1. Graham Archer DCSF: Early Years Extended Schools and SEN Group 12 th May 2008 Childcare and Early Years Provision in a Diverse Market – The Government’s Approach

2. Our Vision Every Child Matters - each with the support they need in, and beyond, the family Transforming life chances, opportunities and outcomes - and building aspiration - for all Especially those whose backgrounds and personal circumstances might hold them back

3. Investing in the Early Years - the Foundation for Success Giving all children the best possible start in life - with particular benefits for most disadvantaged and vulnerable Helping parents balance work and family life with confidence Tackling child poverty and regenerating communities So we can: –Improve life chances –Set the foundations for future success; and –Allow children and families to break out of cycle of underachievement And childcare and study support for older, school age children helps realise and sustain potential and supports parents Critical to meeting five ECM outcomes - staying safe; being healthy; enjoying and achieving; achieving economic wellbeing; and making a positive contribution Research clear on positive payback

4. The Positive Payback (1) High quality early learning improves children’s development - esp those from disadvantaged backgrounds And effects last throughout primary school Authoritative EPPSE evidence: –At entry to primary school at 5, through to 7, and on to 10 –Benefits greatest for cognitive development, but positive impact for emotional and social development too –Also reduces risk of SEN from 1 in 3 at entry to pre-school to 1 in 5 by the time children start primary

5. The Positive Payback (2) Duration and Quality Matter –At primary school entry, developmental advantage of those who attended quality pre-school of 4-6 months over those who did not –Advantage rises to up to 10 months for those benefiting from highest quality provision for longest (3 yrs from age 2) –Advantages still visible at age 7 and 10 (better results in English and - more especially - maths) –Disadvantaged children gain particular benefit from a high quality pre-school experience –Gives them developmental boost, increasing chances of achieving minimum national standards at KS1 –And especially if they attended centres catering for mix of children from different social backgrounds

6. The Positive Payback (3) EPPSE found integrated centres (combining high quality education and care and health and family support) do best in promoting better outcomes Also, substantial international evidence (esp from USA - eg: Perry/High Scope) that intensive, integrated early childhood intervention programmes, supporting children and parents, substantially boost development of disadvantaged children They also show sustained employment, economic, behavioural and health benefits into adulthood

7. The Positive Payback (4) - Extended Schools And evidence on impact of extending services positive too Manchester and Newcastle Univs Evaluation of Full Service Extended Schools demonstrates benefits to children, young people, families and wider community Enhance pupil engagement with learning; family stability and life chances - and lower exclusion rates DCSF analysis of a sample of the schools found progress in them around twice national average 2005- 06 At KS4, % of pupils achieving 5+A-C grades at GCSE increased by over 5%, compared to a 2.5% increase in national average

8. Early Years a “New Frontier” Radically changed early years and childcare landscape over last decade Ten Year Childcare Strategy 2004 - permanent and mainstream services - huge leap forward for welfare state Strategy Action Plan 2006 - very ambitious delivery programme to transform children’s and parents’ lives Underpinned by landmark Childcare Act 2006 Universal children’s centres, nursery education and childcare New single integrated framework for learning and development 0 to 5 - Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) - from September 2008 Children’s Plan sets wider context and new proposals to take forward/extend ten year strategy

9. ECM in action, with delivery by and through: Integrated services working across professional boundaries A mixed market, drawing on expertise and commitment of all sectors Particular focus on disadvantaged/vulnerable Building on Sure Start principles Prevention and early intervention and better support to parents and families Local change driven by Children’s Trust partnerships

10. Children’s Plan Government’s long term vision to improve schools, and enhance support for parents and families, building on decade of reform and results Strengthened support for all families Next steps in achieving world class schools - in 21st century should be central to their communities Step-change in parental involvement in their child’s learning Ensuring children happy, healthy and safe from harm

11. The Children’s Plan : 5 principles Government does not bring up children – parents do All children have the potential to succeed Children need to enjoy their childhood Services need to be shaped by and responsive to children, young people and families, not designed around professional boundaries It is always better to prevent failure than tackle a crisis later

12. Children’s Plan – Early years £100m to extend free childcare places to 20,000 of the most disadvantaged two year olds Every child ready for success in school, with at least 90% of children developing well across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage profile by age 5 £117m invested in the early years’ workforce - for the Graduate Leader Fund and continuing professional development Review of the primary curriculum to examine transition from early years and issue of how to tackle the disadvantage experienced by Summer born children More advice, information and guidance to parents and families about their child’s development  Schools to work in partnership with other agencies. Children’s services increasingly based on school sites. Guidance to ensure schools are designed with other services co-located with them

13. LAs in the Driving Seat (1) Champions of their communities Key to translating our vision into lasting benefits for children, and more choices, opportunities and support for parents New responsibilities for LAs and health and Jobcentre Plus partners, outlined in the Childcare Act 2006: –Improving outcomes at 5, and narrowing gaps that emerge from an early age between lowest achieving groups and the rest (social class starts to affect attainment from 22 months) –Integrating early childhood services through universal network of Sure Start Children’s Centres

14. LAs in the Driving Seat (2) –Securing sufficient childcare for all those wanting to work or train, and free early education for 3 and 4 year olds (being extended to 15 hrs per week, and with more flexible delivery) –Giving comprehensive information to parents, and encouraging take-up of formal childcare, including the free element £4bn new investment through Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Grant to LAs 2008-11

15. Progress so far Over 2,900 Sure Start Children’s Centres, serving more than 1.5m children Free entitlement - 96% 3 year olds and almost all 4 year olds accessing it; extended to 38 wks from April 2006 1.29m registered childcare places, for 1 in 4 under 8s - growth targets met and provider closure rates in decline Over 10,000 schools (1 in 3 of the total) offering full range of extended services, including childcare and study support Ofsted confirms quality improving; and workforce increasingly qualified Major investment of over £21bn on early years and childcare since 1997 underlines our determination to improve life chances Sufficiency Assessments completed

16. But despite the progress and strong evidence base.. Variation in take-up of free offer and paid childcare by different groups Age 5 outcomes rising, but gaps not closing Children’s centres need more focus on, and success in, reaching most disadvantaged groups Too many children still living in poverty and in workless households

17. The Challenges Helping all children develop to their full potential, so all doing better by 5 Making services work for all families. Working in partnership and intervening early where necessary Increasing take-up by those who need them, and ensuring what offered really helps Particularly reaching disadvantaged and vulnerable children, so we narrow gap between them and their peers Improving outcomes and sustaining gains up the age range, so benefits last Maximising parents’ choices and opportunities Tough agenda - vital we all work effectively together. Turn enthusiasm and passion into results

18. How we meet the Challenges (1) Better information and understanding about where children are, and what they/families need Improving practice and performance - inc: more effectively joined up services Increasing understanding, commitment and knowledge throughout the delivery chain (DCSs’ engagement and support especially critical) Capturing, sharing and supporting good practice Additional resources for outreach and parenting support

19. How we meet the Challenges (2) Testing and trialling targeted initiatives, including: –Free early learning for disadvantaged 2 year olds (increased to 20,000 by Children’s Plan); –Free childcare for up to 50,000 workless parents undertaking training; and –Black and minority ethnic community pilot Easing transition from early years into primary school £265m subsidy so disadvantaged children benefit from extra sport, music and drama out of school hours. - part of £1.3bn funding boost to extended schools 2008-11 Well qualified, skilled and motivated workforce - eg: qualifications framework, graduate leadership Effective leadership and management and external challenge Telling the powerful story in way and language that better engages hearts and minds

20. The Essential Ingredients for Success Increased intelligence on take up, demand, and barriers to delivery and accessibility Deploying evidence more smartly to make the policy case Gaining a deeper understanding of our audience Working with, and using stakeholders, more effectively Using the language of parents and providers Focusing the whole system and all its players on the same objectives and outcomes

21. Securing Sufficiency New Local Authority duty “So far as is reasonably practicable” Partnership working Particular focus on lower income families and children with a disability Sufficiency in terms of timing, location, accessibility, affordability, quality, appropriateness. Led by parents demand.

22. Impact on Providers Assessments support understanding of market Leads to more coherent commissioning LA has duty to support with provision of information, advice and assistance Opportunities to influence the process Private and voluntary sector the providers of first resort

23. Increasing Childcare Take Up Take up least amongst lower income families, children with a disability and some minority ethnic families Language we use around childcare resonates least with lower income families Disadvantaged children most likely to benefit from longer early years provision and probably greater benefits from out of school activities for older children Settings in disadvantaged areas most likely to have sustainability issues

24. Increasing Childcare Take Up Action to increase take up –Affordable Childcare Campaign – including increasing take up of the Working tax Credit –Influencing the Sector and positioning childcare within the wider child poverty agenda; –Improving outreach, information and advice to parents – parents as champions of childcare –Improving availability of childcare for the over 5’s –Focusing on needs of bme families and families with a disabled child –Increasing affordability of childcare

25. Improving quality EYFS – setting the standards OfSTED registration and inspection Workforce development: graduate leadership, Level 3 as standard for group care, CPD LA oversight of quality improvement National QI Network – sharing best practice

26. Affordability Sufficiency Duty focus on affordable provision Universal provision for three and four year olds and pilot provision for two year olds Working Tax Credit Childcare for parents training for work London Childcare Affordability Programme

27. Diversity in the Childcare Market Diverse market essential to sufficiency Private and voluntary providers often most likely to deliver more flexibly But quality sometimes variable Increasing number of partnerships across sectors

28. Sustainability Childcare Places have doubled since 1997 Occupancy low in some nurseries Closure rates still below those in small businesses as a whole But concerns amongst providers about sustainability:

29. Action to Increase Sustainability National Government –Sufficiency Duty and Associated Funding –Reform of Free Entitlement Funding –Action to increase take up Local Government –Market Management –Partnerships with providers and referral agencies –Family Information Services Providers –Work in partnership with LAs –Look hard at own marketing and business management –Look to increase occupancy by improving take up from lower income families

30. Conclusions Genuine transformation in the childcare and early years sector underway – sufficiency, take up sustainability and integration of services Strong progress – but some problems remain Diverse market the only game in town – rightly so, it’s a strength Priority is to deliver what families need – but need to keep an eye to what the sector can deliver