1998 EARLY YEARS DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SECTION A - INTRODUCTION
The Bristol Early Years Partnership and the Early Years Joint Sub Committee of the City Council agreed in October 1997 that work on the Section 19 Review required under the Children Act (1989) and on the Early Years Development Plan should be combined and a joint document produced. This document, approved by the Local Authority and endorsed by the Early Years Partnership, therefore represents both the Early Years Development Plan for Bristol (1998 - 2001) and the Day Care Review required under Section 19 of the Children Act (1989)
Structure of the Review and Development Plan
The Early Years Partnership at it meeting in October 1997 agreed the broad structure of the Review which is divided into the following sections: Background, the City Council=s Perspective, the Early Years Partnership, the Audit of Need and Provision, Quality and Inspection, Curriculum and the Role of the Qualified Teacher, Training and Staff Development, Family Support, Inclusion, Integration of Services, Information Services.
Each section is divided into three sections, Current Provision, Issues and Key Findings. At the end of the sections are the relevant sections of the Action Plan.
Most of the statistical data and other information is provided as Appendices or is indicated as being available on request.
In addition we have produced a separate Executive Summary/ Action Plan document which addresses directly the key areas to be addressed by Early Years Development Plans (with cross references to the main Review document).
Objectives of Bristol Early Years Development Plan and Review
This report will cover the areas required by DfEE guidance as listed below:
 | how a free good quality at least part-time early education place will be secured by September 1998 for each eligible four year old, whose parents want it, for the three terms before compulsory school age. Places should be reasonably accessible from where the children live; |
| an assessment of need and details of admission arrangements; |
| demonstration of partnership and co-operation across sectors: |
| a strategy for assessing and improving standards across all sectors; |
| details of the membership and operation of the Partnership; |
| the funding of providers; |
| how special educational needs will be identified and met; |
| the equal opportunity strategy; |
| the LEA=s policy for the education of three year olds and how the Partnership will help to develop that policy, with targets for provision from 1999 - 2000 onwards; and | ||||||||||
| how the Local Authority=s policy for
childcare can be integrated with education in a way which meets the needs of children and
their parents and how the Partnership will help to develop that policy. Integration might
be achieved through :
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Principles
The following principles informed the drawing up of the Plan:
| A commitment to ensuring equality issues are considered in all aspects of planning. Bristol City Council=s Integrated Equalities Policy offers an Equalities perspective. |
| The process of conducting the plan and review should be as open and accessible as possible. Information should be widely circulated and consultation should be built into the process. |
| Work should be undertaken in a spirit of partnership between agencies and participants; co-operation and initiatives between sectors will be encouraged. |
| The work undertaken should focus on the whole needs of children and families, i.e. social, health and educational, and promote an integrated approach. Services for children in need (as defined under the Children Act 1989) should be provided in non-stigmatising settings. |
| Proposed developments contained in the Plan should acknowledge current funding constraints and include strategies for generating/identifying funding where necessary. Plans may include an indication of timescale. |