Salford City Council provides high levels of early years provision with expenditure well matched to identified need. This has helped make early years a major strength in Salford, and provides children with an excellent start to their formal schooling.
The Audit Commission corporate assessment of Salford City Council, published in April 2006, found high levels of early years provision. The benefits of this provision are seen in the performance results at key stages 1 and 2 in most primary schools. The Joint Area Review carried out in April 2006 also commended the early years provision as a major strength which ensures that children make a good start to their formal learning.
Salford is an area of high deprivation, where outcomes for children in school have suffered. Additionally, in households where both parents wished to work there was not an encouragement to do so through access to high-quality childcare and information about the service. There is a known link between child poverty and longer-term overall outcomes for children.
Salford has implemented a strategy with several strands. For a number of years a heavy investment has been made in early education, with most three and four year olds having full time places in school nurseries. This was complemented by a high level of investment by Salford's Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership in supporting the private, voluntary and independent sector.
Particular emphasis has been on ensuring that this sector is supported through the OFSTED inspection process. This ensures high-quality non-maintained provision. Similarly, a plan has been adopted to support school-based provision. The Council also provided four Early Years Centres for children in need. The Primary Care Trust developed five Sure Start Local Programmes providing integrated family support, health and play services.
Playgroups and early years centres provide welcoming and supportive, caring environments for children and families. In addition the Council has created strong local partnerships that ensure that liaison between private and voluntary partners is effective and that transition to school is managed well.
The future integration of Early Years Centres and Sure Start Local Programmes into Children's Centres, combined with work on play and Extended School services will ensure more lasting benefits in the future.