Examination of Witnesses (Questions 100
- 107)
TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2000
MRS SARA
BUCKLEY, AND
MS TRISH
REEVES-LONG
100. The voucher scheme was criticised for threatening
the viability of play groups because people could take their vouchers
to schools and reception classes and other providers. The voucher
system has changed now to a grant system, has that made a difference
to that particular problem and has it improved it or made it worse
in any other way?
(Mrs Buckley) It is difficult to give a definite answer
because in the case of Radley we changed so much, we are almost
a different pre-school from what it was before the vouchers came
in. I know from experience of other pre-schools that they did
lose a lot, one just down the road loses a lot. The school took
the children in younger and so the nursery class took their children
in younger and the knock-on effect is the pre-school was left
with the oldest child being about three and a half.
101. Is that with a voucher or a grant?
(Mrs Buckley) That was with the voucher system. I
think it is easing up a little bit but it is not too dissimilar
with the vouchers. The perception of where you are getting the
best education, I think hand-on-heart most parents would rather
go to a nursery school than a pre-school sometimes. It does vary,
some parents like the idea of a pre-school play group. I cannot
really give a hard and fast answer because it varies so much.
Chairman
102. I got a real feeling of buzz and energy
in your establishment and I really enjoyed myself—I think
I was reading and playing with Abigail's toys—I did get
a good feel about it. In terms of what people said to me, I talked
to a couple of parents and staff, how do you feel about the new
Partnership? We have heard people saying that this is an exciting
new Partnership. There is a lot of new money around. You are really
at the cutting edge, you are having the most struggle.
(Mrs Buckley) Yes.
103. How do you feel about the Partnership?
(Mrs Buckley) We have just bought this wonderful big
brochure (Indicating) which I am just starting to work
through as well as working through all of the changes. Then we
have a monitoring visit, which we had last month, which is very
supportive. We only get one a year but it is always very positive.
She always looks for the good side and how we can improve ourselves.
It is certainly useful. I can see it working really down the line,
when we will be working together rather than everyone having separate
agendas. There is a lot of coming together now, which is very
useful.
104. Trish Reeves-Long, how do you feel about
the Partnership? I got the feeling that you thought there was
money out there and new resources but you both seem to be a little
pessimistic. I was very surprised when Sara Buckley said she did
not really see much difference between the days of the voucher
system and the present system, when so much more money has been
devoted to pre-school.
(Ms Reeves-Long) I have come in as a new mum bringing
a child to a pre-school and I am have only been on the Committee
since August. All I see is we are struggling the whole time to
keep it together. I hope this new Partnership is going to give
us light at the end of the tunnel, however unfortunately we are
at the stage of the tunnel where it is very dark and we are still
trying to keep it together. Luckily for us we have a good Committee
that are all parents, excellent staff and so far the funding from
them has been very good through fund-raising. That has kept us
above water and has also provided us with our outside play area,
which we raised money to get. That is what we have done. It would
be nice to think, yes, this is going to really help us in the
future. That is what we hope.
Charlotte Atkins
105. I noticed that the children had books and
you were doing a lot of writing skills, some with dots they went
over. Is that because you are working with the primary school
and that is what they want you to do? It seems quite early to
do a lot of that type of skill with a pencil, or is it something
that your parents would like you to do, this early work, holding
a pencil?
(Mrs Buckley) That does not happen everyday. Early
Years Partnership are very hot on pre-reading and pre-writing
skills. The Early Years do expect children by the time they are
ready for school to be able to hold a pen and write their name
and certain letters, so it is part of their curriculum. That being
said, when we get those little books out it is a case of a child
saying, "Can I do my writing now", it is not, "Sit
down, you must do this now." It is an activity that a lot
of children enjoy and it is also an activity that can be fairly
quiet, that was one of the reasons it was out today. Children
are expected to have pen skills and to be able to form their letters
at five.
106. Do you liaise with the primary school next
door?
(Mrs Buckley) We are working at that. We had a couple
of preliminary meetings where we are trying to get some sort of
continuity so we start and the children will then go on.
107. How long have you been going as a play
group?
(Mrs Buckley) Radley play group has been around thirty-odd
years, however on the present site we are just into our third
year now. The head is a teaching head, so she is a very busy lady,
but we do keep in touch informally as well.
Chairman: Thank you very much, we enjoyed our
visit.
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