Archived decisions

Contact: John Wilkinson, Assistant County Education Officer, Life Long Learning, 01962 846460 Carolyn Poulter, Acting Head of Corporate Unit, Early Education & Childcare Unit, 01962 845216

1 Summary

1.1 Approval is sought from Hampshire County Council for the Early Years Development & Childcare Implementation Plan 2002 - 2003.

1.2 It is the second of three annual Implementation Plans within a strategic cycle. Members of the Partnership, including linked members of the County Council, have received copies of this Plan which was approved at their quarterly meeting on 18 January 2002.

1.3 This paper summarises the key issues and full copies of the Plans are available in the Members Room and a copy of the Implementation Plan 2002 - 2003 is attached. This now requires the approval and endorsement of the County Council prior to submission to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) by 1 February 2002. Submission by this time should ensure approval by the DfES and the release of funding by 1 April 2002.

2 Background

2.1 The Implementation Plan 2002 - 2003 has been developed by the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership with the support of officers in the Early Education & Childcare Unit, over a period of months. It builds upon the Strategic Plan for 2001 - 2004 and the Implementation Plan for 2001-2002, which were approved by the County Council and the DfES in 2001.

2.2 The Implementation Plan 2002 - 2003 is divided into five sections and has 29 targets. Each reflects national targets which are translated into local ones with specific business objectives. There is built-in evaluation for work conducted in 2001-2002, with new objectives and specific targets for 2002-2003. This has required the collection and analysis of significant amounts of new data within an on going audit.

2.3 Each year the demands upon Early Years Development & Childcare Partnerships increase, with the requirements for managing more projects and devolving increasing funds which have become more complex. The Plan works to detailed guidance and a specific formula laid down by the DfES for its submission and its monitoring.

3 Key issues including financial aspects

3.1 Successful approval for the Plan will draw in over £2 million of General Childcare Grant. Some elements of this grant are linked to specific targets such as meeting special educational needs (SEN) in young children, the wider training of practitioners and the development of the Children's Information Service. The general grant gives further support to help create new childcare and early education places and to sustain existing ones in difficulty. Some is used to enable partner organisations to support the growth and quality development of provision. Some is used for staffing support in the Early Education & Childcare Unit. The draft bid adds up to the same total as the DfES indicative allocation, although the various elements differ; this is permissible under the DfES rules.

3.2 Other grants are specifically linked to the Plan, but come through separate routes.

· Some £4.7 million within the Education SSA goes to support a free place for four year olds in the non-maintained sector. This coming year almost £10.7 million in grant aid will be available to fund a free place for many three year olds, thus enabling all children to have a funded pre-school nursery place for a year before they start school, should their parents wish. The amount and pattern of allocation is subject to Partnership decision on the basis of the existing forward planning.

· Separate approved plans and bids to the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) have resulted in the availability of £1.3 million to support the development of Neighbourhood Nurseries, and a further £1.6 million of NOF money has been made available through a successful County consortium bid with partners.

· Access has also been approved for £619,000 from the European Social Fund for recruitment and training in childcare/early education areas for out-of-school childcare.

· Further DfES grants are levelled at Early Years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator training (£90,000) and Foundation Stage training across sectors (£720,000), whilst the Standards Fund (£350,000, subject to County Council approval) will further support early education training and the links between schools and pre-schools.

3.3 The County Council currently provides core funding for the Early Education & Childcare Unit, (£514,300); core support for early years centres, commissioned early years services and grants to voluntary organisations (£812,000). County Council approval is pending regarding funding to support the appointment of early years advisory teachers and area special needs co-ordinators as specified in the plan and through national guidance (£232,000) in 2002/003.Recommendations

1 That the Early Years Development & Childcare Implementation Plan 2002 - 2003 be adopted.

Clrr D G Allen

Executive Member for Education

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B The list excludes:

1 Published works

2 Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Early Years Development and Childcare Plan 2001 - 2004, Strategic Plan, Hampshire County Council/Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership, 2001

Early Years Development and Childcare Plan, Implementation Plan 2001 - 2002, Hampshire County Council/Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership, 2001

Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership Implementation Planning Guidance 2002 - 2003, Audit Guidance 2001 - 2002, DfES, 2001