www.pre-school.org.uk
Pre-school Learning Alliance
– Helping Schools, Helping Pre-schools
How the Pre-school Learning Alliance can help develop extended school
services:
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Who is the Pre-school Learning Alliance?
The Pre-school Learning Alliance is a leading educational charity
with expertise in providing early education and childcare to pre-school
children, and wraparound care to cater for older age groups.
We provide practical support
to over 15,000 early years settings and make a positive contribution to
the care and education of over 500,000 young children and their families
each year. We support and actively promote parental involvement in all
aspects of our work.
Our products and services
include specialist publications, directly-managed childcare provision,
information and advice, quality assurance, campaigning, research, training
and family programmes.
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Early years groups
The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the only national childcare organisation
to represent the full range of early years groups including parent and
toddlers, pre-schools and nurseries. These settings provide care and education
for children under school age, with an ethos grounded in children learning
through play and encouraging parental involvement. Early years groups
provide a wide range of services including wraparound care, foundation
stage education, family learning services, breakfast, lunch or after school
clubs and holiday play-schemes.
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The Extended Schools Initiative
Sections 27 and 28 of The Education Act 2002 gives schools the power to
set up and run a whole range of services and facilities for the benefit
of pupils, parents and the wider community. Although schools are currently
allowed to decide which services are most appropriate for them to offer,
all schools will be required to provide 8am-6pm childcare by 2010. With
a focus on caring for children and involving parents, early years groups
have the experience and the skills to play an important role in extended
schools.
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Consultancy for schools
There are various options available to a school wishing to add early education
and childcare to its extended services. The Pre-school Learning Alliance
has developed a tailored consultancy package to provide schools with support
and advice in establishing an early years service on site. This will be
particularly useful where there is a limited Alliance presence locally,
or where a school would like a more intensive level of support. We can
offer you help in developing a relationship with a local early years group
which suits your school’s individual needs.
The Extended Schools
Pack - NEW
This is now available to any school considering working with an early
years group. It consists of a folder containing an introductory leaflet
and five fact sheets on: |
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- Advice for Governors
- Early Years Terminology
- Establishing a Pre-school On Site
- Equipping Your Pre-school
- Marketing Your Pre-school
Plus a model lease and schools
membership form. Contact the Extended Schools team on 020 7833 0991 for
a free copy.
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Membership for schools
– NEW
The Pre-school Learning Alliance produces a range of advice, guidance
and publications that are designed to assist all early years provision.
Schools can take advantage
of a discounted membership rate of £40. Members are eligible for a 10%
discount on our consultancy services, as well as the following benefits:
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- Access to a specialist
early years information and advice helpline
- Ongoing support to deliver
high quality and professional early years services
- Practical guidance to
develop family learning programmes and out-of-school activities
- Specialist early years
business support services
- 20% discount on all Alliance
publications
- 25% discount on the Alliance
quality assurance scheme – Aiming for Quality
- Ten free issues of Under
Five magazine, plus free supplement magazines
- Access to specialist training
courses delivered by experienced tutors
- Generous discounts and
preferential booking for all Alliance national events and conferences
- Access to regional networks
for individual support
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Working with a charity
Many early years groups are registered as charities, are therefore eligible
to receive funding for either capital or revenue projects from sources
such as charitable trusts, which schools are often barred from applying
to. This status does not affect the school’s ability to draw down extended
schools funding for childcare from the local authority, or to use money
from the funding streams devolved directly to schools.
Involving parents
The Extended Schools Prospectus (DfES 2005) puts an important emphasis
on schools involving parents in all aspects of extended schools services,
including:
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- consulting over what extended
services are offered
- planning the activities
for children and young people
- identifying activities
for parents themselves
- helping run activities
- helping to evaluate and
feedback on activities.
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Most importantly, though, good parenting has been identified as the
most crucial factor in children’s achievement. By engaging with parents,
schools can expect to see significant benefits.
The Pre-school Learning
Alliance has always placed particular emphasis on engaging parents – in
the management of early years settings, in the education of their
children, and in their own learning. The earlier parents are encouraged to
participate in their child’s education the more likely that relationship
will be retained throughout the child’s learning. It is no coincidence
that parents who volunteer to play an active role in early years
education, are more likely to work with teachers to help their child; to
participate in school fundraising; or even become school governors
themselves as their children progress through the education system. Thus
an early years service can add value to the experience of parents,
children, the community and the school itself.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance Family Learning team can advise schools
further on how to maximise parental involvement within early years
services.
Publications
The Pre-school Learning Alliance produces a range of publications to
assist early years settings covering issues such as early years policies
and practice, curriculum and parental support.
For further information on the Pre-school Learning Alliance and extended
schools visit our website at
www.pre-school.org.uk/extendedschools or call the Extended Schools
team on 020 7833 0991.
www.pre-school.org.uk
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