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WQ.283/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 2nd JULY 2019
Question
Will the Minister advise –
- what processes her department follows to inspect or monitor the quality of service that each nursery provides (both States and private nurseries); and
- whether any such processes involve comparing staffing ratios, staff qualifications, child development techniques, resources and curriculums; and, if they do, how these matters are measured and recorded?
Answer
- States nurseries are reviewed during a School Review as part of a school's Early Years provision, under the Education Law 2002. This is conducted by off island and peer review teams.
Private nurseries also undergo a review for continued registration under the Daycare of Children (Jersey) Law 2002. The Registration and Regulation officers from the Department conduct this.
Both nursery provisions have quality development support from the early years advisor and the head of early years oversees this consistent approach.
- The same early years curriculum guidance called "Development Matters" is used by both sectors and is interpreted and delivered in the same way. We know this because the training offer made by the Education Department is inclusive of both sectors and covers curriculum development, observation and planning, meeting children's developmental needs in line with developmental milestones and appropriate pedagogy and practice.
Our Early Years advisor works across both sectors so that we have consistency of standards and quality in the same areas, for example an appropriate learning environment that is rich, play based and stimulating; built on positive interactions, empathy, supporting communication and language and focussing on children's well-being.
Schools and settings work on self-evaluation documents that measure / compare performance in the same standards areas that include Safeguarding, Learning and Development, Enabling Environment, Working in Partnership, Leaderships and Management.
The quality of a nursery setting is determined using the Early Years Quality Framework and the School Review framework. Both mirror the same expectations and shared understanding of what good practice looks like for nursery children as the teams in Standards and Achievement and Childcare, and Early Years work very closely together.
Both sectors are be expected to meet good standards / minimum requirements and are supported to continuously improve and develop their practice through self-evaluation and support from the CEYS team. Currently the Early Years Advisor and advisory team support this role to ensure consistency of approach. Registration and Regulation and Quality Development teams are now co- located in CEYS to ensure this happens.