Another conference...look at the agenda !
I will be attending the 3rd conference in the space of 7 days to pick up more info on childcare reforms..
This one is organized by the Westminster Forum and chaired by Sharon Hodgson (I hope I get a chance to ask about agencies)
Take a look at the agenda...seems all aspects of MGC are to be discussed and do not miss the section at 10.20...does it point to 'DEREGULATION'?
The tone of the agenda is all about 'HOW can the govt' (don't they know?)... Glad to see pacey will be there...I feel a million questions coming on
Westminster Education Forum Keynote Seminar: The future for Early Years and childcare
Timing: Morning, Thursday, 13th June 2013
Venue: Banqueting Hall, Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London SE1 9DD
Draft agenda subject to change
8.30 ‐ 9.00 Registration and coffee
9.00 ‐ 9.05 Chairman’s opening remarks
Sharon Hodgson MP, Shadow Minister for Children and Families
9.05 ‐ 9.30 Delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ‐ examples of best practice
Linda McLarty HMI, Ofsted
Questions and comments from the floor
9.30 ‐ 10.20 Quality of Early Years provision ‐ the regulatory system and the impact of the first year of the new EYFS
Have the reformed EYFS and subsequent new Ofsted inspection framework significantly reduced bureaucracy for Early Years practitioners as intended? Have initial Ofsted inspections shown the new EYFS to have had a discernable impact on the quality of provision?
Following its first academic year in place, how well does the new EYFS prepare children for the transition to primary
education? Should private sector providers be able to opt‐out of the EYFS, as has been allowed since November 2012? What will be the likely impact of the removal of the requirement for local authorities to regulate Early Years settings, and how will the new Ofsted framework measure quality of provision? Will the use of HMIs in Early Years improve the quality and consistency of Early Years inspections?
What steps can Government, Ofsted and the sector take to tackle regional disparities in quality of Early Years provision ‐
particularly poor quality provision in areas of social deprivation? How can Sure Start Centres effectively identify and target the families most in need, as required by Government?
Dr Jane O’Brien, Director, Children and Young People’s Team, Nat Cen Social Research
Dr Martin Bradley, National Chairman, Montessori Schools Association and Lead Early Years Inspector, School
Inspection Service
Corinna Marvin, Nursery Manager, Cedars Neighbourhood Nursery, Sure Start Children’s Centre, Exeter, managed by
Action for Children
Caroline Sharp, Research Director, National Foundation for Educational Research
Headteacher, primary school
Questions and comments from the floor
10.20 ‐ 11.10 Reforming the childcare profession
Will the introduction of Early Years Teacher status and Early Years Educators help raise the profile of the Early Years profession? What components should new Level 3 Early Years qualifications ‐ leading to Early Years Educator status ‐ include? Will the requirement for all entrants to the profession to have achieved at least C in GCSE English and Maths have an impact on recruitment?
How can more men be encouraged to enter the Early Years profession? Will the proposed Teach First scheme for the EYFS succeed in encouraging top graduates into the sector?
Are childminder agencies likely to be a popular choice for currently independent childminders, and what
steps will Government ‐ local and national ‐ need to take to support their successful implementation? Beyond the proposed deregulatory steps regarding Ofsted registration, what could Government do to encourage more schools to provide nursery services?
Professor Denise Hevey, Professor in Early Years, University of Northampton
Claire Schofield, Director, Membership, Policy and Communications, National Day Nurseries Association
Liz Bayram, Joint Chief Executive, PACEY (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years)
Ben Thomas, National Officer, Education and Children Services Group, UNISON
Claire Nuttall, Headteacher, Henry Fawcett Primary School and Children’s Centre, Lambeth
Questions and comments from the floor
11.10 ‐ 11.15 Chairman’s closing remarks
Sharon Hodgson MP, Shadow Minister for Children and Families
11.15 ‐ 11.35 Coffee
11.35 ‐ 11.40 Chairman’s opening remarks
Jessica Lee MP, Vice‐Chair, All‐Party Parliamentary Group for Children
11.40 ‐ 12.00 Tax‐free childcare
Matt Ray, Senior Policy Advisor, HM Treasury
Questions and comments from the floor
12.00 ‐ 12.55 Funding for childcare and Early Years
Perspectives on Government’s childcare funding measures that will allow tax‐paying, working families to reclaim 20% of childcare
costs when spending up to £6,000 per year. What will be the relative impact of these measures on low and middle earning families?
Are the proposals likely to lead to an increase in parents seeking employment? What are the implications of the Westminster Government’s funding proposals for the delivery of childcare in the devolved administrations of the UK?
What alternative funding models or reforms could the Government adopt to reduce the cost of childcare? What can be learned from the childcare funding arrangements of other developed nations?
Would changes to the child‐to‐adult ratios in Early Years help reduce costs? What will be
the likely cost implications of higher qualification requirements for Early Years practitioners? Are childminder agencies likely to lead to more affordable childcare?
What role could Sure Start centres play in reducing childcare costs, and what has been the impact of
removing the ring fence for Sure Start Centres as part of a wider Early Intervention Grant? How effectively is the extension of free early education for disadvantaged two‐year‐olds being delivered?
Danish Ambassador HE Ms Anne Hedensted Steffensen
Anand Shukla, Chief Executive, Family & Childcare Trust
Jo Dalby, Finance Director, Busy Bees Benefits
Kathy Gyngell, Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Studies
Alex Hurrell, Senior Analyst, Resolution Foundation
Marcella McHugh, Head of EYFS & Childcare, Early Intervention and Targeted Children and Young People’s Service,
London Borough of Lambeth
Questions and comments from the floor
12.55 ‐ 13.00 Chairman’s and Westminster Education Forum closing remarks
Jessica Lee MP, Vice‐Chair, All‐Party Parliamentary Group for Children
Jonny Roberts, Senior Producer, Westminster Education Forum
