare in term time.
Ministers have written to schools asking them to prepare for the rules to be scrapped next term and replaced with on-site testing.
Early years leaders have backed the plans saying that self-isolation is exacerbating an ongoing childcare "staffing crisis" as well as increasing fears over mass closures of settings due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said: “It’s a huge concern as more nurseries have to close rooms or their entire nursery as more staff and children are having to self-isolate. We would certainly welcome a change to the current system of all close contacts having to isolate, which is disrupting children’s development and wellbeing.
“There are still only just over half the usual numbers of children in nursery during the usually buoyant summer term. Self-isolation is also exacerbating what is already a staffing crisis within early years settings as nurseries struggle to find qualified staff.”
Meanwhile, new figures from Ofsted show that the number of childcare providers registered with the inspectorate has fallen by 3,300, the equivalent of four per cent, to 72,000 since 31 August last year.
Since 31 August 2015, the number of providers has fallen by 17 per cent (15,100).
The decline is driven largely by a fall of 1,800 childminders, the equivalent of five per cent, since August last year and 17 per cent since August 2015.
The figures come following an investigation by the Early Years Alliance (EYA) which found that the government had “knowingly underfunded” childcare places over the last decade.
Neil Leitch, EYA chief executive, said of the figures: "We remain deeply concerned by the consistent downward trend in the number of providers in the early year sector, with childminders continually the worst hit.
"Ministers claim that they are putting record investment into the early years and yet, as our recent Freedom of Information investigation showed, the government has knowingly underfunded our sector for years, putting the affordability, quality and sustainability of early education and childcare provision at risk.”
