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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.