Achieving 2 Year Olds Supporting least advantaged two-year-olds to get a better start

Parents explain the difference two-year-old funding has made to their families, children and their future choices. Find out how local authorities communicated the entitlement to parents, the changes made to ensure the communication was effective and reaching the right families. The difference capital funding has made to provision is highlighted, enabling provision to adapt and provide the best resources for two-year-olds - maintaining and improving quality and outcomes for children. Good partnership working with all professionals, health visitors, and family outreach workers is also discussed.

Childminders in Enfield and Barnet describe the difference accessing two-year-old funding has made to them, and to the parents who use childcare and early learning from them. In turn, parents discuss the advantages of using a childminder, and how the two-year-old entitlement has benefitted them as a family. Local authorities describe how they use the Families Information Service (FIS) to promote childminders as an equally valued option for families.

A number of roadshows were delivered nationally to support providers to understand the key messages of the two-year-old entitlement. This film highlights how those providers attending roadshows used the events as an opportunity to network with other providers, local authorities, and the A2YO team, to share good practice, receive key messages, share information on how they can implement the agenda, and create places especially for two-year-olds.

Learn how Trinity Church of England School in Wolverhampton introduced two-year-olds to their school. Find out the strategies the school used, the benefits to children, parents and the school as a whole. We look at how the school planned and reorganised their practice and space to ensure it was suitable. The planning in place between the school and parents aimed to ensure children and their families have positive experiences and are supported. Parents describe how they have been able to return to learning, complete formal education and find work whilst their child is accessing care at the school.

Somerset County Council moved away from the established LA advisory support for schools model, and commissioned head teachers from good and outstanding Ofsted rated schools to offer peer-to-peer support. This innovative project was so successful the LA decided to disseminate the idea into the early years sector. Find out how the project was funded through the Early Years Single Funding Formula, and listen to the difference made to early years quality, the benefits practitioners identified, and the impact on parents and their children.

Stockton Borough Council identified a need for early years provision in Port Clarence. Find out how working in partnership with children’s centres, childminders, a primary school and the Pre-school Learning Alliance resulted in good quality childcare provision for two-year-olds. The partnership approaches enabled everyone to share resources, training, and to set-up a panel to support the families and the children using one document and resolve problems together. The film also shows parents’ experiences about the difference provision made to them and their children.

Childcare Sufficiency Assessments (CSA) are an important statutory duty for a local authority (Childcare Act 2016). Find out how Somerset County Council used the results of their CSA, along with a sound business case and evidence to secure Section 106 Funding to create a new school with nursery provision in a new housing estate. Learn how the local authority worked with developers to ensure the new building was fit for purpose and met children’s needs.