1a. Summarise entitlement and provision for early year’s education.
Local authorities receive government funding to guarantee all 3 and 4 year olds in England get up to 2 years of free early years education prior to reaching school age, they are entitles to up to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year. This is part of the Every Child Matters agenda and the Childcare Act (2006). Although parents are not required to contribute to this, any additional hours will be chargeable.
Early year’s provision in school is about supporting very young children. Play has been shown to be an important instrument for children’s early learning rather than formal education, therefore early years education is the concept of learning through play.
In England the foundation curriculum is used in school nurseries and reception classes as it runs from ages 3-5 years. One standard framework for learning, development and care for all children from birth to the end of the reception year, is set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (this was revised in Sep 2012).
1b. Explain the characteristics of the different types of schools in relation to educational stage(s) and school governance.
Local authorities fund four main types of mainstream state schools, also called maintained schools, and they all have to follow the National Curriculum. They are as follows:
Community Schools – Run and owned by the local authority who determine the admissions policy and support the school through looking to develop links with the local community by providing support services. The school facilities are used by local group’s i.e. childcare classes or adult education.
Foundation & Trust Schools – Run by their own governing body who determine the admissions policy although the local education authority also consults. The land and buildings are usually owned by the governing body or a charitable foundation. Trust schools form a charitable trust with an outside partner, for example, businesses. Support services have to be bought in and the decision to become a trust will be made by the governing body and parents.
Voluntary Schools (aided & controlled) – Voluntary-aided schools are mainly religious or faith schools that are run and funded by their own governing body, along with charities and the local education authority who provide support services. The land and buildings are usually owned by a religious organisation or charity. Voluntary-controlled