Early Childhood Education and Childcare - Access and Quality / Readiness for Learning, Transition to school and reception year
Early Childhood Education and Childcare - Access and Quality
We will expand the availability and take up of high quality of early education and childcare settings, particularly in areas of high need.
Priority Actions
- Expand Access and Sufficiency of Early Education & Childcare:
- Deliver expansion of school-based nursery places through the Department for Education school-based nursery grant programme, prioritising areas with unmet need and disadvantaged communities
- Complete a detailed childcare sufficiency assessment, including SEND sufficiency and parental demand analysis
- Develop an action plan to address sufficiency gaps, including market development.
- 2. Improve Inclusion and Quality for Children with SEND:
- Strengthen early identification and SEND support through joint work with Early years practitioners and health partners
- Support providers to increase SEND place availability and inclusive practice.
- 3. Strengthen Provider Quality and Workforce Skills:
- Promote and increase participation in the Council’s Early Years and Childcare Quality Offer
- Deliver Continuing Professional Development on play-based pedagogy, interactions, language-rich environments, self-regulation and curriculum delivery
- Target support for providers in areas of higher deprivation or lower Ofsted grades.
- Improve Take-Up of Childcare Entitlements:
- Increase take-up of 2-year-old entitlements through targeted outreach and collaboration with Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network
- Ensure Free School Meal (FSM)-eligible children can access funded early education, breakfast clubs and Holiday Activities and Food (HAF)-linked provision.
- Strengthen Parental Engagement:
- Produce accessible, multilingual materials on childcare entitlements
- Work with Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network to deliver parent workshops on early learning and routines.
Outputs
- Number of new or expanded school-based nursery places delivered
- Completion of a full childcare sufficiency assessment including SEND
- Publication of a sufficiency action plan
- Percentage of providers engaging with the Quality Offer
- Number of Career Progression Development (CPD) sessions delivered and provider confidence evaluations
- Number of providers accessing SEND inclusion support and training
- Number of eligible families reached through entitlement promotion
- Termly monitoring reports on take-up rates by age and entitlement
Impact Measures
- Increased percentage of children with SEND accessing full early education entitlement
- Reduction in SEND sufficiency gaps across localities
- Increased parental satisfaction with availability and accessibility of childcare
- At least 96% of providers achieving Good or Outstanding Ofsted outcomes
- At least 90% provider engagement in the Quality Offer
- Increased take-up of all childcare entitlements, including disadvantaged 2-year-olds
- Reduced geographical inequalities in entitlement take-up
- Improved early language, communication and self-regulation outcomes at EYFS entry
- Narrowed attainment gaps for SEND, FSM and minority ethnic groups.
Readiness for Learning, Transition to school and reception year
We will improve transition pathways for children into reception year and support early years practitioners and teachers to offer the learning and support children need.
Priority Actions
- Strengthen Transition Pathways:
- Develop and implement a Local Authority-wide Transition Pathway with clear expectations
- Pilot enhanced transition support for priority groups
- Establish a consistent Transition Information Passport for all children
- Improve Information Sharing & Collaborative Practice:
- Standardised approach to information sharing using Ready for Learning data
- Facilitate school peer EYFS assessment support through cluster meetings targeting schools with higher proportions of FSM, English as an additional Language (EAL) and SEND
- Compare Ready For Learning (RFL) audit outcomes with EYFS attainment, to support a common understanding of early years assessment and identification of need.
- Build Workforce Confidence & Capability:
- Facilitate a peer-to-peer EYFS assessment network
- Targeted support for underperforming schools (identified via View Your Education Data)
- Develop and pilot “Early Phonics – Ready for reading & writing” training for Early
- Years settings.
- Support Families with Early School Readiness:
- Co-produce and promote existing resources outlining school readiness
- Provide parent ready for learning/transition support workshops.
Outputs
- Transition Pathway developed and implemented across all settings and schools
- Percentage of settings completing Ready for Learning audits
- Completion rate of Transition Information Passports
- Pilot evaluation report completed
- Number of EYFS assessment preparation sessions delivered
- Peer moderation groups established and evaluated
- Family engagement metrics collected
- Feedback from children, parents, settings and schools.
Impact Measures
- Increase in the percentage of Early Year settings using Ready for Learning audit
- Increase in percentage of children assessed as Ready for Learning
- Improved parent and practitioner feedback on transitions
- Reduction in additional support needs identified on entry to reception
- Increase in GLD outcomes at end of Early Year Foundation Stage
- Improved Communication & Language Early learning goals
- Narrowed attainment gaps for SEND, FSM and EAL groups
- Improved attendance and reduced absence in Reception
- Increased practitioner confidence scores
- Reduced number of school deferrals.