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|  Maintained Nursery School ProjectMaintained nursery schools have a central role to play in the ongoing evolution of high quality, integrated children's services. Not only do maintained nursery schools have extensive experience and understanding of child development, curriculum, planning, pedagogy, formative assessment and evaluation in teaching and learning, they also play a significant leadership role in promoting and advancing effective practice in early learning and care.There is a consistent and growing body of evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of maintained nursery school provision and good outcomes for children. Early Education was supported with a grant from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to investigate the current position of local authority maintained nursery schools and how they are presently deployed within their authorities. The Nursery Schools Now project set out to describe the role of nursery schools in · the development of effective practice in early childhood education and care; · the influence that they already have on the professional development of nursery practitioners and how this might be extended in the interests of all children and families and the wider Children's Services Agenda. The Nursery Schools Now report, published in May 2009 identifies how maintained nursery schools could do more to promote their successful practice and be part of the effective local and national strategies to improve outcomes throughout all early years services. The report makes the following recommendations: · That local authorities engage their maintained nursery schools in the course of their strategic planning, to ensure that the resource, knowledge and expertise contained within maintained nursery schools is fully utilised in the context of a progressive partnership across the local authority area. · Where 'informal' relationships between local authorities and maintained nursery schools exist, these are formalised and their value is at the very least recognised, and where appropriate, recompensed. · That local authorities work in partnership with maintained nursery schools to explore the potential in developing full service level agreements (SLA) as a potential model to ensure sustainable funding for maintained nursery schools in the future. · That maintained nursery schools are fully engaged as key partners, to help fulfil the government objective to see everyone working in the early years sector achieve a full and relevant qualification of at least level three. · Government and local authorities must capture and engage the demonstrable enthusiasm of maintained nursery schools to work in partnership with them. · Government is encouraged to ensure that maintained nursery schools are at the heart of any future buddying programme so that they capitalise on and benefit from, the networks and showcases of best practice that are already in existence. · Nursery school headteachers and their senior staff have a track record in and are best placed to model effective leadership. It is vital that the quality improvement agenda is centred around maintained nursery schools. To download a full copy of the report click on the PDF symbol. |
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