Identifying quality in nurseries and preschools

Policy 01 Feb 11 'What constitutes "quality" in the education and care of children from birth up to the age of five?' is the question being tackled by Oxford researchers. Oxford's Department of Education has teamed up with A+ Education Ltd and Daycare Trust, a national childcare charity, to look at the different measures of quality applied in nurseries and preschools. The researchers will also look at how they are understood and used by parents, childcare providers and local authorities. They hope the study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, will help to improve the assessment tools available to those trying to determine 'quality' in the different settings across the UK. The researchers will assess what is important to parents, providers and local authorities and how that feeds into what is defined as 'high quality'. The study will provide recommendations for improving the regulatory framework for inspections; and assist parents in channeling the vast amount of data available into something that is accessible and practical so they understand how they identify quality when choosing childcare. Given the current challenging financial climate, local authorities are focusing even more on their funding priorities.