A Summary of the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership

Implementation Plan

For the period

2003/04
This document forms a summary of the Early Years Development and Childcare Plan 2003/04 as submitted to the DfES in February 2003.

It has been created in recognition that the DfES document has been designed for planning and monitoring purposes, rather than general distribution within the community.

This document reports relevant information contained within the full planning documentation, to inform parents, childcare and early education providers and professionals.

Early Education for Three and Four Year olds

The Isle of Wight EYDCP will continue to deliver universal Early Education for childcare aged four, and work towards delivering universal Early Education for three-year-olds by Autumn 2004. This Partnership has adopted the government guidelines that 85% of the cohort represents universal provision.

We anticipate that the take up of places for three-year-olds at the nursery classes within Barton, Dover Park and Sandown primary schools will increase as they begin to offer associated childcare alongside early education.

A proportion of families with three-year-olds chose not to take up all five of the sessions available per week. In the last year, we have received funding to ensure 733 children aged three had access to free nursery education, but in fact 775 three-year-olds have accessed at least one session per week. This trend may result in difficulty meeting the local uptake targets of 920 FTE by March 2004 and 1123 FTE by Autumn 2004, although it is expected that this number of children are likely to take up early education, a proportion will do so for less than 5 sessions per week.

Creation of New Childcare Places

In the last 3 years (April 2000 to March 2003) we have created 1432 new childcare places. These include 869 places for school aged-children, either before or after school or during the holidays. 563 new places have been created for children under the age of five, in day nurseries, pre-schools and with childminders.

Many of these places have been created with support of the New Opportunities Fund, providing funding for start-up and first year costs, and in some cases extended funding for three years, to ensure that childcare is available in the most disadvantaged areas.

The Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative has supported the creation of 20 places for children under the age of five to date, with an additional 200 places to be created through this initiative in 2003/04.

We propose to increase the three year target set in 2001, to a total of 1814 places. It is planned to create an additional 382 new places in 2003/04, to meet this. This increased target will be achieved though the creation of group childcare places; the target for places with childminders has been reduced, although it is planned to ensure that provision of childminder places within disadvantaged wards is maintained.

Out of school childcare development will focus on provision for middle and high school children, with a total of 98 new places planned for children of school age. The new Extended Schools initiative will lead to additional childcare provision being created by school governing bodies, and increased security and viability of existing provision.

A total of 229 new places will be created for children under the age of five, with neighbourhood nurseries, maintained nursery expansion and the creation of additional places in existing group provision, and with childminders.

Out of School Childcare places

The three year target set in 2001 for an increase in out of school childcare places has been exceeded. By March 2003, 869 new out of school places have been created on the Isle of Wight.

Breakfast, after school and holiday provision for children in primary, middle and high schools is complimented by places offered by childminders.

Our focus for 2002/03 has been provision for children attending middle schools, and eight middle schools are now served by local out of school care. In addition, provision has been created for children at high school.

The focus for 2003/04 will be to develop up to 98 new places in group childcare, focusing on older children and children in rural areas. Work will continue to maintain the viability of existing groups.

Turnover of Childcare Places

This Partnership adopted the government target that turnover of out of school childcare places should be 10 places opening for every one place closed. We have very nearly achieved this target, with eight places opening for each place closed. It is hoped that over the next 12 months, we will be able to achieve the target ratio.

With regard to pre-school places, the target was for 10 places to open for every three places closed. We have exceeded this target, with approximately 12 places opening for every three places closed. We will endeavour to maintain this level of turnover over the coming 12 moths.

It has not been possible to calculate the level of turnover for places with childminders on the Isle of Wight. The target set was for 10 places to open for every nine closed; the EYDCP anticipates that it has not achieved this target, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that there are significantly fewer registered childminders on the Island than 12 months ago. However, accurate figures have proved difficult to obtain since the transfer of regulation to OFSTED.

The EYDCP will prioritise recruitment of childminders over the next 12 months with a targeted recruitment campaign, training, support and guidance.

Childcare with Childminders in Disadvantaged Wards

Last year, 12 new places were created with childminders in wards of disadvantage, so meeting our milestone target for 2002/03 of 11 ahead of schedule.

As previously stated, it has proved difficult to obtain accurate information about childminders registered on the Isle of Wight, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the number of childminders is lower than 12 months ago.

It is significant that no new childminders have accessed the Childcare Grant at the higher level offered to those living in areas of disadvantage. We can only assume that we have had no new registrations in these areas during this year.

Media campaigns will target prospective childminders, and illegal childminders will be encouraged to register. We will offer significant financial support to new childminders starting up in area of disadvantage.

It should be noted that the Partnership recognises that some area of the Island, while not defined as disadvantaged by the DETR indices of deprivation, are at a significant disadvantage regarding access to childcare, and these areas will be equally targeted and supported over the coming 12 months.

Childcare in Areas of Disadvantage for Lone Parents

Using the new method of calculation, as defined by the DfES, the Isle of Wight did not have a significant gap in childcare provision between areas of disadvantage compared with other areas of the Island in April 2001.

Over the past two years, childcare places have been created across the whole Island, with new places in areas of disadvantage receiving additional support through the New Opportunities Fund and Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative. Many settings, while not situated within a designated ward, serve families who live in wards of disadvantage.

Alongside this development, the Family Information Zone has worked closely with the New Deal for Lone Parents advisors on the Island, ensuring that information is available for parents returning to work or training. Where shortfalls in specific provision have been identified, development work is underway to meet the needs of these parents.

Working Families Tax Credit, and more recently, Child Tax Credits are actively promoted to parents on the Island by EYDCP officers working jointly with the Inland Revenue.

Training

The professionals working on the Isle of Wight are well qualified for the job that they do and are offered regular opportunities for professional development and skills enhancement.

Over 90% of managers and leaders of childcare groups on the Isle of Wight have a level 3 qualification and over 80% of the total workforce hold a level 2 qualification, well in line with government targets and OFSTED registration requirements.

A comprehensive training programme will continue to be offered to ensure that existing staff have the opportunity to develop their skills and new staff become skilled and qualified. Training will also be provided to ensure that new government initiatives and methods of working are fully disseminated throughout the workforce.

Training planned for the next 12 months includes accredited training in Playwork, Early Years Care and Education, Baby and Toddler Practice, Childminding and specific support for children with special needs. In addition, professional development training in Child Protection, First Aid, Special Needs, Leadership and Management will ensure that the workforce holds the broad range of skills required.

Training will be offered in a variety of ways; at a variety of times and in a variety of locations on the Island, so ensuring that as many professionals as possible have access to training.

Parents will also be offered training, both offering support groups and more diverse training in a joint initiative with Surestart.

Professionals working in the maintained and non-maintained sectors delivering the Foundation Key Stage will be offered training in curriculum development, planning and assessment. The EYDCP has met the government target to deliver 4 days of training for each professional and intends to maintain this. In the next 12 months professionals will be offered a comprehensive range of accredited and INSET training and professional development opportunities.

Access to a qualified teacher

The Foundation Key Stage is delivered to the majority of children on the Island by staff working in the non-maintained sector. This Partnership recognises the value of the input and advice of a QTS teacher, and so has worked to exceed the target of one teacher to every 10 non-maintained settings delivering the Foundation Key Stage.

By March 2003, there will be one teacher for every five settings on the Island, and the target for March 2004 is for one teacher for every 3.25 settings. This will be achieved through the input of a team led by the Foundation Key Stage Advisor, including the Early Years Lead Officer, the Inspector for Early Years, Area SENCO’s, Kite Mark Quality Assurance Assessors, Advanced Skills Teachers, Cluster Group Co-ordinators, Foundation Stage Profile Moderators, and Early Excellence Centre staff.

Quality Assurance

The quality of childcare and early education provision on the Island will be maintained and improved through a series of quality assurance schemes.

The locally developed Isle of Wight accredited Quality Assurance Scheme – Flying High for Early Years has been successfully rolled out and the milestone target of 28% has been exceeded in this sector. This scheme is under review and a revised scheme will provide a more user friendly format, so increasing its accessibility to settings.

The second childminding network is due to be assessed for approval by the NCMA in Spring 2003, with the existing network approval due to be renewed at the same time. This will mean that total of 24 childminders will be members of an approved network.

The cost of the Kids Club Network Aiming High quality assurance scheme has proved prohibitive for the Out of School clubs on the Island. A local out of school quality assurance scheme (along the lines of Flying High but specifically adapted for out of school settings) is in the process of being developed.

Both the new Out of School scheme and the Flying High for Early Years quality assurance scheme will be submitted for national endorsement in Spring 2003.

The Partnership is making progress towards the target set in 2001 that 40% of providers will have achieved accreditation by a quality assurance scheme by March 2004.

As a result of the transfer of regulation to OFSTED, the Partnership priority next year is to review and develop the Early Years Policy so that it reflects the revised standards and provides an example of best practice to professionals.

OFSTED Early Education Standards

As a result of the transfer of childcare regulation to OFSTED, the schedule and format of the inspection regime is tin the process of change.

The target set by the government, that 94% of settings are making satisfactory or better progress in delivering the Early Learning goals cannot be evaluated this year as no combined inspections have yet taken place at settings on the Island.

A comprehensive support programme is established; and the government target has been exceeded in previous years.

The Kitemark quality assurance scheme, Pre-school Development Workers, the OFSTED Link Officer the Foundation Key Stage Advisor and regular training and development all contribute to maintaining high quality delivery of the Early Learning Goals.

Where issues have been identified in OFSTED inspections inspections, through parental concerns, officer visits or staffing changes, actions are agreed, procedures outlined, and continual support provided, co-ordinated by a multi-agency curriculum, quality and training team.

Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators

As previously indicated, this Partnership recognises the value of the input and advise of a qualified teacher into the day to day practice of professionals in childcare and education.

This is reflected in the Early Years SEN Team, which is led by a team of three area SENCO’s. This team, of 7 early years SEN development workers and three qualified teachers, provides support and advice for parents, childcare professionals and those delivering the Foundation Key Stage to children with additional needs.

These three area SENCO’s provide support for 62 non-maintained settings, so the target ratio of one SENCO to 20 settings is effectively being achieved.

The Partnership will keep the situation under review and ensure that as new settings are developed, they receive appropriate input from an area SENCO.