Early Years The emerging vision for Government policy on 0-5s 1

Early Years is a priority Early Years has had attention at the highest levels of Government:  The Chancellor listed Early Years as a priority area for the Spending Review  The Deputy Prime Minister announced the expansion of the offer for the most disadvantaged 2 year olds as part of the fairness premium  The Ministerial Taskforce on Childhood and Families made discussions on Early Years one of its most immediate priorities  Early Years forms a key strand of the DfE Business Plan  LAs are key to delivering high quality early years provision

Child Development is the objective Ministers have been clear that the primary objective for the Government’s Early Years policy is to promote child development

A commitment to universal services The Spending Review re-affirmed the Government’s commitment to universal early years services  Funding to maintain a universal network of Sure Start Children’s Centres  Maintained a universal entitlement to 15 hours of free early education for all 3 and 4 year olds

Targeting support at the most disadvantaged  Refocusing Sure Start on the families in greatest need  Additional resource to extend the offer of free early learning to the 20% most disadvantaged 2 year olds and making this a statutory entitlement

High Quality Provision is essential  Evidence shows that only high quality provision makes a difference  Ministers remain committed to a graduate-led Early Years sector, well-qualified practitioners and a developing sense of professionalism  Ministers are clear that funded 2 year old places should continue to be in high quality settings as the offer becomes an entitlement

A new relationship with Government  Local Authorities empowered to make decisions in their local areas by: –Freeing up funding decisions through the Early Intervention Grant (EIG) –Ending central directives prescribing or prohibiting local practice –Removal of centrally imposed targets –Reducing guidance and simplifying accountability –Increasing transparency for local communities

Looking Forward  A short Early Years Policy Statement will be published in Spring 2011  Alongside the policy statement, there will be a series of materials, co-produced with people from the sector.  Early Intervention Grant funding starts from April 2011  Trialling Payment by Results during  Dame Clare Tickell’s review of EYFS reports Spring 2011  Graham Allen’s Early Intervention review full report by May 2011  Statutory entitlement for the most disadvantaged 2 year olds from September 2013, subject to Parliamentary approval

Questions/Issues  What do you foresee as the main implementation issues for EY work in the context of un-ringfenced budgets? How can we best make the case?  What should our priorities be for the EY sector?  What do you see as the key to getting useful sector input to the priority-setting process?  How might we most usefully define respective roles and contributions of the sector, central and local Government?