Issue - meetings

This report seeks the Executive Member’s approval to consult widely with a range of stakeholders and settings providing Early Years Places to determine an updated admissions policy for Free Early Years places (including school nurseries) that ensures sufficiency of places whilst also meeting parents’ needs as effectively and efficiently as possible.

RESOLVED:            (i)            That consultation with parents and providers of Early

Years Free Entitlement be initiated using the agreed consultation document (Annex 2 of the report).

(ii)               That feedback from the consultation be presented to the Executive Member for consideration at the Decision Session in March 2010 to enable this to inform any proposed changes to the local guidance. 

REASON:      To enable the views of parents and providers of Early Years Free entitlement to inform any proposed changes to the local guidance.

The Executive Member considered a report that sought approval to consult widely with a range of stakeholders and settings providing Early Years Places including maintained and independent schools, private and voluntary providers (including Mother and Toddler groups), the Early Years and Extended Schools Partnership and parents.  The purpose of the consultation would be to determine an updated admissions policy for Free Early Years places (including school nurseries) that ensured sufficiency of places whilst also meeting parents’ needs as effectively and efficiently as possible.

The two areas of focus in updating the guidance were the need to include vulnerable children under the reference to “social need” and a review of the guidance whereby children were admitted from anywhere within the City of York council area.  The original intention of this part of the guidance had been to promote equality of access and to allow working parents to secure nursery provision close to their workplace.  However, the policy had in some cases meant that local children were unable to access local schools, including schools already attended by their siblings.

The Executive Member stressed the importance of ensuring that the guidance on Early Years Places Admissions did not conflict with the Primary Schools Admission Policy.  It was also important that the valued partnership between the maintained, private and voluntary sectors was maintained.

RESOLVED:            (i)            That consultation with parents and providers of Early

Years Free Entitlement be initiated using the agreed consultation document (Annex 2 of the report)¹.

(ii)               That feedback from the consultation be presented to the Executive Member for consideration at the Decision Session in March 2010 to enable this to inform any proposed changes to the local guidance². 

REASON:      To enable the views of parents and providers of Early Years Free entitlement to inform any proposed changes to the local guidance.