pre schools
NEWS RELEASE
7 July 2004
Pre-schools play in invaluable community role, says study
Pre-schools play a wide-ranging, active role in supporting communities, according to a new report published today.
The Impact of Pre-schools in the Community: a follow up study concludes that, in a climate of considerable change in the early years and childcare sector, pre-school settings deliver a range of tangible benefits for children, parents and wider communities.
The research, commissioned by the Pre-school Learning Alliance and conducted by Dr Veronica McGivney, Principal Research Officer at the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), revisits a number of pre-schools in areas of social and economic disadvantage to assess their contribution to the overall strengthening of communities. The follow-up study concludes that:
- As well as providing high-quality services for children, the pre-schools continue to have a strong emphasis on involving parents in the day-to-day running of the settings and supporting parents in their own learning and development
- The pre-schools are supporting the expansion of the early years workforce, with a striking number of people moving from parent to volunteer and from volunteer to permanent member of staff
- The pre-schools are continuing to help support social inclusion, by helping often very isolated parents to build their own social networks within the community
- As a result of national policy developments and initiatives, the pre-schools have become more professional in approach, with several achieving higher formalised status
- Despite an improving financial situation — mainly as a result of the Nursery Education Grant — the pre-schools still spend much of their time fundraising and, in some smaller settings, see their future services as insecure
- All of the pre-schools have undergone some expansion and are providing a greater number of services for children and parents, with several taking on more staff and children.
Dr Veronica McGivney said
"The research shows that pre-schools have gone from strength to strength and are still performing an invaluable community role. The follow-up study demonstrates that as well as the many benefits these pre-schools provide for children, they continue to provide a wide range of personal, social and economic benefits for parents".
"Since 1999, many parents in the seven pre-schools have progressed their careers in childcare as a direct result of their involvement, while others have developed the confidence and skills to find other forms of employment".
Judith Thompson, Chair of the Pre-school Learning Alliance said
"I am delighted that this research confirms what many of us working in community based pre-schools already know: that settings provide a great deal more to parents and families than high-quality childcare alone. The role they play in engaging parents in their child's and their own learning, in supporting routes to qualifications and in combating social exclusion is absolutely crucial to sustaining healthy communities".
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7833 0991
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher
Notes for Editors:
- The Pre-school Learning Alliance has 15,000 member pre-schools who look after 500,000 young children and their families in England every year. Registered as an educational charity, the Alliance is the national dimension of the pre-school movement. Its member pre-schools are based in the community and most are managed and run by parents, alongside trained staff. The charity is involved in more Sure Start projects than any other organisation and aims to open around 30 Neighbourhood Nurseries by the end of the year.
- The charity recently launched the next phase of its changing lives changing life campaign, which seeks to give all children the best possible start in life. For more information visit www.pre-school.org.uk or call 020 7833 0991
- Press copies of The Impact of Pre-schools in the Community: a follow up study by Dr Veronica McGivney can be obtained from the Pre-school Learning Alliance on 020 7278 9037 or by emailing pressoffice@pre-school.org.uk