Early learning and childcare trials discussion paper: analysis of responses

Analysis of responses to a discussion on establishing delivery model trials to support expanding the early learning and childcare provision.


ANNEX 3: Examples of Innovative Practice ( Question 6)

Examples of Innovative Practice within ELC Provision

Topic Initiative name Location Theme Description Reference
Providing flexibility "Stretched funding" models Various Supporting parents Spreading the allocated funding per child over a greater number of weeks ( e.g. 52 weeks) to provide out of term time provision but also to enable parents to budget and not be faced with higher out of term time costs. Jaybees (Childcare) Ltd
Busy Bees Nursery Inverness
National Day Nurseries Association
Individual
Providing flexibility Altered hours for ELC settings Orkney Islands Supporting parents Instead of a 3 hours 10 min model in full time settings, Orkney Islands adopted different models of ELC provision and allowed parents flexibility to align with parents' needs. Orkney Islands Council
Providing flexibility Learning from primary school flexible hours models Highland Council Supporting parents Trialling flexibility models in 4 primary schools in Highland, 2 large schools offering 8-6pm provision, 1 offering 9-3pm using a 1:8 staff child ratio and a 4 th offering an early level class. View to transferring knowledge from these to ELC settings. Highland Council
Increasing parent choice Gloucestershire Model Gloucestershire Supporting parents Parents are given ELC funding and enabled to choose how they spend this within accredited settings. Individual
Increasing parent choice Childminders delivering ELC West Lothian Enabling ELC in home setting Use of childminders to deliver 600 hours of ELC. Scottish Childminding Association
Increasing parent choice Play and Care
Stepping Stones for Families
Ayrshire
Glasgow
Enabling ELC in home setting High quality childcare in own home which is particularly beneficial where there are additional support needs or parents work various inconsistent hours ( e.g. shifts). Stepping Stones for Families
Workforce Opening Doors Inverness, Ross-Shire and Sutherland Increasing the skilled workforce Flexible student-centred approach to mentoring potential childcare workers involving group learning days and one-to-one mentoring. Care and Learning Alliance
Workforce Childhood Practice Award National Increasing the skilled workforce SSSC working in partnership with Education Scotland and other stakeholders to support a programme of enhanced learning in the sector. The Childhood Practice award and the virtual nursery are examples of innovative delivery and approaches to supporting learning. Scottish Social Services Council
Partnership with parents "Blether bags" A nursery - not identified Supporting families Many of the children and the families using the service do not have English as their first language. These families are supported through the use of topic resource bags ("blether bags"). Older children in the school were encouraged to record the names of the items in the bags in both English and Polish. The bags can be taken home by nursery children and explored with parents. Parents were very much involved in learning and feel part of the nursery and school community. Care Inspectorate
Partnership with parents Families and Schools Together ( FAST) UK wide Supporting families Programme run in the UK by Save the Children for parents of early primary age children. Designed to improve parents' confidence, their relationship with their child and their engagement with their child's education. This may provide a model for the early years' sector. Save the Children
Data bank "My World Outdoors"
http://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/my-world-outdoors
International Sharing innovative practice Publication with examples of innovative and excellent practice supporting national guidance and Scotland's Play Strategy. Care Inspectorate
Data bank Childcare Commission resources International Sharing innovative practice Childcare Commission's range of sources of international evidence. Children in Scotland
Use of expressive arts Pen Green Children's Centre and Research Base - http://www.pengreen.co.uk
Thomas Coram Centre
http://www.thomascoram.camden.sch.uk/#
Reflections Nursery
http://www.reflectionsnurseries.co.uk/light- everywhere/4577814764
National Creative experience for children ELC that uses arts and creativity at the heart of service delivery. Starcatchers
Use of expressive arts The Playground
http://www.starcatchers.org.uk/sites/default/files/The Playground report WEB.pdf
2 settings in South Lanarkshire and 1 setting in East Renfrewshire Creative experience for children Residency based projects delivered by Starcatchers which places artists in childcare settings for extended periods of time to support outcomes based on a consistency of contact between children, staff, parents and the artists involved. Starcatchers
Child centred Montessori approach National Child development Holistic approach to child development National Day Nurseries Association
Partnership working between organisations Pen Green
www.pengreen.org
Corby in Peterborough Multi-agency approach Internationally acclaimed 'centre of excellence'. As well as being an integrated children's centre offering families a multi-agency co-located service Pen Green also has as Research and Training Centre located alongside the Children's Centre. Pen Green promotes a strong community development ethos, at least 50% of the workforce are local parents who they have supported to become fully qualified Early Years Practitioners. Midlothian Council and Midlothian Sure Start
ADES Early Years' Network

Contact

Back to top