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Posts Tagged ‘DCSF’

EYP National Committee Roundup

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Aspect’s EYP National Committee – who lead, steer, supervise and drive our EYP work – meet regularly to ensure we are on track and to think about next steps.

Our latest meeting was held recently in London. As well as the formal committee (all EYP members of course), John Chowcat (Aspect’s General Secretary), Helen Willis (Aspect Regional Officer) and Roger Kline (Aspect consultant) were all present to ensure the committee received a full report of relevant activity as well as an update on wider Aspect strategies and plans.

Full notes will be circulated shortly to all Aspect EYP members. (If you are a member and don’t receive yours in the next week do get in touch and let us know as it may be we don’t know you are an EYP, or have outdated details for you.)

In brief: discussions covered the national position including the general election, current issues such as the GLF, SFF, and issues such as the lack of access some EYPs have to DCSF guidance and documentation. It was agreed that we would write to each of the main parties regarding their policies on the key questions for EYPs.

The committee also spent some time  improving its own structure. It was agreed that all Aspect’s EYP members would be sent details of the committee and invited to express any interest in being involved. As we are now growing rapidly the importance of the committee remaining representative and accessible to all members was recognised to be particularly important.

  • Already a member? – Watch out for more details of the various strands of work over the next few weeks.
  • Not yet a member? – Become part of the “the gang” and add your voice to those campaigning for EYPs, EYPs students and for quality across early years by joining Aspect today.

DCSF “Next Steps” still fragile one year on

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

One year on from the DCSF’s “Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare”, there has been considerable progress, with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in particular now forming a key part of the landscape.

However there is also much that is fragile. The postponed implementation of the Early Years Single Funding Formula demonstrates how much misunderstanding remains about how this compex sector really operates. The recent turnaround regarding childcare vouchers is to be welcomed – but the slower progress towards free places for two-year-olds is not.

Recruitment onto the latest Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) pathways has been very promising. Yet significant evidence has emerged in the last year of problems with retention, especially in the PVI sector. The case for introducing proper pay arrangments, and clear career paths remains strong, as demonstrated by the several hundred signatories who have signed the petition on the Prime Ministers’ website (http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/eyppayscales/).

Fundamentally, the problem remains that early years is chronically underfunded, and remains a cinderella sector. The Daycare Trust research published recently reminds us all of the benefits of graduate leadership, as well as demonstrating the shortfall in funding across the sector. As a society, we are letting down our youngest children.

The evidence is clear: high quality early years education and care not only changes the lives of individual children and families, it also offers a clear return on investment higher than almost any other public expenditure.

At a time of ongoing economic crisis, this is one sector where the government – whatever colour it may be by mid-2010 – must invest far more substantially.

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