This week I report on the roll out of 30 hours of Government funded childcare a week for working parents, the publication of a policy paper from the DfE on how schools can prepare for Martyn’s Law and new non statutory Staffing and Employment guidance for schools and governors.

Half a million children to benefit from funded childcare
Working parents can now claim 30 hours of Government funded childcare a week, with more than 500,000 children expected to benefit from the scheme’s full roll-out.

As part of the wider early years package of support, parents now also have access to the Best Start in Life website, which brings together information and guidance in one place.

Martyn’s law for education settings
The DfE has published a policy paper for schools on how they can prepare for Martyn’s Law. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, makes individuals working at premises and events responsible for minimising the impact of a terrorist attack.

There will be an implementation period of at least 24 months before the act comes into force, during which the Government will publish statutory guidance to further assist schools in meeting the requirements.

Staffing and employment: guidance for schools
To provide consistency in the information available to all schools in support of their
handling of staffing and employment matters, the DfE has withdrawn its statutory guidance on Managing Staff Employment in Schools. Instead, the DfE expects employers in all schools to make use of new non-statutory guidance (published yesterday) and the sources of help it identifies when carrying out staffing and employment duties.