Nursery leaders and managers must ensure practitioners take part in professional development specific to babies and toddlers, according to Ofsted.

Ofsted’s latest report on working with babies and toddlers calls for managers to support practitioners to identify gaps in their learning, especially before the government introduces childcare reforms in September 2025, which will increase access to early years education and care for babies and toddlers.

It also recommends managers provide time, space and supervision for practitioners to meet professional standards and address their development needs relating to the education and care of babies and toddlers, and actively address misconceptions about working with this age group.

The report found:

• Some survey responses reflected a misconception that babies and toddlers are too young to be taught anything  
• Practitioners understood how to support communication and language, and personal, social and emotional development  for this age group, but did not always understand how they could support physical development
• The ‘key person’ role is a strength of many providers, with early years practitioners recognising that this role is vital for babies and toddlers
• Most practitioners recognise the importance of positive relationships with parents in helping them support children more effectively 
• There is some work to do in understanding how routine times can be used for high-quality interactions, particularly where mixed ages are grouped together   
• Some of the challenges considered in the research may be partly influenced by ongoing difficulties in recruiting and retaining experienced practitioners  

Jayne Coward, Ofsted’s deputy director of early years regulatory policy and practice, said: “With the government’s childcare reforms, we can expect to see an increase in the number of babies and toddlers accessing early education. It’s vital we get it right for all of these children from the very start. I hope that this report helps early years practitioners to continue reflecting on and refining their approach to supporting our very youngest children.”