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Live research
Identifying 'quality' in Early Years
Daycare Trust, the University of Oxford and A+ Education will look at how different measures of quality are understood and used by parents, childcare providers and local authorities. We hope this analysis will help to improve the tools available to those trying to determine ‘quality' in the future.
The study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will examine the existing tools available to assess the education and care provided by nurseries and preschools across the UK. These include Ofsted inspections based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, the ECERS and ITERS Environment Rating Scales, and Quality Assurance schemes. Through analysing the relationship between these different quality measures, the research will look at what parents, providers,local authorities and regulators (such as Ofsted) recognise as ‘high quality'; provide recommendations for improving the regulatory framework for inspections; and assist parents to identify the best quality childcare for their children.
Given the current challenging financial climate, local authorities are focusing even more on their funding priorities. This study should provide key data to inform central and local government as they assess how to allocate funding. The research will also help nurseries and preschools identify more clearly both their strengths and potential areas for development.
The study will be carried out through a series of methods:
- Comparison between Ofsted grading and ECERS/ITERS quality ratings.
- Relationships between Quality Assurance scheme involvement, Ofsted gradings and ECERS scores.
- Literature review and qualitative research with stakeholders.
A final study report along with a parents' guide to identifying high quality childcare are expected to be published at the end of 2011.
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