Nursery World - Estyn inspectors find improved standards

Standards in the early years sector 'have improved year-on-year' over the past five years, according to Estyn, the inspectorate for education and training in Wales, which published its annual report last week. It said that children achieved good or very good standards in nearly 80 per cent of classes, compared with around half of classes in 1999. The report said that this success was 'a good basis' for the new Foundation Phase.

It said that children achieved good or very good standards in nearly 80 per cent of classes, compared with around half of classes in 1999. The report said that this success was 'a good basis' for the new Foundation Phase.

Inspectors found that in about 85 per cent of maintained settings and in nearly 70 per cent of non-maintained settings teachers planned well for children to progress towards Desirable Outcomes for Children's Learning.

Leadership and management were found to be good in the maintained sector.

The report said that managers were 'actively preparing' for the new Foundation Phase and for the Integrated Early Years Centres, although it was too soon to judge how effective the centres were.

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