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Working in partnership so that

every young child in Oxfordshire can attend a good or outstanding school or setting

young children at greater risk of under-achievement enjoy improved success in school

Quality Improvement Partners (QIPs) in the Foundation Years and childcare

September 2014

Please also refer to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) documentation

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In this document ‘schools’ refers to all schools including maintained, academies, free schools and independent schools and ‘settings’ refers to private and voluntary providers of early education on non-domestic premises including early education in children’s centres and child-minders.

Vision

‘A child’s early experience of learning and development, especially during their first five years of life, is a critical springboard to their future success in education, work and life’

(Unseen Children, Sir Michael Wilshaw June 2013).

Our vision is for every young child in Oxfordshire to be attending a good or outstanding school or setting and to improve the educational achievement of those children less likely to succeed.

In the context of shrinking resources, and with a strong commitment to empowering practitioners to provide ‘grassroots’ support in localities, Oxfordshire County Council will be operating to the following aspirational plan from September 2014 illustrated on the following page.

There is county-wide understanding of what high quality looks like, with many and varied models of this.

This is called the Oxfordshire Foundation Years QIPs Network. It is led from the ‘centre’ by the Foundation Years team in the county council and is delivered in each locality through informal networks. Many successful informal and formal networks already exist and these will be

supported to continue. Some localities do not yet have networking opportunities and these will be

developed.

Through 2013/14 a map of networks has been developed so that every school and setting knows what is on offer locally. In some areas the children’s centre teacher will be the first point of contact, in other areas it might be the local nursery school aspiration network, or other professionals. Where no pre-existing local leadership of quality is in place, front-line advisory teachers will be available to initiate network development.

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Local networks of schools, children’s centres and settings will cover the entire county. These will include (some commissioned i.e. OCC will pay for a specified service) work from:

Foundation Years (FY) Advisory Teachers Children’s centre teachers Early Years Aspiration Network (led by the nursery schools) FY Lead Teachers Early Years Professionals (EYPs) Outstanding provision

*The Oxfordshire Foundation Years QIPs Network will be led by a central strategic function. The Foundation Years Leaders, supported by a team of local authority officers including lead Advisory Teachers, will coordinate projects and initiatives as well as lead the QIPs programme described in this document.

Oxfordshire Foundation Years Quality Improvement Partners (QIPs) network 2014

Oxfordshire County Council

county-wide strategic leadership for the Foundation

Years*

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1. Purpose and audience for this QIPs document

This document explains how Oxfordshire County Council (the local authority) works in partnership with schools, group and home-based settings to continually improve quality for young children with the aspiration being that all children attend good or outstanding schools and settings. The current Ofsted inspection criteria are used as the benchmark of quality. While Ofsted inspects, the local authority supports schools and settings. Local authorities have an important role to champion all children, and especially those at risk of under-achievement.

This information is for all providers offering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) including all schools (maintained, free, academies, special and independent), voluntary, independent and private settings, childminders, children's centres, and childcare providers. . Local Authority responsibility for championing all children means that this document might also apply to out of school providers, crèches or other settings not registered with Ofsted or not receiving funding.

This document explains how Oxfordshire County Council will allocate advisory resource to schools and settings in a fair, transparent and flexible way so that schools and settings are empowered to lead their own improvement. It also explains how advisory resource is targeted to work towards every young child in the county attending a good or outstanding school or setting. The Ofsted status of settings will be constantly informally reviewed through contact with settings.

2. Background

2a. The Government’s policy is explained in Families in the Foundation Years which says; ‘the first few years of a child's life are fundamentally important’. ‘Research has shown that children who have attended a high quality pre-school do better in reading and maths aged six than those who have not, and that this positive impact is still visible at eleven’. The Childcare Act (2006) requires local authorities to work with partners to improve young children’s outcomes and to reduce inequalities between them.

In October 2013 a new evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years provision was published, This outlined changes to the inspection of settings and brought early years providers in line with schools. More recently, an updated statutory framework for the EYFS was published, this is mandatory for all early years providers. A helpful comparison table is available highlighting changes between the 2012 and 2014 framework.

2b. Oxfordshire policy; the Oxfordshire Nursery Education Funding Scheme says that settings in receipt of Nursery Education Funding will positively engage with the County Council’s Foundation Years Staff as set out in this Oxfordshire Quality Improvement Strategy (see Annex 1). The Council is entitled to terminate the agreement and remove providers from the funding register. Please refer to the agreement for detail.

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2c. How are we doing? Oxfordshire early years headlines in 2013 The percentage of childcare settings in Oxfordshire that are good or better is currently slightly above the national percentage (see below). 80% of ‘funded’ children under five in Oxfordshire attend a good or outstanding school, setting or childminder. Our aspiration is for this to be 100%.

In 2013 the definition of a “good level of development” has changed, with the assessment scales also changing significantly. This means comparisons can no longer be made to previous year’s results. This is a new assessment and teachers are developing their skills and expertise in making accurate judgements with the support of our Foundation Years moderators.

Average total points score (ATPS) is a new measure for 2013 and replaces the performance measure of narrowing the gap. ATPS is the average of scores across all 17 Early Learning Goals.

Note: In 2013 the definition of “good level of development” has changed to 2+ in each of the prime areas of learning (CLL, PD & PSE) and literacy and mathematics. (1 = emerging, 2 = expected, 3 = exceeding)

11%

67%

21%

2%

Early Year Ofsted judgements in Oxfordshire (June 2014)

Outstanding Good Requires improvement Inadequate

Achieving a good level of

development 2013 Average total points

score 2013

All children All children

Oxfordshire 48% 32.6

National 52% 32.8

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3. Quality Improvement Partners (QIPs) 2014/15

3a. Overarching principles There is a statutory duty on Oxfordshire County Council to champion and improve outcomes for all children under five, especially to those vulnerable to under-achievement. The following help us to determine support for schools and settings;

one officer will be allocated if a local school and setting are both not good or better areas of economic disadvantage can be eligible for additional support where more young children statistically under-perform there may be additional support looked after children are prioritized

3b. Schools

The school support is allocated in accordance with Oxfordshire’s education strategy.

Moderation of the EYFS Profile is a statutory duty for all LAs. In accordance with current legislation all schools and settings (maintained, academies, free, private, independent and voluntary) can access support/guidance for the EYFSP and should attend a meeting/workshop or have a visit in accordance with the LA Moderation Plan. Guides to EYFSP moderation are published annually on the Oxfordshire website and circulated on Schools News.

Support and challenge for all schools will be allocated according to their most recent Ofsted judgement.

All schools will be working towards self-sustained improvement by accessing information and training and support, for example;

OCC webpages, the Early Years eNewsletter and our Facebook page Step into Training (there is a cost for some training) Needs-driven local cluster support/events Oxfordshire’s early education toolkit Schools News (often contains relevant articles, news and training information) Moderation Workshops/ visits/support for teachers working with children in the EYFS A hotline telephone service specifically for schools 01865 815830 or email

earlyyears.QIPS@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Maintained schools that are judged to be ‘requires improvement’ in the EYFS are also expected to engage with;

bespoke support and challenge from an allocated Foundation Years Advisory Teacher or Lead Foundation Years Teacher. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent out.

access to free training from ‘Step into Training’ and targeted training facilitated access to Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning

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Maintained schools that are judged to be inadequate in the EYFS are also expected to engage with;

bespoke support and challenge from an allocated Foundation Years Advisory Teacher. They may also work with a Lead Foundation Years Teacher acting as mentor. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent out.

Intensive support in the EYFS to aid a speedy improvement to ‘good’ access to free training from ‘Step into Training’ and targeted training facilitated access to Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning

Brisk improvement will be an expectation and once a school is judged to be ‘good’ by Ofsted, support will be reviewed and may continue so good practice and provision is embedded.

Additional factors for schools that may trigger additional support and challenge: where there is evidence of inaccurate EYFS Profile judgments through moderation other LA alerts for concern; (e.g. a safeguarding incident, on request from a School

Improvement Leader)

For information about the purchase of services in addition to QIPs please see here.

3c. Group Settings

The core offer for all settings including early education in children’s centres involves support to work towards self-sustained improvement, access to information and training, for example through the OCC webpages, the Early Years eNewsletter, our Facebook page, Step into Training (there is a cost for some training), and Oxfordshire’s early education toolkit, as well as needs-driven local cluster support/events. There are also telephone helpline and email contacts available Tel.0845 604 2346 or earlyyearsqips@oxfordshire.gov.uk . Nursery chains will be allocated one named contact to work with their management. In addition to this core offer:

Ofsted- judged good and outstanding settings will maintain self-sustained improvement but may request specific advice and support through the helpline. They may also be encouraged to demonstrate good practice at networks or by hosting visits for other practitioners and where they have EYPs, there is the opportunity to apply to the EYP pool to work with individual settings requiring improvement

Ofsted judged requires improvement (or satisfactory) settings will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead adviser; this may include support from other lead professionals

to develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 6 month period)

to access free training from Step into Training and targeted training to access support from Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning

As a guide, settings will benefit from six support days in a year which may be offered in a ‘team around the setting’ model. There will be an expectation of brisk improvement, and a written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent to providers.

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Ofsted judged inadequate settings in need of urgent and brisk improvement will only be supported if their places help to fulfill the Council’s sufficiency requirements. They will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead advisor to:-

develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 3 month period)

access free training from Step into Training and targeted training access support from Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning arrange a possible secondment of an excellent practitioner to the setting for a fixed

period of time e.g. 1 day a week or 1 term until staffing issues are resolved As a guide, settings will benefit from twelve visits in a year which may be offered in a team around the setting model which will include assessments using tools such as Leuven scales, ITERS and ECERS. Lead advisers will undertake both announced and unannounced visits to those settings receiving support over and above the core offer. The level of support and challenge is individual to each setting, lead advisers will identify and agree a range of methods to best support and challenge the setting to rapidly improve quality. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent to providers.

Additional factors for settings that may trigger support over and above the core offer settings newly registered, or with high staff, managers or committee turnover where more than 20% of children are achieving in the lowest 20% in the county if sufficiency is a local issue for parents (for two, three and four year old places) If Ofsted is due to inspect imminently other alerts for concern; this might be a safeguarding incident or issues from the

safeguarding audit, or through observations of practice, or at the request of the setting

For information about the purchase of services in addition to QIPs please see here.

3d. Childminders

The core offer for all childminders offering early education places involves support to work towards self-sustained improvement, access to information and training, for example through the OCC webpages, the Early Years eNewsletter, our Facebook page, Step into Training (there is a cost for some training), and Oxfordshire’s early education toolkit, as well as needs-driven local cluster support/events. Ofsted- judged good and outstanding childminders will maintain self-sustained improvement but may request specific advice and support through the helpline. They may also be invited to demonstrate good practice at networks.

Ofsted judged satisfactory or requires improvement childminders will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead officer

to develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 6 month period)

to access free training from Step into Training and targeted training

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As a guide, childminders will benefit from four support days in a year and there will be an expectation for brisk improvement. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent out.

Ofsted judged inadequate childminders in need of urgent and brisk improvement will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead officer to:-

develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 3 month period)

access free training from Step into Training and targeted training As a guide, childminders will benefit from six visits in a year. Lead officers will undertake both announced and unannounced visits to those childminders receiving support over and above the core offer. The level of support and challenge is individual to each childminder, lead officers will identify and agree a range of methods to best support and challenge the childminder to rapidly improve quality. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent to providers.

Additional factors for childminders that may trigger support over and above the core offer

newly registered childminders who are not yet Ofsted judged if Ofsted is due to inspect imminently other alerts for concern; this might be a safeguarding incident or issues from the

safeguarding audit, or through observations of practice, or at the request of the childminder.

N.B Support given will be based upon whether the provision supports the council’s sufficiency needs. For information about the purchase of services in addition to QIPs please see here.

3e. Out of school providers

Out of school providers eligible for core support are:

Breakfast clubs

Out of school 'activity based' settings on the voluntary part of the Ofsted childcare register only (e.g. sports coaching)

Day nurseries and pre-schools that offer out-of-school childcare for school aged children as a small extension of their main business

Short-term non registered schemes

The core offer for all out of school providers offering early education places involves giving support to work towards self-sustained improvement, access to information and training; for example through the out of school webpages, the Early Years eNewsletter, our Facebook page, Step into Training (there is a cost for some training), and Oxfordshire’s early education toolkit, 'Inspiring play newsletter', Oxfordshire Family Information Service as well as needs-driven local cluster support/events.

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Ofsted- judged good and outstanding out of school providers will maintain self-sustained improvement but may request specific advice and support by telephone or email. They may also be invited to demonstrate good practice and attend networks. Ofsted judged satisfactory or requires improvement out of school providers will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead officer

to develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 6 month period)

to access free training from Step into Training, targeted training and network evenings.

As a guide, providers will benefit from four support days in a year and there will be an expectation for brisk improvement. A written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent to providers. Ofsted judged inadequate out of school providers in need of urgent and brisk improvement will receive bespoke support and challenge from an allocated lead officer to:-

develop an action plan with agreed priorities, implement and monitor the plan to demonstrate progress (within a 3 month period)

access free training from Step into Training and targeted training

As a guide, providers will benefit from six visits in a year. Lead officers will undertake both announced and unannounced visits to those providers receiving support over and above the core offer. The level of support and challenge is individual to each provider, lead officers will identify and agree a range of methods to best support and challenge to rapidly improve quality; and a written report of each visit with agreed actions will be sent to providers. Additional factors for out of school providers that may trigger support over and above the core offer

newly registered who are not yet Ofsted judged if Ofsted is due to inspect imminently Other alerts for concern; this might be a safeguarding incident or issues from the

safeguarding audit, or through observations of practice, or at the request of the provider.

Inclusive settings can be supported with short term funding from the Inclusion Support scheme to support the inclusion of disabled children, subject to meeting the criteria of the scheme.

Providers in receipt of start-up grant or 'securing/developing childcare grant' Assistance to voluntary managed committees in management/safer

recruitment/welfare issues/sustainability

N.B Support given will be based upon whether the provision supports the council’s sufficiency needs.

For information about the purchase of services in addition to QIPs please see here.

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4. Oxfordshire County Council Foundation Years and Childcare teams

Oxfordshire County Council is increasingly commissioning rather than providing services. Teams include;

The Foundation Years Team This is a team of early years advisers and officers, working to the QIPs programme outlined in this document. This team includes lead advisory teachers e.g. for assessment and moderation, advisory teachers, lead officers e.g. for workforce and officers who support settings with training and accessing up to date information.

Children’s Centre Management Team The Children’s Centre Management Team are responsible for the performance management and monitoring of children’s centres. They offer support, advice and development guidance to ensure the Children’s centres are a holistic service delivering an integrated provision.

Early Years SEN Team Support for pre-school children is provided by Early Years SEN Inclusion Teachers (EYSENITs) and Early Support Assistants, who are experienced in working with children with special educational needs. They offer help, advice and training to families, early years settings, children’s centres and childminders.

The Early Years Outdoor Service The Early Years Outdoor Service provides training for practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills in this important work. Sufficiency and Access Team The Sufficiency and Access team are responsible for the the work on ensuring the County Council meets its statutory duties for sufficient funded places for 2, 3, and four year olds, and childcare places for children aged 0-19. Their work includes targeting resources appropriately through the funded early education entitlements and grants programmes, to ensure an adequate supply of high quality, sustainable provision in areas of most need.

The ‘team around the setting’ model includes local authority officers from teams listed above plus others where agreed (children’s centre teachers, the early years aspiration network, EYPs, and colleagues e.g. from PEEP). This model does not include schools because advisory teachers contribute to the separate Team Around the School system.

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5. Our promise to you - the Local Authority will:

work in partnership with all schools and settings in order to quality assure Nursery Education Funding for two, three and four year olds and support the sustainability of high quality early education and childcare

conduct moderation visits as required across the EYFS in schools and settings

target resource according to greatest need (see QIPs criteria above)

continue to offer information and training, targeted for greatest need

arrange (‘broker’) support in the EYFS for schools and settings from a range of leading practitioners, schools and settings**

initiate networks for schools and settings to help each other in localities, and contribute to developing smooth transition for children through pre-birth to 19 provision in a locality

ensure that their work with schools and settings is coordinated so that different team members work to one action plan (see Team around the Setting)

provide schools and settings with record of the visit and associated resources within one week of every visit

** Leading practitioners, schools and settings currently include children’s centre teachers, EYPs, lead teachers, the early years Aspiration Network of nursery schools and outstanding schools and settings

6. Your promise to us - we expect schools and settings to:

fulfill the legal requirements in the EYFS and other legislation (for example for safeguarding, The SEN Code of Practice and The Equalities Act)

meet the requirements of the Nursery Education Funding agreement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds including responding to recommendations arising from monitoring visits and integrate such recommendations within the Provider’s own quality improvement processes (see Annex 1)

reflect on the quality of the EYFS and children’s care, learning and development, maintaining regular self evaluation and action planning for improvement

be inspected to a good standard, or better, by Ofsted (see Annex 4), or if inspected as requires improvement (or inadequate) cooperate with the local authority to ensure rapid improvement

obtain parental permission to share children’s records with other schools and settings that they attend(ed) or will attend.

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Annex 1. Oxfordshire Early Education funding agreement (abridged extract) The Provider recognises the benefits that early years education brings to eligible children’s development and that the Council places reliance on the Ofsted inspection reports in benchmarking the quality of the Provider’s settings.

The Provider agrees:

To be registered and to have been inspected by Ofsted. The Council will not terminate this agreement if the provider has not yet been inspected by Ofsted where the Council is satisfied that the provision is of sufficient quality. To notify the Council of all Ofsted inspections both in writing and orally through the main number for settings 0845 604 2346 of the outcome of the inspection For settings that are currently rated inadequate by Ofsted, the Provider agrees to inform the Council as early as possible on the day that an Ofsted inspector arrives to monitor or inspect the setting to enable the Council’s officer to attend the Ofsted inspection feedback. If the outcome of the Ofsted inspection report discloses that the Provider’s setting for early years education requires improvement (satisfactory), the Provider agrees that it shall notify the Council within 3 working days of the inspection and shall not delay notification pending publication of the written report). The Council reserves the right to terminate the Agreement, and withdraw funding as soon as is practicable for any eligible children who are being funded under this Agreement, to secure alternative places and reclaim funding already paid. If: i. the Provider’s setting is categorized by Ofsted as ‘inadequate’ the Council; or ii. the Provider’s registration with Ofsted is suspended for a period of greater than 1 month; Where Ofsted categorises the setting as inadequate but the Council considers that the setting is in an area where there is not sufficient alternative high quality provision the provider agrees within 3 months to:

1 Develop, implement and monitor an action plan for improvement, supported by the Council in accordance with the Council’s Oxfordshire Quality Improvement Strategy http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/early-years-quality-improvement-strategy; 2 Actively participate in the Council’s ‘Team Around the Setting’ support programme, to address concerns raised by OFSTED at inspection; 3 Actively participate in a peer to peer support network, for example ‘Aspiration Network’ or through links with a children’s centre, qualified teacher or EYP;

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4. Evidence a level of workforce qualifications that indicate higher quality provision with all staff engaged in continuing professional development; 5 Comply with any other remedial measures that Ofsted or the Council may reasonably impose or require to address the inadequacies or deficiencies in the Ofsted report.

If following re-inspection Ofsted considers that the improvement measures are still not sufficient and / or the Provider’s setting for early years education remains categorized by Ofsted as ‘inadequate’ the Council may terminate the agreement. If the Provider’s setting “requires improvement” but the Council considers that there is not sufficient alternative high quality provision, the Provider agrees to improve the Provider’s setting for early years education in accordance with 8.4.1 to 8.4.5 above, within 6 months and in accordance with Ofsted’s requirements.

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Annex 2. Oxfordshire County Council Foundation Years Headline Business Plan 2014/15

Links have been made to: Oxfordshire’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy Education Strategy and Play Strategy Our commitments:

Children and families are at the heart of all we do We will all use this simple overarching plan to prioritise activity in our own work areas

We will all promote sufficiency & high quality early education & childcare to improve outcomes for those at risk of under-achievement

Priority Themes Success criteria

1. Improve outcomes for children at risk of under-achievement.

Think differently and ‘think parent’ LAC, Forces, travellers, children displaced due to admissions Promote outdoor learning throughout our work

2014 EYFSP %age good level development up from 2013 by vulnerable group – is this success criteria still valid?

2. Develop strategies for settings ‘still satisfactory’.

Analyse common Ofsted themes to inform targeted work Broker relationships with good/outstanding schools / settings Promote self-evaluation Map local networks of quality support (EYPs etc)

Fewer Ofsted satisfactory and inadequate settings by summer 2015

3. Focus on sufficiency of high quality places for 2 year olds.

Clear LA message about high quality Parents make informed choices (including childminders) Promote the stretched offer All ‘on message’ including health and children’s centres Tracking progress and using data to plan Parent champions

The LA meets 2 year old place targets in 2015 and is ready if policy is to only place children in Ofsted good or outstanding settings.

4. Support smooth transitions throughout the foundation stage including into Year 1.

Child development & attachment training (e.g. under 3s in schools) Moderation of EYFS assessment Promote characteristics of effective learning Promote childminder and Out of School networks Mix individual and group placements Every Day Matters – birth to 3

OCC and other transition documentation leads to effective transitions for children vulnerable to under-achievement

5. Continue to offer effective services for providers including information, advice, training, quality improvement and business support.

Move on from QIPs; promote partnerships and local networks High quality training, support and monitoring Clarity on EY teacher and Educator roles More funding information for providers Support stability in committees Ensure internal and external communications are effective

The review of OCC teams lead to efficient use of LA resource and positive customer feedback

6. Keep all children safe.

Intensive support for Ofsted inadequate schools and settings Constant vigilance and on-going links with OSCB Development of affordable play in summer holidays

A reduction in the number of safeguarding incidents in childcare provision (Ofsted)

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Annex 3. Contact details For all general enquiries contact:

Email - EarlyYearsQIPs@Oxfordshire.gov.uk Telephone – 01865 897760

For training and funding enquiries contact:

Email - Childcare.Training@Oxfordshire.gov.uk Telephone – 0845 604 2346

The latest information on Oxfordshire QIPs services can be found on our webpages:

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/informationforearlyyearsproviders

Annex 4. Ofsted definitions The school inspection handbook explains the following; In judging the school’s overall effectiveness, inspectors consider whether:

the standard of education is ‘good’ (grade 2), or exceeds this standard sufficiently to be judged as ‘outstanding’ (grade 1)

the school ‘requires improvement’ as it is not a ‘good’ school because one or more of the four key judgements ‘requires improvement’ (grade 3), and/or there are weaknesses in the overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

the school is ‘inadequate’ (grade 4) and, if so, whether it has serious weaknesses, or requires special measures.

The evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years provision outlines guidance and grade descriptors for the judgements that inspectors will report on when inspecting registered early years providers who deliver the EYFS.

The children’s centre inspection handbook provides instructions and guidance for inspectors conducting inspections under Part 3A of the Childcare Act 2006. It sets out what inspectors must do and what children’s centres, local authorities and their partners can expect and provides guidance for inspectors on making their judgements.