The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Childcare has published a report, More great childcare, on 29 January 2013 which sets out her plan of action for how the Government will achieve its vision of a dynamic childcare market, delivering high quality early education. The report incorporates the Government’s response to Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s independent review Foundations for Quality.
The Government wants to increase the supply of high quality, affordable childcare and early education. It wants to see providers striving to raise the quality of provision of early education and childcare for babies and young children, an inspection regime that responds with support and constructive challenge, and a clearer, simpler regulatory structure where more money reaches the frontline.
The proposals set out in More great childcare will help providers to thrive, by delivering more for the investment currently made by the Government and parents. This will be achieved through:
- raising the status and quality of the workforce;
- freeing high quality providers to offer more places;
- improving the regulatory regime; and
- giving more choice to parents.
The full report is available from the publications section.
Ministers are clear that this is the beginning of a programme of work, not the end. There will be opportunities for those in the sector to continue to have their say and to work with the Government including through:
- a consultation on staff:child ratios as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage; and
- a consultation on the Level 3 ‘full and relevant’ criteria which underpin the qualifications that those working in the sector need.
These consultations will go live in due course on the consultations section of this website.
