Nursery Education Places in Tameside for 3 and 4 Year Olds

(Summer 2008)

Ashton-under-Lyne Nurseries | Audenshaw Nurseries | Denton Nurseries | Droylsden Nurseries | Hyde Nurseries | Hattersley Nurseries | Longdendale Nurseries | Mossley Nurseries | Stalybridge Nurseries | Childminders

Introduction

Now that your child is three, he/she is entitled to take up a free nursery education place. This page will help you decide which type of provider is best suited to your child's and family's needs.

Currently all three and four year olds are eligible to receive free nursery education sessions for up to 38 weeks a year. These sessions are a minimum of two and a half hours long and can be up to five sessions a week.

You may choose to access your child's free nursery education place in a nursery class that is part of a local authority school or from one of the providers on Tameside's directory of nursery education providers. All of the schools and 'providers' listed are inspected by OFSTED and are eligible to deliver nursery education. They are all supported by Tameside's Early Years Quality Team who are a team of experienced early years professionals providing advice, support and training across the local authority thus ensuring consistency and promoting inclusive care, learning and play.

Nursery Education in Local Authority Schools

Admissions to nursery classes in schools are usually each September. To start in September your child needs to be three years old before 1st September. If the nursery has vacancies they will admit children in January; your child must be three years old before she/he can start. Children attend Monday to Friday for 2.5 hours (either in the morning or the afternoon) during the school term.

If you would like a part-time nursery education place for your child in a school nursery class please contact the school directly; admissions to nursery class are managed by the Headteacher of the school.

More information for parents on Admissions to Nursery Classes.

Key

RC = Roman Catholic | CE = Church of England | VC = Voluntary Controlled | VA = Voluntary Aided

Voluntary aided (church) schools have denominational criteria for admission into school. However the nursery classes at these schools may have places for children of other denominations.

Nursery Education in Other Settings

• Pre-Schools/Playgroups
• Independent Schools
• Childminders
• Private Day Nurseries

The settings on this list are known as the 'Tameside Nursery Education Directory of Providers'. This means that they have been approved by the Local Authority to receive nursery education grant and have made a commitment to the Local Authority's terms and conditions of grant.

If your child takes up a place at one of these settings the grant will be paid directly to the setting.

Ensuring Quality and Consistency

Tameside Local Authority has an Early Years Quality Team whose role is to provide support, guidance, advice and training for all childcare providers and settings providing Foundation Stage education. Whether you opt for a Tameside school nursery class or a provider from Tameside's nursery education directory of providers, the work of the Quality Team promotes consistency across the Local Authority in the quality of care and education your child will receive. The team can be contacted using the details at the foot of the page.

Benefits of Taking up the Free Offer of Nursery Education

Research has shown that children who receive good quality pre-school education acquire the skills they need to make good progress at school. They gain the social and communication skills required to become confident and happy learners.

Nursery is the first year of the Foundation Stage of education. It is an exciting time for children as they learn through play based activities to become more independent and develop their own identity. Your child will enjoy a curriculum that is organised around six areas of learning:

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication, language and literacy
• Mathematical development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Physical development
• Creative development

Things to Consider

The most important decision is to choose the type of setting that will best meet the particular needs of your child and your family. When choosing a setting consider the following:

• What type of setting is best suited to your child's personality?
• If required, is there any additional childcare offered by the provider?

What is the quality of the setting/provider? Use the check list below to help you make your decision when you visit a setting or childminder:

• Are adults interacting/playing with children?
• Does the setting/childminder have awards displayed for healthy eating?
• Are the toys clean and well maintained?
• Are children settled and occupied?
• Is there an outdoor play area?
• Are you greeted and made to feel welcome?
• Is your child greeted and made to feel welcome?
• Are you given a welcome pack or other information about the setting?
• Does the setting/childminder have any quality assurance awards?

Many of the settings listed in this directory provide or have access to additional services which enable children to receive care for longer periods of time. Examples of this are:

• A childminder could collect your child from a group setting and provide extended care during the day.
• A day nursery could provide care all day or for a full morning or afternoon session.
• Some pre-schools and nursery classes offer extended sessions which sometimes include lunch.

Many parents benefit from this combination of education and care as it enables them to work, study or train knowing that their children are being cared for in a suitable environment.

If you are working or considering taking up work and would like to know more about the settings that can offer additional services contact Tameside Families Information Service who can:

• Discuss the childcare options available.
• Provide information about the cost of additional care.
• Look at any funding you may be entitled to, to pay for any additional costs.
• Provide tax credit estimates and advice on flexible working
• Answer any questions you have about this webpage

The vision for our service is part of Tameside's mission to promote and achieve better outcomes for all: "A vision of a just and harmonious society of which children and young people are valued and respected members: supported and encouraged as they grow, by their parents, friends and family and other adults in the community" (Children and Young Peoples Plan 2006-07)

All our work within Children's Centres and Extended Schools is based on achieving the five outcomes through shared strategies and innovative approaches under the guidance of Tameside Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership Trust:

• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Achieving Economic Well-Being

The development in Tameside of Children's Centres and Extended Schools is a contributory resource to improving outcomes for all children, their families and their communities and contributes also to the government's aim of reducing and then eliminating child poverty by 2020.

To achieve this vision, Tameside Council has a duty to achieve certain objectives:

• To have 15 children's centres by 2008
• Parents are able to access extended services at or through every school by 2010.
• Parents to access free integrated care and learning for all 3 and 4 year olds, allowing for more flexibility and increasing to 15 hours per week by 2010.
• Implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage, a framework to support providers in all sectors to deliver high quality integrated care and learning to support the development of all children birth to 5.
• Secure sufficient childcare so that parents can exercise choice.

Ashton-under-Lyne Nurseries | Audenshaw Nurseries | Denton Nurseries | Droylsden Nurseries | Hyde Nurseries | Hattersley Nurseries | Longdendale Nurseries | Mossley Nurseries | Stalybridge Nurseries | Childminders

Ashton-under-Lyne

Audenshaw

Denton

Droylsden

Dukinfield

Hyde

Hattersley

Longdendale

Mossley

Stalybridge

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Tameside Families Information Service Tameside Early Years Quality Development Centre Manchester Road Audenshaw M34 5GJ View local map
0161 342 5434
0161 342 5448