Caren Egan is a Nursery Manager currently overseeing two nurseries within the University Centre Somerset College Group, bringing over 30 years of experience in the early years sector. She is deeply passionate about supporting high-quality early childhood education and creating environments where young children, families, and educators can thrive.
Leading Through Change: Navigating the New Inspection Landscape by Caren Egan
I open the nursery door most mornings, powered by coffee and conviction. By 8:15 am, I’ve already comforted a teary toddler, reassured a worried parent, checked ratios, adjusted rotas, and rescued a glue stick from a curious nose. It’s busy, and it’s joyful, but it is also deeply important. Early years is not a warm-up act for school; it is education, grounded in child development, safeguarding, and the science of learning.
Early years is not a warm-up act for school; it is education.
Inspection frameworks may evolve, with new terminology and revised judgements, but the heart of quality remains the same: what happens on the floor every day. Rich interactions, secure relationships, and purposeful play continue to be central to children’s learning and wellbeing. In my experience, the most meaningful inspections have focused less on paperwork and more on how pedagogy is lived in real time.
Having worked in early years for over 25 years, and as a manager for the past decade, I have seen many changes in expectations and frameworks. The updated EYFS (effective from September 2025) introduces strengthened safeguarding requirements, revised training expectations, and more streamlined documentation. Alongside this, inspection reforms introduce a five-point grading scale: Exceptional, Strong Standard, Expected Standard, Needs Attention, and Urgent Improvement.
For many leaders, this naturally prompts questions about what “Exceptional” will look like in practice. The intention behind the new scale is to recognise deeply embedded, consistently strong practice that makes a real difference to children’s outcomes. “Strong Standard” reflects reliable and effective provision, while “Exceptional” acknowledges settings where excellence is evident across all aspects of practice.
High-quality provision every day is the best preparation for any inspection.
Research consistently highlights the importance of emotionally supportive environments for both children and adults. Evidence from the EEF Early Years Evidence Store shows that children’s self-regulation and language development are closely linked to the quality of adult-child interactions and the emotional climate of the setting (EEF, 2023; EEF, 2024).
Leaders, therefore, play a critical role in creating cultures where practitioners feel supported, confident, and valued. Regular supervision, time for reflection, and shared leadership all contribute to a workforce that can respond sensitively to children while managing the demands of the role.
Staff wellbeing is not separate from children’s outcomes, it underpins them.
Wider sector support can be particularly helpful during periods of change. Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs provide access to evidence-informed guidance, professional development, and regional networks. Their work is closely aligned with the EEF’s Early Years Evidence Store, helping settings translate research into everyday practice. Early evaluations show positive impacts on practitioner confidence, knowledge, and classroom practice (EEF, 2024).
So how can leaders stay grounded through ongoing change?
Keep the focus on daily practice
High-quality interactions, communication and language development, inclusion, and well-being remain central priorities because they benefit children, not because they are inspected.
Protect staff wellbeing.
Time for emotional check-ins, supervision, and peer support is not an optional extra; it is part of sustaining effective practice (EEF, 2023).
Use the support available.
Stronger Practice Hubs offer free, practical guidance based on research evidence and real-world experience.
Notice and celebrate progress.
The new inspection framework is designed to recognise strengths with greater nuance. Small successes in children’s development and staff confidence matter.
Keep perspective (and a sense of humour).
Early years work is demanding, but it is also full of warmth, creativity, and resilience.
When practice is rooted in children’s needs, inspections simply reflect what is already happening.
Moving Forward Together
Change can feel challenging, even for experienced leaders, but it also offers opportunities to refocus on what matters most. With strengthened safeguarding, clearer expectations, and growing access to evidence-informed support, there is reason for confidence.
By keeping children’s wellbeing and learning at the centre, and by supporting the adults who care for them, we can navigate this evolving landscape with professionalism and optimism.
If an inspection visit happens tomorrow, let it simply reflect what we already know: our work matters, our teams are committed, and our children are thriving.
References (EEF aligned)
Education Endowment Foundation (2023). Improving Early Language Skills. London: EEF.
Education Endowment Foundation (2023). Self-regulation and Executive Function: Early Years Evidence Store. London: EEF.
Education Endowment Foundation (2024). Early Years Evidence Store: Supporting High Quality Interactions. London: EEF.
Education Endowment Foundation (2024). Stronger Practice Hubs: Early Impact and Learning. London: EEF.
Join Our Free Webinars and Events for Expert Guidance and Practical Support
To find out more about this evidence-informed approach and see it in real-life practice, you can attend our upcoming Leadership and Staff Development events through the Bristol & Beyond Early Years Stronger Practice Hub.
