Delivering the free entitlement to education for three- and four- year olds

Delivering the free entitlement to education for three- and four- year olds PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102975383
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
The national take-up rate for three and four-year-olds in early education has been sustained at 95 per cent since 2008, despite an eight per cent increase in eligible children. There are however, wide variations in take-up between local authorities. Take-up for children from the most disadvantaged families is lower than overall take-up, and access to high quality provision varies depending on where children live. The percentage of good or outstanding provision across local authorities in March 2011 ranged from 64 per cent to 97 per cent. Areas of highest deprivation are less likely to have high quality provision. Children's level of development at age five has improved, but National Key Stage One results at age seven show almost no improvement since 2007. Although the relationship between the entitlement and Key Stage One results is not straightforward, the Department intended the entitlement to have lasting effects on child development throughout primary school and beyond. It is not yet clear, however, that the entitlement is leading to longer-term educational benefits, and the Department does not yet have robust measures to demonstrate whether the longer-term benefits it expects are being realised. The Department also lacks a robust analysis of the relationship between performance and funding levels. The NAO's analysis found that local authorities which fund providers of the free entitlement at a higher rate were not necessarily those with high-quality provision. There are also limitations in the information available to help parents choose where and how their children use the entitlement.

Delivering the free entitlement to education for three- and four- year olds

Delivering the free entitlement to education for three- and four- year olds PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102975383
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
The national take-up rate for three and four-year-olds in early education has been sustained at 95 per cent since 2008, despite an eight per cent increase in eligible children. There are however, wide variations in take-up between local authorities. Take-up for children from the most disadvantaged families is lower than overall take-up, and access to high quality provision varies depending on where children live. The percentage of good or outstanding provision across local authorities in March 2011 ranged from 64 per cent to 97 per cent. Areas of highest deprivation are less likely to have high quality provision. Children's level of development at age five has improved, but National Key Stage One results at age seven show almost no improvement since 2007. Although the relationship between the entitlement and Key Stage One results is not straightforward, the Department intended the entitlement to have lasting effects on child development throughout primary school and beyond. It is not yet clear, however, that the entitlement is leading to longer-term educational benefits, and the Department does not yet have robust measures to demonstrate whether the longer-term benefits it expects are being realised. The Department also lacks a robust analysis of the relationship between performance and funding levels. The NAO's analysis found that local authorities which fund providers of the free entitlement at a higher rate were not necessarily those with high-quality provision. There are also limitations in the information available to help parents choose where and how their children use the entitlement.

Health for all Children

Health for all Children PDF Author: Alan Emond
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191093211
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
The foundations of health and wellbeing are laid down in pregnancy and the early years. Health for all Children takes a life course approach to child health, starting in pregnancy and extending to the age of seven to include transition into school, and to cover the foundation years in education. This new edition summarizes the evidence supporting preventive health care and health promotion; providing an effective, community-based response to the needs of families and children. Each chapter summarizes evidence of effectiveness in the topic area, in health promotion, and in universal and selective interventions. The fifth edition starts in pregnancy and runs until age seven taking into account Government policies and different models of delivery of the child health programme. Evidence from all over the world is critically appraised and referenced to UK policy and practice. Health for all Children summarizes the evidence about 'why' and 'what works' in health promotion and health surveillance with children and families, providing guidance on how to implement and quality assure a programme, and the competencies needed. Each chapter includes 'learning links' to online training materials and e-learning for health, or to resources freely available to practitioners. This established, evidence-based book continues to be essential reading for all health professionals who work with children. It will also provide vital background knowledge for those charged with the responsibility of planning, commissioning, and monitoring child health.

Early Learning and Child Well-being in England

Early Learning and Child Well-being in England PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264438076
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
This report sets out the findings from the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study in England. The study assesses children’s skills across both cognitive and social-emotional development, and how these relate to children’s early learning experiences at home and in early childhood education and care.

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309324882
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 587

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Book Description
Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

The annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2010/11

The annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2010/11 PDF Author: Great Britain: Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102975208
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Ofsted today publishes the Annual Report 2010/11, drawing on over 31,000 inspection visits across the schools, early years, children's social care and learning and skills sectors in England. Launched by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Miriam Rosen, this in-depth analysis provides an insight into the quality of those services for children and learners, what is working well and what needs to improve. The report highlights how an inadequate inspection judgement, whether for a children's home or a school, a college or a nursery, can be an important catalyst for change. For example, the total number of schools in a category of concern - that is judged to be in special measures or being given a notice to improve - reduced from 553 at the end of last year to 451 at the end of August 2011. Over a fifth of schools judged inadequate at their previous inspection were found to be good or better when inspected again this year. In addition, schools are now emerging from special measures faster than the previous year - after an average of 18 months rather than 20. In inspections of local authorities'; children's social care, where Ofsted completed the second full year of unannounced inspection of contact, referral and assessment arrangements, weaknesses identified the previous year had been addressed in the great majority of cases.

Early Action

Early Action PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102981254
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
Early action is the early deployment of resources by public bodies to prevent problems occurring or getting worse in service provision, rather than spending money reactively once those problems have occurred. Determined leadership is necessary to divert resources away from pressing and highly visible current needs, in line with public expectations, towards long-term early action programmes, particularly at times of fiscal austerity. Evidence of early action's impact and cost-effectiveness is thin and since information on costs within most departments is also patchy, specifying an amount that could be reduced within the estimated £377 billion spent on 'social' spending in 2011-12 is not possible. However, projects with the strongest evidence base show that some early action projects can achieve returns of up to 4 to 1. The Government has adopted the principle that early action is important in public service provision but does not plan a significant shift in resources. The total amount spent each year by the Department of Health, Department for Education, Home Office and Ministry of Justice on early action intervention programmes has remained fairly constant at around £12 billion, about 6 per cent of the departments' spending in 2011-12. The NAO has identified four key challenges the addressing of which could help in the design and implementation of early action programmes: namely, more consistent and robust gathering of evidence of what works; overcoming short-term thinking and other practical barriers; effective cross-government coordination of early action; and strengthening departments' capacity to innovate and take bold long-term decisions.

Alabama Standards for Early Learning and Development

Alabama Standards for Early Learning and Development PDF Author: Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578795485
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The 2020 edition of the Alabama Standards for Early Learning and Development (ASELD) has been developed to support all professionals who interact with young children, birth to age 5. The Standards have been aligned with both national and state program standards and program requirements so that adults who work directly with children in infant-toddler or preschool classrooms, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, child care facilities, home visiting programs, or special education settings will be able to use the document to guide their interactions and instructional practices. Instructors in higher education, high school and career and technical programs are encouraged to introduce pre-service students to the standards through their coursework. Professional development specialists and technical assistance specialists who reference the standards within their training and coaching empower professionals' understanding and use of the ASELDs to cultivate high quality early learning programs. Professionals who write special education plans can use them to specify children's goals. In short, the ASELDs offer one single set of expectations for Alabama's young children that extend across all program types.The ASELDs follow a unique format that includes learning progressions or indicators for children's learning, birth to age 5. Each double page provides a sequence of development for specific strands within the ASELDs' domains.The ASLEDs are organized into 4 sections with 8 domains of learning for children and a 9th domain that describes the ways in which professionals and families work together to support children's learning. The eight children's domains portray a comprehensive view of children's learning and are further supplemented through the additional domain of Family and Community Engagement.Each of the eight learning domain segments in the ASELDs has 4 key parts: 1) a domain introductory page; 2) the learning progressions, birth to 5 years or 60 months; 3) recommendations for adaptations and accommodations to support children with unique needs; and 4) foundational practices for professionals. These pages work together to guide all professionals, regardless of the early learning setting, in the design and use of age, culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning standards for all young children, birth to age 5.

Inclusion Works!

Inclusion Works! PDF Author: Faye Ong
Publisher: Hippocrene Books
ISBN:
Category : Children with disabilities
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description


Working for children

Working for children PDF Author: Great Britain: Department for Work and Pensions
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780101706728
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
This strategy document sets out the measures the Department for Work and Pensions intends to take to help achieve the Government's target to eradicate child poverty by 2020, based on the principle that improving employment opportunities for parents is the most sustainable route out of poverty for themselves and their children. These measures follow on from the 2007 Budget statement (HCP 342, session 2006-07; ISBN 9780102944556) and form part of the Government's cross-departmental strategy to tackle child poverty through a whole range of policy areas, including tax and benefits, health and housing, childcare and education. Measures announced include: i) extending the New Deal Plus for Lone Parents (NDLP Plus) to March 2011 and to cover all lone parents in London, and to extend key elements of this support programme to two-parent families on benefit in the current pilot areas and throughout London; ii) extending the In-Work Credit for Lone Parents scheme (which provides an extra £40 per week for lone parents moving into work in 40 per cent of the country, including most of London) until June 2008 and to increase the rate payable in London to £60; iii) pilot schemes to link the In-Work Credit to adviser support to promote retention in work for lone parents, based on the Employment Retention and Advancement model; and iv) a major expansion of work-focused English as a Second Language provision, delivered through the cities strategy pilots in East and West London.

The early years single funding formula

The early years single funding formula PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Children, Schools and Families Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780215545176
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
The Early Years Single Funding Formula is intended to replace the different methods currently used to fund early years settings in the maintained sector and in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector. Each local authority will in future use the same criteria for every setting in its area when allocating funds for education and care provided under the free entitlement for three and four year olds. But the Formula has resulted in winners and losers, and the greatest losers will be maintained nursery schools, which provide a quality of education and care which is very high and sets the standard for others to follow. Overall the difficulties encountered so far with the Single Funding Formula have arisen because of the way in which it has been implemented, rather than because of the concept. Local authorities were encouraged to offer settings a supplement to the basic hourly rate of funding to recognise high quality provision, but many have not done so. A quality supplement should be made mandatory. The Government was correct in deciding to defer full implementation until April 2011 and the year's delay must be used to restore stability and to rework funding formulae where necessary. Sir Jim Rose's proposals to encourage entry to primary school in the September following a child's fourth birthday will have far-reaching consequences for early years funding, but blur the distinction between early years and primary education. The Government should examine whether a unified funding system should be introduced for all children aged from 2 to 11 years old.