Impact of the repeal of the Schools (Scotland) Code
The Scottish Government annual census information gathered from all providers in the pre-school sector has shown a decline in the number of teachers employed in the pre-school sector from 2307 in 2004 to 2068 in 2006.4
Since the repeal of the Schools (Scotland) Code in 2003, the role of the nursery teacher in early years education has undergone considerable change. Local authorities have reviewed their services for children, particularly in light of the repeal of the code. They still recognise teachers as highly educated adults with specific training who make a significant difference to the quality of children’s experiences within an early years service. However, teacher deployment in nursery education has varied across local authorities. Some authorities have not changed their commitment to deploying teachers in nursery schools and classes, and have raised the profile of teachers and revised their job descriptions. These authorities cited HMIE inspection data as evidence for doing this. The majority of authorities have continued to deploy teachers as the lead coordinator of the nursery team, often responsible for planning and assessment in young children’s learning.
On the other hand, some authorities have replaced teachers with nursery nurses. In these authorities, nursery nurses still have links to teachers, but less directly in the nursery and more in a supportive way through staff development and training opportunities. In a few local authorities, teachers in nurseries have been redeployed into primary classes for primary teacher supply cover.
Apart from direct involvement in identified nursery schools and classes, teachers have undertaken various roles in pre-school education. Almost all local authorities have deployed teachers in some way to support partner centres in raising the quality of children’s pre-school experiences in these establishments.
However, as a result of the reduction of teachers in some authorities, the staffing profile, in terms of maintaining at least one professional with degree status in settings, is changing. Not all centres which are delivering nursery education employ staff who are qualified to degree level.
Examples of effective deployment of teachers
Inspectors identified a range of ways in which local authorities were using teachers to support their own and partner centres in improving the quality of education for pre-school children. The following are some examples of effective deployment of teachers.
Local authorities need to ensure that, when they review the role and remit of teachers in early education, they make appropriate and effective use of the particular skills and expertise of teachers to ensure that they maintain the consistently high standard of provision and support for pre-school children’s development and progress. |
Recent changes affecting the deployment of staff in pre-school
Teachers’ Agreement (2001)
The implementation of the teachers’ agreement in 2001 was found to have had an additional effect on the deployment of teachers in pre-school settings. Local authorities have put in place different arrangements for supporting teachers’ conditions of service. Some have re-deployed teachers from nurseries to primary schools to cover primary teachers’ non-class contact time. As a result, nursery nurses are in turn covering teachers in nursery schools and classes. Although HMIE evidence points to some high quality provision where nursery nurses are employed, the full impact of these changes in deployment have yet to be evaluated.
Rationalisation of nursery facilities
Another change was found in the reduction of nursery schools across the country. HMIE inspections found that nursery schools with teacher headteachers leading a team of teachers and other qualified nursery staff provided some of the best experiences to support children’s progress, development and learning. In recent years, despite high-quality pre-school education being found in nursery schools, a number of local authorities have closed them down or replaced them with alternative provision.
Where services are being reorganised, care should be taken not to weaken existing, effective structures, such as that found most often in nursery schools with teacher involvement, which are providing high-quality nursery education. |
Changes in terms and conditions for nursery nurses
A contributory factor in the changing deployment of teachers has resulted from the agreements following the nursery nurse dispute in 2003/04. Nursery nurses in nursery schools and classes managed by the local authority had taken industrial action to improve the terms and conditions of their work. The role and remit of nursery nurses have changed significantly as a result of the settlement, following their industrial action. Under their new terms and conditions, nursery nurses are now often taking increased responsibility for curriculum planning and assessing, recording and reporting on children’s progress. In many authorities, numerous job titles have replaced the traditional title of ‘nursery nurse’. These have ranged from early years practitioner to early childhood officer or early education officer. Increased responsibilities allocated to nursery nurses as part of the settlement have been a factor in some authorities replacing teachers with nursery nurses when jobs have become vacant. The settlement has also provided more opportunities for nursery nurses to have a career structure. In a few councils, senior nursery nurses or their equivalent manage teachers.