Issue - meetings

Sue Tipler (Head of Standards and Achievement) and John Green (Strategic Leader, EYFS) introduced the report, highlighting the following key points:

·         The recommendations for increased flexibility in provision has started to happen, with more providers looking to meet parents’ needs.

·         There has been an increase in the number of childminders offering the free 2 year old provision and there has been work carried to help the development of childminders.

In response to questions from the Committee, Frankie Sulke (Executive Director for Children & Young People), Sue Tipler and John Green provided the following information:

·         Work has been carried out to make sure that parents know they are eligible for the free 2 year old childcare offer. Those eligible are those that would be eligible for the Pupil Premium and the information on this is provided by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

·         Lewisham did receive a letter from the minister saying that take-up for the 2 year old offer was low, but the numbers cited were incorrect. However work was carried out around this and the number of parents up the offer should now improve. In Autumn 2014 there were 1174 eligible for the 2 year old offer and 832 had accessed it.

·         There will be a funding change, so that funding will only come for those that take up the 2 year old offer, not as previously for all those eligible. This will mean a cut in funding. The extra money in the DSG had been supplementing a high needs overspend, so the change will create some cost pressures.

·         Children’s Centres can publicise the 2 year old offer and encourage take up, but only so many will want childcare and some parents are happy to look after their children with no other childcare.

·         Those children that take part in some sort of EYFS activity do better than those that do not, but those taking part in activity at school based nurseries do not have better outcomes than those at private, voluntary or independent nurseries. The bbest outcomes are for those that have 6 or more contacts with Children’s Centres.

·         The number of childminders that provide the free 2 year old offer has increased, though these are not necessarily new childminders and are likely to just be new to providing the 2 year old offer.

·         In Lewisham 9% of childminders are rated as Outstanding (against 10% nationally) and 57% are Good (against 66% nationally).

·         EYFS officers have been offering training around SEN for childminders to promote take-up of children with SEN. Shared training has been offered for nurseries, but this can be difficult as PVIs are competitors so not always keen on sharing training.

·         Clyde Nursery School has been a forerunner on integrating 2 year olds and their model is being shared.