two-year-old development.
Pre-school learning impacts on the academic outcomes of children up to the end of school. In September, the final report of the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) research - the longitudinal study that has been tracking children since the late 1990s - showed the earlier we can engage eligible two-year-olds and the longer they spend in pre-school the better their individual outcomes will be. Further studies have shown this includes their economic success.
Providers have worked hard to offer places and accommodate growing numbers of two-year-olds. However, there are still some children not accessing provision as soon as they can. Not necessarily because there is a shortage of places, but because their names are on waiting lists.
Being a popular and successful provider is great - well done! Being the first choice and having a long waiting list is a testament to your hard work.
But have you thought about how long two-year-olds are waiting for their place with you? Have you got children who could be accessing other provision now?
If you have a waiting list and you know you may not be able to accommodate families and children, your options include expanding provision, or remodelling the timetable (for example, offering more sessions on quieter days). Offering 12 hours for 47.5 weeks a year, lengthening the working day or adding a third session in a day are solutions being implemented across the country. But for some, expansion or remodelling is not possible. In these instances, being open and frank with families about waiting times and signposting other local provision or the local authority at initial enquiry is important.
Children are only two for a very short window of time and they need to access their early learning if they are to keep up with their peers. One thing we do know is the need for twos places will continue to grow as the entitlement becomes embedded and the norm. And each term a new cohort becomes two and eligible, so there will always be a steady stream of new business. This is good news for nurseries, but more importantly it can help twos start earlier and achieve longer.
James Hempsall is director of Hempsall's @jhempsall, www.hempsalls.com
