Unit 1 – An introduction to working with children.
There are many different of provisions for children, to make them more simple and easier to recognise they are put into 3 categories; Statutory, Voluntary and Private.
E1 –
Statutory: Statutory settings are free of charge to everyone; these settings have to be available by law. Legislations have been passed which makes local authorities or the government provide for them, they need to keep each setting running and support every child. For example if there is a child who is ‘in need’ they would pay for extra help or care; respite care or holiday/after school clubs.
An example of a statutory setting would be a: Primary School

Voluntary: Groups, charity or individuals get their funding from donations to create organisations for children. Staff provide a safe and caring environment and setting for the child. Most charities are given government grants but not every charity receives this. Depending on the services that the staff have provided they get free income. As these organisations are out-of-school provisions the staff need to provide a safe environment in which the children can relax and play.

An example for voluntary would be a: Youth wing

Private: A private service is independent which is run by an organisation or an individual. They run independently and do not rely on government funding. These are profit making services, they will be have an owner or run by a company. An example of could be a private school, most private schools choose not to follow the National curriculum because they do not receive any funding from the government. Private settings are available for to those parents or carers who can afford them, however some financial support is available through the government.
An example of a private service is: A child Minder

E2 –
Statutory:
A primary school follows the national curriculum which they have to include the following subjects; Maths, science, English, History, ICT, Art. They also provide non-compulsory subjects; Health education, religious studies and modern foreign languages. . Children start primary school at the age of 5, after leaving pre-school or a nursery, after primary school they then move up to high school and stay there till the age of 15. All these settings are also statutory settings. In a primary school children receive the first stage of compulsory education. To help the child’s progress and learning parents will receive information about their child through letters, parent and teacher meetings and report cards. This helps the parents know what stages their children are at and keeps them involved with their education. Teachers provide tests for the children – these tests help the teachers find their weaknesses and strengths. Once the teachers have an understanding of what stage the child is at, they can then support the child to achieve to their full ability. Being in school at a young age will help the child’s communication skills and social skills. Children will get the chance to be around different people which then they choose and create their friendship groups.

Voluntary:
Voluntary organisations create groups out of school, this helps the parents have time to work whilst knowing their children are in a safe environment. Youth wings, brownies and scouts also help the child’s social skills as they will be mixing with different people other than their school friendship groups. Creating a relaxed environment will help the child be at ease after a day at school. These services are set up to let the children have fun and learn in a more relaxed way out-of-school.

Private:
Child-minders are registered childcare professionals, who work in their own home learning environment. Child-minders must be registered with OFSTED before they can work with children. They provide education and care for the children. When you become a child minder you are offered the training through the National