We are delighted to invite local authority colleagues to join the Childcare Works team, the Minister for Early Education, and colleagues from DfE for our 2024 annual meeting for local authorities.
The Minister for Early Education plans to attend to give a short keynote speech reflecting on his first months in post, with some key reflections on the opportunities he sees within the Early Education and childcare space. He is keen to hear your experiences firsthand, and so also plans to take part in a Q&A session.
The event aims to have a strong policy, strategic, and operational focus on the route map to delivery in September 2025. We will use the meeting to celebrate progress made to date and set out the tasks required over the next year. Senior DfE colleagues will also be in attendance, giving you an opportunity for direct engagement, including question-time breakouts, and a strategic thinking workshop.
The event will be held in Birmingham with arrivals from 9.15am, starting at 10am, and concluding at 3.30pm. There will be a blend of presented information, a choice of five breakouts delivered twice across the day, exhibition stands to connect with key partner organisations, and lots of networking and peer support time for information exchange and sharing of ideas. We are planning the following breakout sessions, the agenda will be confirmed nearer the time:
1 Route map to 2025 for early years and wraparound. An opportunity to drill down into more detail of the journey and tasks towards September 2025 for early years and wraparound. Ideal for those leading or delivering across early years and wraparound.
2 EY and wraparound provider support. Considering what provider support has occurred so far, what else exists, and what has been the most effective and helpful and impactful. Are there any gaps or ideas? Ideal for those leading or delivering provider support across early years and wraparound.
3 Getting the most out of Childcare Works support including the HUB and LAB. An orientation, exploration, outline of further plans, and consultation on the development of useful ideas and proposals. Ideal for everyone across early years and wraparound teams.
4 DfE question time. A carousel room of DfE leads and teams, take the opportunity to ask your policy and operational questions, clarifications and requirements, and hold conversations in a speed-dating style. Ideal for everyone needing and wanting time to consider key issues and questions across early years and wraparound.
5 Strategic thinking with senior DfE leaders. The key strategic issues now, coming up next, and in the longer term. How they join up and link to wider policy and the expected government direction, the implications and opportunities for local planning and delivery. Ideal for those in senior leadership roles across early years and wraparound, and wider LA workstreams.