Unit 1- An introduction to working with Children

E1 AND E2
Voluntary, Statutory and Private settings are the Three different types of setting which provide care and education for children from birth to Sixteen. Voluntary settings are staffed by Volunteers and rely on most or all of their funding from donations made by the public and fund- raisers. These settings are usually Charitable Organisations and do not make any profit; spare income is used to make activities more exciting and educational for the children and their families.
Statutory settings are run by the Government and funds are raised by taxes paid by the public. These settings must be available for children to attend by law, which means that legislation has been passed requiring local authorities to open them. These settings include nursery schools, sure start centres and children's centres.
Private settings are settings which are run by companies or independently. These settings make profits from providing their services and are inspected regularly to ensure that the health and safety of children and their families are maintained and children are in a safe and friendly environment.
One such example of a Voluntary setting in my local area is Girlguiding, which is a Charitable Organisation and an operating name of The Guide Association; open to all girls and young women in the UK with a small weekly fee. This particular setting is supportive of and beneficial to children and their families because it gives girls and women a space where they can be themselves; meet new people and build friendships; gain valuable skills like communication which they will use in later life and make a positive difference and contribution to their lives and communities. The setting also helps members to build up their confidence, raise their aspirations and gives them an opportunity to discover their true potential.

An example of a Statutory setting in my local area is Sacriston Nursery and Infants School. This setting is run by the Government and legislation has been passed by the Government and local authorities to make the settings available to all children from age Three or Four to attend by law. This setting is funded by taxes paid by the public to the Government and by fees paid which allow children to have school dinners. This setting offers care and education to the children from Monday to Friday, with education at Sacriston Nursery school from Nine to Twelve o'clock and Nine to Three 'clock at Sacriston Infants school. The setting delivers the Early Years Curriculum as outlined by the Department of Education and are regulated by the Inspectorate of Education and Training. Both schools are staffed by a minimum of One qualified teacher or classroom assistant, providing a page 2 ratio of One member of staff to roughly Twelve or Thirteen children in each class.
This particular setting is supportive of and beneficial to children and their families by offering a Breakfast club every morning to all children attending either the Nursery or Infant school. This club is run by staff of Sacriston Nursery School, is free of charge and gives children who might not always be able to have breakfast at home the opportunity to have a healthy, filling Breakfast and also to play games such as indoor Rounders or Soft- Play equipment. This setting is also open to children after school hours from Three o'clock to Six o'clock every evening and offers hot dinners to children who may not be able to have dinner at home; perhaps if the parents of the children are at work.
This setting helps to support children and their families because the children have the opportunity to meet others and form friendships; they are educated for Five days a week by qualified staff who will also care for and safeguard each of the children.
Families of children who are attending either school also benefit because parents are reassured that they are placing their children in a safe, secure and