settings in its area by 44 per cent in two years. Hannah Crown reports on how they did it.
Stockton-on-Tees, sitting near Middlesborough in north east England, has an above average level of unemployment and some significant areas of deprivation. In 2012 the proportion of 'good' and 'outstanding' childcare providers was 63 per cent, while the national average was (and still is) 74 per cent. But after a concerted effort on behalf of the council to devise a quality improvement plan that worked, the number of these settings has risen to a staggering 92 per cent - from 140 to more than 200 settings and childminders. How?
According to a report into the scheme by Cathy Hamer, a health and educational psychologist, the council's previous quality improvement programme 'created a high level of paperwork, but didn't make a difference in the room. Practitioners had become disheartened by the number of files that had been created that were gathering dust and didn't change or improve practice'.
Janet Marriott, early years manager at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, developed and delivered the new scheme with her team. They began the process by reviewing what other councils were doing in this area. Pre-schools, playgroups, nurseries, out-of-school providers, childminders and special educational needs (SEN) specialists were also consulted, with statements on best practice taken from outstanding providers.
The result was Journey to Outstanding - a 14-part step-by-step guide, given as a CD, on improving learning and development in the early years, drawing on Ofsted best practice. The first section takes the format of the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) and, question by question, prompts the reader to come up with hard evidence and to give a full answer. The early years team found that some providers had been writing long-winded entries in their SEFs, or using inappropriate information.
The majority of the document then acts as a good practice guide, including sections on the importance of early years provision to children's well-being, leadership and management, and overall quality standards. The document describes what good and outstanding means for each. There are also sections about childminders and out-of-school clubs, and on hot topics such as supporting children with additional needs, developing practice with babies, treasure baskets, and professional development, included because people were asking for information about what inspectors look for in a baby room or in terms of SEN. Sue Overton, a consultant who helped train settings in how to use the programme, says, 'People refer to it for ideas as well. You might think the book corner looks a bit tired, but the Journey to Outstanding can give you ideas about how to refresh it.'
The document is designed to be less intimidating than the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Dr Hamer's report says it is 'accessible through ... photos for those who are more visual learners and are assisted by looking at what you would see if, for example, you were setting up a particular environment'. The sections are stand alone and can be referred to when a specific theme needs to be refreshed. The document is designed to be used by a range of staff, from unqualified Level 2s up to managers and team leaders.
It is also a working document that can work alongside and be updated with the EYFS and relevant legislation, and 'show what good-quality practice looks like', Ms Marriott adds.
Ms Overton says, 'It was also a case of being aware of what good and outstanding mean to an Ofsted inspector. A setting might think it is good but this is not necessarily the same thing.'
Downloadable sections, such as log sheets, are designed to be used by the practitioner to note progress. A welfare and learning and development audit are exercises to be carried out by a manager or in conjunction with a member of Stockton's early years team, providing evidence which can then be challenged.
Challenges
Dr Hamer's report notes that initially dissemination was 'a challenge', but adds that a launch event 'helped to overcome this'. She goes on: 'Ongoing challenges are presented by the seemingly endless need to update and realign. However, a benefit of this has been the sharing of the work among the early years team, which has served to further embed both the approach and their commitment.
'The key challenge for the council is increasing the number of two-year-old places to meet the 40 per cent funded childcare for disadvantaged children programme, which means 1,153 places. However, the investment in A Journey to Outstanding has increased the number of outstanding and good providers year on year, thus increasing potential capacity.'
Outcomes
Dr Hamer's report concludes: 'Journey to Outstanding works because of its emphasis on improving quality in a way that is flexible and responsive to policy framework changes, providers' need for support and practitioners' different learning styles. It ensures support is focused where it is needed by identifying gaps and the need to improve practice so, for example, concentrating on the SEF extended to training on how to write a SEF.
'Disseminating the CD has extended the early years team's ability to work directly with all providers, particularly childminders who can be isolated. Hence, the number of childminders with whom the local authority is not engaged has decreased significantly. Childminder network meetings and locality support groups now all talk the same language because advisers and others can link to A Journey to Outstanding. This approach is further promoted by linking the journey to training - for example, I CAN training. Children's centres use the journey as another way of looking at the environment they provide.'
A spin-off benefit is 'exceptionally good partnership working', she adds. 'All settings are well known to a well-established team. There are excellent relationships with schools and mini partnerships have been developed between schools and providers. In turn, providers and practitioners have excellent relationships with children and their families.'
Six-hundred copies of Journey to Outstanding have been given to providers in the area. The council is now considering making the programme available to other councils and has sold a customised version to another council in the north east.
Ms Marriot says, 'Over the past few years we have enabled the focus for providers to turn to improving learning and development. This has been supported by Journey to Outstanding. We have a unique, collaborative partnership in Stockton.'
The council's cabinet member for children and young people, councillor Ann McCoy, says, 'We want all our children to have access to the best possible care and that's what the Journey to Outstanding is all about. A lot of providers are now talking about where they are on their journey to outstanding and understanding what it means to be good or outstanding.'
