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Identifying 'quality' in nurseries and preschools

February 1st, 2011
Identifying 'quality' in nurseries and preschools
The study along with a parents’ guide to identifying high quality childcare will be published at the end of the year.

(PhysOrg.com) -- 'What constitutes "quality" in the education and care of children from birth up to the age of five?' is the question being tackled by Oxford researchers.

Oxford’s Department of Education has teamed up with A+ Education Ltd and Daycare Trust, a national childcare charity, to look at the different measures of quality applied in nurseries and preschools. The researchers will also look at how they are understood and used by parents, childcare providers and local authorities. They hope the study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will help to improve the assessment tools available to those trying to determine ‘quality’ in the different settings across the UK.

The researchers will assess what is important to parents, providers and local authorities and how that feeds into what is defined as ‘high quality’. The study will provide recommendations for improving the regulatory framework for inspections; and assist parents in channeling the vast amount of data available into something that is accessible and practical so they understand how they identify quality when choosing childcare.

Given the current challenging financial climate, local authorities are focusing even more on their funding priorities. This study should provide key data to inform decisions by central and local government on 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 compare Ofsted grading and ECERS/ITERS quality ratings; examine the relationship between Quality Assurance scheme involvement, Ofsted gradings and ECERS scores; and analyse existing literature and qualitative research. The study, along with a parents’ guide to identifying high quality childcare, will be published at the end of the year.

Sandra Mathers, Principal Investigator at the University of Oxford and co-Director of A+ Education, commented: ‘It is vital that early years learning and care for the under-fives is of the highest quality. This is particularly true for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Research tells us that if under-fives are in a poor quality setting they don’t get the good start that they might otherwise have, with implications for later outcomes in learning and development. The issue of what makes high quality education and care, and how it is identified and understood, is absolutely central to the current policy debate.’

Provided by University of Oxford

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