§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the number of specialist public service support staff providing support to pre-school nursery and playgroups involved in implementing the foundation stage. [141142]
§ Margaret HodgeFigures for the total number of public sector staff working with nurseries and pre-schools in the private, independent and voluntary sectors are not available.
Local authority specialists offer a wide range of support and advice to help maintain the quality of Government funded early education delivered by over 19,000 private, independent and voluntary settings, including nurseries and playgroups.
Their role includes ensuring that all settings have access to a Qualified Teacher and an Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.
In addition, as part of the National Primary Strategy, the new Foundation Stage Director, Lesley Staggs, and her team of 12 regionally based experts will be engaging with local authorities to spread effective practice throughout the country.