Publication - Strategy/plan

Best Start - strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026

Published: 6 October 2022
From: Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Directorate: Early Learning and Childcare Directorate
Part of: Children and families, Education, Work and skills
ISBN: 9781804359150

The plan sets out how we will embed the benefits of our transformational investment in 1140 hours of high quality funded early learning and childcare. It also explains our approach to expanding our childcare offer over the next four years.

Supporting documents

Footnotes

1. Scottish Government (2014) One Scotland - Programme for Government 2014-15.

2. Scottish Government (2022) The Contribution Of EU Workers In The Social Care Workforce In Scotland 2022.

3. Scottish Government (2021 + 2022) Programme for Government.

4. Scottish Government (2022) National Outcomes.

5. Cadmina, J. et al (2020) Literature review on early childhood education and care for children under the age of 3;
European Commission (2014)

European Commission (2014) Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care;

Mathers S. et al. (2014) Sound Foundations: A Review of the Research Evidence on Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care for Children under Three - Implications for Policy and Practice;

European Commission (2022) Building a better understanding of the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care on medium- and long-term educational and labour market outcomes in Europe.

6. Scottish Government (2021) Summary Statistics For Schools In Scotland 2021.

7. Improvement Service (2022) Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report, May 2022.

8. Scottish Government (2022) Best Start, Bright Futures: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022-26.

9. As set out in 'Best Start, Bright Futures', Priority family types include: Lone parent families, the large majority of which are headed by women; Families which include a disabled adult or child; Larger families; Minority ethnic families; Families with a child under one year old; Families where the mother is under 25 years of age.

10. Care Inspectorate (2022) Publications and Statistics.

11. Scottish Government (2018) Funding follows the child and the national standard for early learning and childcare providers: Principles and practice.

12. Education Scotland (2021) Realising the ambition: Being me.

13. Scottish Government (2019) Nature-based early learning and childcare - influence on children's health, wellbeing and development: literature review.

14. www.virtualnatureschool.org

15. Scottish Government (2022) Children and Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board.

16. Scottish Government (2022) Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Programme: Evaluation Strategy

17. Scottish Government (2021) A fairer, greener Scotland: Programme for government 2021-22.

18. Scottish Government (2019) The Scottish Approach to Service Design.

19. www.carereview.scot

20. Scottish Government (2019) Out of School Care in Scotland: A Draft Framework.

21. Scottish Government (2021) School age childcare: Progress Report.

22. Children in Scotland (2022). Access to Childcare Fund 2020-2022 - Final evaluation report.

23. Scottish Government (2021) Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland: Analysis and Evidence.

24. Scottish Government (2016) Financial Review of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland: The Current Landscape.

25. Scottish Government (2019) Overview of local authority support and funding for Early Learning and Childcare providers. Scottish Government (2021) Summary of the Returns - Early Learning and Childcare providers - local authority funding and support: overview.

26. Scottish Social Services Council (2022) Scottish Social Service Sector: Report on 2021 Workforce Data

27. Scottish Government (2017) Early learning and childcare statistics 2017.

28. Scottish Government (2021) Early learning and childcare statistics 2021.

29. Scottish Social Services Council (2022) Workforce data reports.

30. Scottish Government (2021) Summary Statistics For Schools In Scotland 2021.

31. Scottish Government (2021) Our Commitment to Childminding: Report.

32. Care Inspectorate (2022) Publications and Statistics.

33. Care Inspectorate (2022) Publications and Statistics.

34. In the 2016-based NRS population projections, there were expected to be 225,271 children aged 2-5 in Scotland in 2022. In the most recent (2020-based) population projections, this number has fallen to 208,844. NRS projection figures are available at: Projected Population of Scotland | National Records of Scotland.

35. Scottish Government (2022) A Scotland for the future: Opportunities and challenges of Scotland's changing population.

36. In the 2016-based NRS population projections, there were expected to be 225,271 children aged 2-5 in Scotland in 2022. In the most recent (2020-based) population projections, this number has fallen to 208,844. NRS projection figures are available at: Projected Population of Scotland | National Records of Scotland.

37. Scottish Government (2022) Investing in Scotland's Future: Resource Spending Review 2022.

38. Muir, K. (2022) Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education.

39. Scottish Government (2022) Holistic whole family support: Routemap and national principles.

40. OECD (2017) Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care.

41. European Commission (2022) Building a better understanding of the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care on medium- and long-term educational and labour market outcomes in Europe; OECD (2017) Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care; Melhuish, E. et al (2015) A review of research on the effects of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) upon child development.

42. OECD (2017) Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care; Passaretta, G. et al (2019) Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Society (ISOTIS): Integrative Report (WP 1) Lessons and Policy Implications

43. There is strong evidence in relation to intensive and explicit programs of early intervention, and some evidence to suggest that programs of universal preschool have the potential to reduce risks within normal populations e.g. Hall, J. et al. (2013) Can preschool protect young children's cognitive and social development? Variation by center quality and duration of attendance, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 24:2, 155-176, DOI: 10.1080/09243453.2012.749793; Melhuish, E. (2004) A literature review of the impact of early years provision on young children, with emphasis given to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

44. Scottish Government (2015) Tackling inequalities in the early years: key messages from 10 years of the Growing Up in Scotland study; Knudsen, L. et al (2017) Changes in early learning and childcare use at age 5: comparing two Growing Up in Scotland cohorts.

45. Cadmina, J. et al (2020) Literature review on early childhood education and care for children under the age of 3; European Commission (2014) Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care.

46. Melhuish, E. (2004) A literature review of the impact of early years provision on young children, with emphasis given to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

47. OECD (2017) Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care

48. Melhuish, E. & Gardiner, J. (2018) SEED: Impact study on early education use and child outcomes up to age four years; Melhuish, E. & Gardiner, J. (2020) Study of Early Education and Development (SEED): Impact Study on Early Education Use and Child Outcomes up to age five years; Melhuish et al. (2014) A review of research on the effects of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) upon child development.

49. Melhuish, E. & Gardiner, J. (2020) Study of Early Education and Development (SEED): Impact Study on Early Education Use and Child Outcomes up to age five years; Melhuish et al. (2014) A review of research on the effects of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) upon child development.

50. Cadmina, J. et al (2020) Literature review on early childhood education and care for children under the age of 3; European Commission (2014) Proposal for key principles of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care; Mathers S. et al. (2014) Sound Foundations: A Review of the Research Evidence on Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care for Children under Three - Implications for Policy and Practice; European Commission (2022) Building a better understanding of the impact of Early Childhood Education and Care on medium- and long-term educational and labour market outcomes in Europe.

51. Public Health Scotland (2022) COVID-19 Early Years Resilience and Impact Survey (CEYRIS). La Valle, I. et al (2022) Implications of COVID for Early Childhood Education and Care in England; Education Endowment Foundation (2022) The Impact of COVID-19 on Learning: A review of the evidence; Tracey, L. et al (2022) The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children's socio-emotional wellbeing and attainment during the Reception Year.

52. Edwards, A.,Gharbi, R., Berry, A. & Duschinsky, R.(2021) Supporting and strengthening families through provision of early help: A Rapid Review of Evidence.

53. Scottish Government (2019) Annex B: Discussion paper - Out of school care in Scotland - draft framework: consultation; Scott, E. and Scobie, G. (2015) Evidence briefing on the impact of out of school care.

54. Scobie G. et al (2017) Provision of early learning and childcare and parents' outcomes; Thompson S & Ben-Galim D. (2014) Childmind the Gap: Reforming childcare to support mothers into work.

55. Cooper, K. and Stewart, K. (2020) Does Household Income Affect children's Outcomes? A Systematic Review of the Evidence; NHS Health Scotland (2018) Child Poverty in Scotland: health impact and health inequalities; Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2014) Reducing poverty in the UK: A collection of evidence reviews.