Phase 2

By September 2010, when Phase 2 starts, there must be a universal offer for all those who wish to access it.
By then the local authority must also ensure that the offer can be accessed flexibly by parents and their children.

Which providers can participate in Phase 2?

The local authority’s role is to ensure that provision is there for all those who wish to access it.  So the local authority will be encouraging all providers who are delivering the early years foundation stage – maintained nursery classes, PVI settings, accredited childminders – to participate.  Providers will need to consider what they can offer and assess what the demand for flexibility within their local area is.

What do we mean by Flexibility?

At present many early years settings deliver the current offer of 12 ½ hours per week in 2 ½ or 3 hour sessions. The local authority must ensure that genuine flexibility is available and actively support and encourage providers to move towards delivering the offer flexibly.

Flexibility is about ensuring that parents have the option to access more than just sessional provision. It’s about taking the individual needs of parents into account by ensuring that they can access an offer that most closely fits their needs.  However, there is no expectation that this diverse market will meet the needs of every individual parent at every individual setting.

Parental demand should be matched against practicality – for example it is not expected that parents would access the entitlement against different patterns each week or to change arrangements day by day.

What do we mean by the flexibility framework?

The DCSF sets out the following minimum requirements of what flexibility means.