Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting

Free early learning and childcare placements are allocated by local authorities. Parental preference is taken into account, but allocation depends on availability of local places and local authority admissions policies. All children aged 3 and 4 years, as well as around 27% of 2-year olds are entitled to early learning and childcare.

Local authorities must make provision for children from the start of the school term following their third birthday, until the end of the school term before they are eligible to start primary school (age 4½ - 5 ½). Children whose parents qualify for certain benefits are entitled to early learning and childcare from the first term after their second birthday.

There are cut off dates for enrolment in each term:

• Autumn term – born between 1 March and 31 August
• Spring term – born between 1 September and 31 December
• Summer term – born between 1 January and 28 February)

If parents of children with birthdays in January or February choose to defer their child’s entry to primary school, local authorities will provide an additional year of free early learning and childcare.

Children with September to December birthdays can have an extra year of free early learning and childcare, should parents choose to defer their child’s entry to primary school. This is at the discretion of their local authority.

Group size and child/staff ratios

Adult: child ratios in early learning and childcare are determined by the National Care Standards (under review December 2017). These ratios are:

• 1:3 ratio for children 0-2 years
• 1:5 for children aged 2-3
• 1:8 ratio for children aged 3-5 who attend for more than 4 hours per day (1:10 for those who attend less than 4 hours)

Children attending early learning and childcare are usually grouped in playrooms or “classes” in line with these age bandings, or in some settings 0-2 years and 2-5 years.

Keyworker systems are commonly in place to meet children’s emotional and care needs as well as many aspects of educational provision. It is also common for children to work with a number of practitioners during the course of a session.

All practitioners are responsible for engaging children in all aspects of the curriculum, under the supervision of the manager or headteacher.

Usually there is no specialisation of staff by curricular area, though colleagues with particular expertise may play a leading role in some areas, such as music or expressive arts.

Annual, weekly and daily organisation

Most local authority pre-school establishments open at the same time as schools in their area. The length of the school year is nationally determined. The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) decides the actual number of working hours for teachers in local authority schools and pre-school establishments - 35 hours per week.

The academic year covers three terms and lasts a minimum of 190 days (38 weeks). Teachers work one week more because an additional 35 hours of continuing professional development form part of their contract.

The school year begins in mid-August and there are breaks of one or two weeks in October, December and April. The length of each break is decided by each local authority. Some local authorities also have a short break in mid-February.

Schools and pre-school establishments also have a small number of single day holidays, usually on Mondays. These are local arrangements and reflect Scotland’s system of local holidays. Schools and pre-school establishments close for the longer summer holidays around the end of June. The exact dates of the terms vary according to the local authority.

Playgroups and private pre-school centres do not always follow the same pattern as local authority establishments, and may open at times when the latter are on holiday.

There is no fixed daily or weekly timetable applying to all settings. The law does not define the length of the day or week for children in early learning and childcare. However, the 600 funded hours of early learning and childcare must be provided within sessions, which last no less than 2.5 hours and no more than 8 hours a day in duration. This must be over a minimum of 38 weeks a year (or pro rata) which need not be confined to school term time.

It is intended that children take up their entitlement at times that best support their learning and support the needs of parents. It is also intended that the increased hours are used as an opportunity to increase consistency for the child.

Local authorities can offer parents a choice of placement that may for example include some of the following options:

• Short sessions of around 2.5 – 3.5 hours
• Half day sessions around 4 hours
• School day sessions around 6 hours
• Full working day sessions up to 8 hours
• Sessions out-with school term times, across more than 38 weeks/year

Usually, parents who require can purchase additional hours of early learning and childcare to meet their overall childcare needs. For example to allow them to work or attend training or education.