AQW 3809/10

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 12/01/2010
Answered On Date: 21/01/2010
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for her Department's assessment of the key differences between pre-school provision in a statutory nursery setting and that provided in voluntary and private settings.

Answer:

Cé go bhfuil roinnt difríochtaí idir soláthróirí deonacha/ príobháideacha réamhscoile ó thaobh soláthair de, ba chóir a thabhairt faoi deara go roineann gach soláthar an curaclam céanna, atá ullmhaithe ag an Chomhairle Churaclaim, Scrúduithe agus Mheasúnachta, agus go bhfuil siad go léir oscailte le haghaidh cigireachta ag an Chigireacht Oideachais agus Oiliúna.

While there are a number of differences in provision between statutory and voluntary/private pre-school providers it should be noted that all providers share a common curriculum, prepared by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, and all are open to inspection by the Education and Training Inspectorate.

Key differences between the different types of providers are:

All voluntary/private providers must be registered and inspected by the relevant Health and Social Care Trust under the Children’s (N I) Order 1995. This leads to differences in terms of staff:child ratios:

1:8 in voluntary/private settings; 1:13 in statutory settings, staffed by qualified teachers;

In voluntary/private settings all staff must be qualified to at least NVQ level 2, or equivalent, while leaders must have NVQ level 3 or equivalent. In statutory settings staff should comprise a qualified teacher and qualified nursery assistant;

Under legislation the statutory sector can admit children who have attained the age of 2 and those under the statutory school starting age. Voluntary/private providers are funded only for those children in their immediate pre-school year;

The funding of voluntary/private sector places was introduced in 1998 under the Pre-School Education Expansion Programme. The offer is for a free part-time place, for 2.5 hours per day for 38 weeks per year. In the statutory sector provision can be full-time or part-time;

Pupils in nursery schools and classes are funded under the Local Management of Schools arrangements. Funding is provided under a Common Funding Formula and the level of funding is determined mainly by pupil numbers at each school. Additional financial support is also available through a range of other funding factors. Voluntary and Private sector providers are funded by direct grant, payable by the relevant Education and Library Board in instalments each year, at a flat rate per child, and which is reviewed annually.;

In terms of accommodation, statutory nursery schools and classes are required to meet the Department’s standards in respect of accommodation for nursery and primary school provision, while Voluntary and Private sector providers are required to conform to the standards set out in the Children (N I) Order 1995 Regulations and Guidance on Family Support, Childminding and Day Care.