Early Years and Childcare: Local Authority Developing Practice – Pathfinders Implementation Toolkit Step 1: Project Planning

This Toolkit Step 1, the first in a series of four, is to support local authorities at the planning stage of implementing the extended flexible free entitlement for early years provision. 

It explores how local authorities are working towards the requirement to ensure that from 2010 the parents of all three- and four-year-olds have free access to 15 hours per week flexible early years provision.

These changes to the extended free entitlement are being rolled out gradually across the country. 20 pathfinder authorities will implement the new system from April 2007. This group will be joined by a further 14 local authorities from September 2008.

The toolkit can be used in order, or selected according to need:

Toolkit Step 1 Project Planning

Toolkit Step 2 Assessing Demand (select to access contents)

Toolkit Step 3 Engaging with Schools (select to access contents)

Toolkit Step 4 Delivering Flexibility and Communicating with Parents (select to access contents)

Contents of Toolkit Step 1 - Project Planning

• Project Plan
  A stylised overview to assist with the important phase of planning; designed to guide the drafting of a plan to fit the local authority's circumstances.
  
  
• Planning Learning Points
  This document explains some of the challenges faced during planning and includes some basic learning points captured form a pathfinder conference in July 2007.
  
  
• Job Descriptions (x6)
  Six sample job descriptions for pathfinder-related posts within current pathfinder authorities.