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Early Years Quality Improvement Programme
All children – not just those whose parents can afford it – deserve the best start in life. The Children's Plan, published in December 2007, which reaffirms the Government's commitment to improving children's lives and making this country the best place in the world to grow up, challenges all those providing services for children and families to make this ambition a reality. The early years (from birth to five) are when children develop most fundamentally as individuals. Research shows that high quality early learning and childcare in those years helps children to do better in pre-school, with the effects lasting to at least age 10. This improves their social and cognitive abilities, and helps to identify learning and developmental needs early, thus reducing the risk of long-term underachievement and disaffection. However, these benefits are only associated with high quality – poor quality adds no value in the long term.
Raising and sustaining the quality of early years provision is therefore crucial to achieving the Government's long term ambition for children. During the summer of 2007 the Department for Children Schools and Families reviewed progress on effective ways of further improving children's outcomes. The process looked at existing support and training at local authority and setting levels, as well as the impact of measures already in force or due to come into effect, to support the early years.
The Early Years Quality Improvement Programme – presented as PowerPoint slides – summarises the findings from the progress review and points the way to responding the quality challenge. Please view in 'Slide Show' mode.
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