Early years education in England has undergone a number of radical changes in the last decade. More recently, a change in government after the 2010 UK general election has meant that early years practitioners have experienced a period of uncertainty and change in policy in line with the ambitions and philosophy of the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government. This article outlines some of the key changes which took place in the early years sector between 1998 and 2010, before discussing the implications of new policies and consultations which have been initiated since the new UK government came to power in May 2010. It would be impossible to discuss all recent policy reforms and developments in detail, so this article aims to highlight certain key changes and the debates surrounding them. Thus the first section of this report outlines changes in early years policy and provision in England over the last decade. The second section of the report examines the debates and challenges arising from such changes.