Issue - meetings

EARLY YEARS - 2 YEAR OLDS

Meeting: 22/09/2015 - Schools Forum (Item 7)

7 Early Years - 2 Year Olds pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

 

The report details the effect the growth in uptake of two year olds receiving early education funding had on the numbers of three & four year old children attending maintain nursery schools and classes.

 

Schools Forum is asked to note the report.

 

Officer Contact: Peter Hughes on 0161 474 3947 or email: peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk.  

Minutes:

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the effect the growth in uptake of two year olds receiving early education funding had on the numbers of three & four year old children attending maintain nursery schools and classes.

 

It was reported that Stockport had been successful in securing over 80% take up of eligible free early year’s education places when the national average was 63%, meaning that over 1000 two year old children were receiving up to 570 hours a year of funded early education. Nearly 90% of the funded two year olds are accessing places in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector.

 

The total numbers of children eligible for funded early education increased by 236 over between Spring 2013 and Spring 2015. The majority of the increase had been absorbed into the PVI sector. The PVI sector had increased by 370 children but the maintained sector had decreased by a smaller number of children, 134. This showed that there had been a small decrease in numbers attending the maintained sector. The number of school applications between September 2014 and September 2015 was similar however the distribution of the children across the schools had varied.

 

It was further reported that possible reasons for the reduction in numbers of children in the maintained sector included:-

 

·         Working parents’ need for flexibility, longer days and wrap around care, which schools do not offer routinely;

·         Some areas and schools would be affected more than others dependent on availability and flexibility of other local provision, childcare and parental choices;

·         Child-minders were now able to offer funded places and there had been a significant increase in child-minders in recent years from 8 to 144.

 

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

 

·         Members requested an update following the next census is this would account for the summer period;

·         Some schools were considering the affordability of their nursery as the uptake was as little as 50%;

·         Schools were being asked to take extra Special Educational Needs children;

·         Some schools could offer wrap around care and longer hours however the issue was believed to be deeper than just working parents.

 

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

 

(2) That a further update be provided to Schools Forum.