- Admissions to Nursery Schools and Classes
- Bristol Standard
- Childcare Sufficiency Assessment
- Children & Young People's Information Service
- Children's Centres
- Crèche Service
- Early Support Programme for disabled children
Early Years & Childcare Locality Networks (185 KB)- Graduate Leader Fund
- Help with childcare costs
- Newsletter and information sheet
- Parents as Partners in Early Learning - Pilot project
- Qualifications in Early years, Childcare and Playwork
- Supported Day Care Scheme
High quality integrated early years and childcare services are a key priority for Bristol.
The current developments of fully integrated children's centre services for young children and their families, builds on a wide range of existing high quality early education, daycare, family support services and joint arrangements with health professionals and other partner organisations.
These services have been developed across the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors, through nursery schools, Early Excellence Centres, local Sure Start programmes, primary schools with nursery classes, family centre's, neighbourhood nurseries, day nurseries, pre-school groups and registered childminders.
Our Vision
- All young children in Bristol have the opportunity to engage in active and inspiring learning.
- Through effective partnerships, outcomes for all young children continue to improve and in particular we close the gap between outcomes for the most disadvantaged children and others.
- Outcomes and options for children, families and their communities are enhanced through the development of high quality integrated education, childcare, health and family support services, available all year round.
- The development of cohesive, family-centred services at neighbourhood level supports parents/carers both in their parenting and in their aspirations for training/employment.
- Local Authority resources are targeted to meet the needs of Children in Need and children from families with specific needs.
Our responsibilities
The Service is responsible for:
- Ensuring that a free, good quality, part-time early education place is available for all 3 and 4 year olds (part-time is currently defined as 5 sessions of 2 ½ hours per week for 38 weeks a year).
- Ensuring the involvement of qualified teachers in early year's settings delivering Government funded early education.
- Providing such daycare for Children in Need within the area who are aged five or under and not yet at school “as is appropriate”. Daycare means any form of care or supervised activity provided for children during the day.
- Funding area SENCO (Special Education Needs Coordinator) posts to support non maintained settings.
- Providing information and advice for people wishing to set up new daycare (childminding and group daycare) including briefing sessions and childminding pre-registration courses.
- Providing training to ensure registered providers meet the requirements of the DfES National Standards.
- Ensuring that there is a Children & Young People's Information Service (CYPIS) available.