To the Foundation Years community,

Today is NCB’s last day as the Department for Education’s stakeholder engagement partner as our contract draws to a close after two and a half years in the role.

NCB will no longer be providing updates from the Foundation Years communication channels, however the Foundation Years website will continue to be available with a new supplier to be appointed shortly. 

It is always a privilege to work alongside early years professionals, but it has been especially so during one of the most challenging times of our lives. Everyone at NCB would like to express our heartfelt thanks for all your hard work and dedication to keeping provision open throughout the pandemic and always putting children and families first.

The early years sector’s role in responding to the pandemic continues to be of crucial national importance and we know you will rise to the challenge. We also want to thank officials at the Department for Education and other government agencies who we have worked with and who have shown extraordinary commitment during these hugely challenging times.

We set out to provide you with high-quality policy and practice news and opportunities to have your say and get your questions answered through webinars, vodcasts and Learn – Explore – Debate (LED) events on the subjects that really mattered to you. We were especially proud to:

  • Refresh the Foundation Years website so you can easily find the policy and practice information you need.
  • Deliver four rounds of LED events, providing you with the opportunity to engage with officials from the Department for Education, Ofsted and Public Health England, and share good practice with colleagues across the sector.
  • Provide you with the latest official COVID-19 information and answer your questions through regular bulletins, FAQs, the COVID-19 hub and vodcasts with the Department for Education.
  • Support you throughout the changes to the EYFS, from providing opportunities to have your say during the consultation period to creating resources to support implementation.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with our work. Your feedback has always been important to us and has shaped our work as stakeholder engagement partner. If you have any feedback for us, please send it to foundationyears@ncb.org.uk.

Best wishes
NCB

Published 1 April 2021