Part V Nursery education

Nursery education

117 Definition of “nursery education”.

In this Part “nursery education” means full-time or part-time education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age (whether provided at schools or elsewhere).

General duty of F1local authority

118 Duty of F1local authority as respects availability of nursery education.

(1)

A F1local authority F2in Wales shall secure that the provision (whether or not by them) of nursery education for children who—

(a)

have not attained compulsory school age, but

(b)

have attained such age as may be prescribed,

is sufficient for their area.

(2)

In determining for the purposes of subsection (1) whether the provision of such education is sufficient for their area a F1local authority—

(a)

may have regard to any facilities which they expect to be available outside their area for providing such education; and

(b)

shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by F3the National Assembly for Wales.

F4118A Duties of F1local authority in respect of childcare

F5(1)

A F1local authority shall review annually the sufficiency of childcare provision for their area.

(2)

In carrying out a review for the purposes of subsection (1), a F1local authority—

(a)

may have regard to any facilities which they expect to be available outside their area for providing childcare; and

(b)

shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.

(3)

A F1local authority shall also establish and maintain a service providing information to the public relating to the provision of childcare and related services in their area.

(4)

In relation to the function, form and content of a service established and maintained under subsection (3), a F1local authority shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.

Early years development F6and childcare partnerships

119 Early years development F7and childcare partnerships.

(1)

Every F1local authority F8in Wales shall establish for their area a body to be known as an early years development F9and childcare partnership (“the partnership”).

(2)

In establishing the partnership and determining its constitution the authority shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by F10the Assembly.

(3)

The authority may establish a sub-committee of the partnership for any part of their area.

(4)

The authority shall make arrangements—

(a)

for the meetings and proceedings of the partnership and any such sub-committee, and

(b)

for the partnership (and any such sub-committee) to be provided with accommodation and with such services as the authority consider appropriate.

(5)

The functions of the partnership shall be to work with the authority—

(a)

in reviewing the sufficiency of the provision of nursery education for the authority’s area for the purposes of section 118, F11. . .

F12(ab)

F13 in reviewing the sufficiency of childcare provision for the authority’s area for the purposes of section 118A, F14...

F14(b)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)

F15The Assembly may by order confer on early years development F16and childcare partnerships such additional functions as are specified in the order.

Early years development F17and childcare plans

F19120 Early years development F18and childcare plans.

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F20121 Approval, modification and review of statement of proposals.

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Inspection of nursery education

122Inspection of nursery education F21in Wales.

(1)

Schedule 26 (inspections, etc. of providers of nursery education F22in Wales) shall have effect.

F23(2)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3)

Any register of nursery education inspectors established by F24the Chief Inspector for Wales under Schedule 1 to that Act shall be treated as established by him under Schedule 26 to this Act; and accordingly anything done under Schedule 1 to that Act in connection with the registration of (or any refusal to register) any person in that register shall, if effective immediately before the commencement of this section, continue to have effect as if done under Schedule 26 to this Act.

(4)

In subsection (3) F25“the Chief Inspector for Wales” means“ F26Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales or Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru.

Further provisions relating to nursery education

123 Children with special educational needs.

(1)

It shall be the duty of—

(a)

any F1local authority or other person providing F27relevant nursery education F27relevant early years education, and

(b)

any person employed by such an authority or other person, or otherwise engaged to provide his services, in the provision of such education,

(except where a duty is already imposed by subsection (2) of section 313 of the M1Education Act 1996) to have regard to the provisions of the code of practice issued under that section (practical guidance in respect of the discharge of functions under Part IV of that Act).

(2)

That code of practice may include practical guidance in respect of the provision of F28relevant nursery education F28relevant early years education for children with special educational needs in circumstances where functions under Part IV of the M2Education Act 1996 do not fall to be discharged.

(3)

But unless that code of practice includes provision made by virtue of subsection (2)—

(a)

the Secretary of State shall publish a document explaining how the practical guidance contained in that code applies in circumstances where functions under Part IV of the M3Education Act 1996 do not fall to be discharged, and

(b)

the duty imposed by subsection (1) includes a duty to have regard to the provisions of that document.

F29(3A)

Subsection (3B) applies if—

(a)

a F1local authority or other person providing F30relevant nursery education F30relevant early years education for a child makes special educational provision for him because it is considered that he has special educational needs;

(b)

no statement under section 324 of the Education Act 1996 is maintained for the child; and

(c)

his parent has not previously been informed under subsection (3B) of the special educational provision made for him.

(3B)

The F1local authority or other person concerned must inform the child’s parent that special educational provision is being made for him because it is considered that he has special educational needs.

F31(4)

In this section “relevant nursery education” means nursery education which is provided—

(a)

by a F1local authority, or

(b)

by any other person who is in receipt of financial assistance given by such an authority and whose provision of nursery education is taken into account by the authority in formulating proposals for the purposes of section 120(2)(a).

F31(4)

In this section “relevant early years education” means—

(a)

in relation to England, early years provision as defined by section 20 of the Childcare Act 2006 which is provided under arrangements made by a local authority in England in pursuance of the duty imposed by section 7 of that Act (whether or not the local authority provides the early years provision);

(b)

in relation to Wales, nursery education which is provided—

(i)

by a F1local authority in Wales, or

(ii)

by any other person who is in receipt of financial assistance given by such an authority under arrangements made by them in pursuance of the duty imposed by section 118.

124 Travel arrangements for children receiving nursery education otherwise than at school.

After section 509 of the M4Education Act 1996 there shall be inserted—

“509A Travel arrangements for children receiving nursery education otherwise than at school.

(1)

A local education authority may provide a child with assistance under this section if they are satisfied that, without such assistance, he would be prevented from attending at any premises—

(a)

which are not a school or part of a school, but

(b)

at which relevant nursery education is provided,

for the purpose of receiving such education there.

(2)

The assistance which may be provided for a child under this section consists of either—

(a)

making arrangements (whether for the provision of transport or otherwise) for the purpose of facilitating the child’s attendance at the premises concerned, or

(b)

paying the whole or any part of his reasonable travel expenses.

(3)

When considering whether to provide a child with assistance under this section in connection with his attendance at any premises, a local education authority may have regard (among other things) to whether it would be reasonable to expect alternative arrangements to be made for him to receive relevant nursery education at any other premises (whether nearer to his home or otherwise).

(4)

Where the assistance to be provided for a child under this section consists of making arrangements for the provision of transport, the authority may, if they consider it appropriate to do so, determine that the assistance shall not be so provided unless—

(a)

the child’s parent, or

(b)

the person providing the relevant nursery education concerned,

agrees to make to the authority such payments in respect of the provision of the transport (not exceeding the cost to the authority of its provision) as they may determine.

(5)

In this section “relevant nursery education” means nursery education which is provided—

(a)

by a local education authority, or

(b)

by any other person—

(i)

who is in receipt of financial assistance given by such an authority and whose provision of nursery education is taken into account by the authority in formulating proposals for the purposes of section 120(2)(a) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, or

(ii)

who is in receipt of grants under section 1 of the M5Nursery Education and Grant-Maintained Schools Act 1996.”