1998 Early Years Development Plan
SECTION F - QUALITY AND INSPECTION
Quality has been and will continue to be at the heart of Bristol=s policy for early years. We will continue to work with all providers to develop a network of high quality provision serving the needs of children and their families in the City. All registered providers must be committed towards working towards SCAA=s Desirable Learning Outcomes as a minimum.
The Bristol Standard for Early Years
A key component of quality for under fives in Bristol is the Bristol Standard for Early Years. This is a self evaluative framework based on the ten dimensions of quality from the AEffective Early Learning@ national project.
 | The Standard can be used by any setting in which there are children under five. Those providers who choose to take part are signing up to a process of continuous evaluation and improvement based on an annual cycle of reflection, evaluation and planning and are Avalidated@ by a multi-agency group. Once validated, the setting receives a certificate which is valid for one year and shows the main areas for development for the coming year. |
| As part of the integration of early years provision in Bristol, the work on the Bristol Standard was done by early years officers from the voluntary and private sectors as well as Education and Social Services. |
| For the first time, all providers i.e. childminders, pre-school workers, nursery workers in private and voluntary establishment and creche workers as well as local authority workers can commit themselves to the same process of self improvement. |
Hartcliffe Early Years Centre
A bid has been re-submitted for Hartcliffe Early Year Centre to be recognised as an Early Excellence Centre. This is the first model in Bristol of fully integrated provision and the role of the Centre will develop as a training centre, a focus for the networks of Early Years providers and for the dissemination of good practice.
Inspection Arrangements
A OFSTED
i) Section 10 inspections (1996 Act) : mainstream primary schools, including reception classes and nursery classes and nursery schools.
ii) Section 5 inspections (1996 Act) : private nurseries, pre-schools, playgroups and voluntary providers in receipt of funding for four year olds. (Every 1 - 2 or 2 - 4 years).
B Social Services Inspection and Registration Unit
Responsibility for registration and inspection of all group care settings lies with the Inspection Unit, these tasks for childminders are undertaken by social workers in Under 8s Teams. Both sections aim to identify strengths and weaknesses of settings to facilitate future development and are starting to explore feedback from parents/users.
Children Act 1989: registration and inspection of private nurseries, pre-schools, creches, family centres, after school schemes, holiday play schemes, children=s homes (annually).
Independent boarding schools (every 4 years).
Under 8s Workers : registration and inspection of all childminders according to the Children Act 1989.
C Environmental Health
Inspect all provision which prepares food.
D Health & Safety
Inspect all provision.
School PE equipment is inspected by LEA.
E Fire Officer
Inspect all provision except child minders.
F Voluntary Sector
eg. BAND, OSCA, Bristol Holiday Play Scheme, inspect and support out of school schemes and playwork schemes during first year.
G Pre-School Learning Alliance
Inspect member pre-schools.
H Bristol Equalities and Community Development
Inspect some community play schemes which they support financially.
Access to Inspection Reports
OFSTED: Available on Internet and in libraries.
Inspection and Registration Unit: In Central library and with individual providers.
Other reports received by individual providers.
Requirement to produce post-inspection action plans
At the present time advice and support is available to all LEA settings from the curriculum advisers within the Achievement Division of the Education Directorate and to all Social Services registered providers from the Registration and Inspection Team. This includes assistance for providers who are the subject of a failed Nursery inspection who are due to be re-inspected.
Similar advice and support would be available for private providers through the Private Schools and Day Nurseries Association and for playgroups through the Pre-School Learning Alliance.
With respect to private and voluntary providers who have failed to produce an action plan following their inspection, the local authority will consider, in the first instance, whether additional support can be provided either by the local authority or by the relevant association. If an action plan is still not produced after accessing all available support, the local authority will contact the provider by telephone and in writing warning of the possibility of removing the provider from the Early Years Development Plan. If an action plan is still not produced then the provider will be removed from the plan and written notification will be sent to all parents receiving grant with that provider.
The provider will be able to apply to rejoin the list of providers registered under the Development Plan once an appropriate action plan has been produced and accepted.
Issues
A Requirement to involve a qualified teacher (Early Years specialist) in all Early Years settings.
 | there may be few teachers available with appropriate early years training. |
| cost implication of providing such training. |
| could question the appropriateness of Ateaching@ and of a Acurriculum@ in the education sense for very young children and in some out of school settings eg. play schemes and after school provision. |
| significant cost implication for all provision in buying in the services of qualified teachers. |
| unclear definition of Aqualified@ eg. staff in Montessori schools and other establishments with particular aims and ethos may not be recognised as Aqualified@. |
| concern that teacher training students may not want placements in pre-schools due to concern regarding status. |
B OFSTED / Children Act Inspections
| some duplication in areas inspected. |
| some settings find OFSTED Anon-negotiable@ style frustrating. |
| some providers find two inspections excessive. |
| some providers welcome two inspections because of the differing styles. |
C Conflict between other Inspections
| sometimes the Health and Safety, fire officer and Children Act requirements conflict eg. doors propped open / left closed. |
KEY FINDINGS:
| Quality has been and will continue to be at the heart of early years services in Bristol. |
| Variety of inspection systems currently existing can give conflicting messages, put settings under excessive pressure, and are not necessarily using the same framework for inspection. |
| Bristol Standard recognised as sound baseline but now needs to be further developed and taken forward with all settings. |
| Existing variety of staffing ratio requirements and space requirements present providers and users with unclear information. |
Forward A:Introduction B:Background C:Early Years in Bristol D:The Partnership & Consultation E:Audit of Need & Provision F: Quality & Inspection G: Curriculum & role of Qualified Teachers H: Training & Staff Development I: Family Support/ Parent Involvement & Under 3's J: SEN K: Integration L: Affordable Childcare M: Information Services Conclusions Annexes Executive Summary/Action Plan Supplementary Info