§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirements she has placed on(a) local authorities and (b) pre-school settings for the preparation of and application for kitemark schemes. [5084]
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§ Mr. TimmsA range of quality assurance mechanisms is being used successfully by local authorities to raise standards. These include: Investors in People, Charter Mark and the Excellence Model. Some local authorities have also developed their own models. The revised LEA Code of Practice, which came into effect in February 2001, contains a non-statutory Annexe setting out the standards that local authorities should adhere to in their communications with schools.
In March, Government announced "Investors in Children" a national quality-rating scheme for child care and early years education, as proposed in the Green Paper "Schools Building on Success". Early Years Development and Child Care Partnerships are working to meet a new national target to ensure that at least 40 per cent. of early years and child care providers have been accredited by a quality assurance scheme by 2004.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish, for each local education authority, in respect of(a) three year olds and (b) four year olds (i) the number resident in each local education authority, (ii) the number for whom places are available in pre-school settings, (iii) the number for whom places are available in schools, (iv) the number of places for which Government funding is provided, (v) category (iv) as a percentage of (i), (vi) category (iv) as a percentage of (ii) and (iii) and (vii) the number of residents whom the local EYCDP identifies as in need of provision. [5085]