Early Learningand Childcare

Education and Youth EmploymentCunninghame HouseIrvine KA12 8EE

t. 01294 310 000www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk

You can get this pack in other formats such as Braille,audio tape or large type, and in community languages if you ask us.

Early Learning and Childcare

Children enjoy attending early years centres and classes.Research shows that the education children receive in theirearly years helps future development.

North Ayrshire Council is committed to the provision of qualityearly learning and childcare. From August 2014 all 3 and 4 year-old children living in North Ayrshire are entitled to a minimumof 600 hours per year. This is usually offered over five morningsor afternoon sessions. We are however, in the process ofdeveloping more flexible options to suit the needs of parents.

There are no catchment areas for early learning and childcare andparents can apply for a place for their child in any establishmentin North Ayrshire. Early learning and childcare can be accessedin centres, or early year classes attached to primary schools. TheCouncil also works in partnership with private and voluntaryproviders to ensure that they have a sufficient number of placesand a range of provision available to meet the needs andpreferences of parents and their children.

Placement in an early years class attached to a school does notguarantee a place in the primary school. Early learning andchildcare provision is non-denominational.

North Ayrshire Council also provides a number of places forchildren under three years. These places are allocated to childrenreferred by Social Services, Health or Psychological Services.

Places will also be offered to eligible 2 year-old children includingthose who are looked after or under a kinship care order andchildren whose parents are in receipt of certain benefits. Moreinformation can be found at: www.scotland.gov.uk

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This booklet willprovide information on:

• When your child becomeseligible for early learning andchildcare

• How to apply for an earlylearning and childcareplacement in North Ayrshire

• The Admissions Policy for earlylearning and childcare

• What to expect from earlylearning and childcare in NorthAyrshire Council

• Questions you may have aboutyour child starting

• Details of all establishments inNorth Ayrshire

• Useful Contacts

How do I applyfor an earlylearning andchildcare placefor my child?Early learning and childcareregistration takes place in late January.An advert will appear in the local pressreminding you of this. You shouldcontact the establishment of yourchoice, usually the one nearest yourhome. If you do not know where yournearest centre is you can callChildcare and Recreation InformationService (CARIS) on 0345 351 3000.

At the centre you will be asked to fill inan application form and provide yourchild’s birth certificate. You will alsobe asked to state your second andthird choice of establishment.

You should register your child for anearly learning and childcare placefrom the January following theirsecond birthday.

When will mychild becomeeligible forearly learningand childcare?Children will normally becomeeligible for a place in the monthafter their third birthday. However,children whose birthdays fall on,or between, 1 March and 30 Junewill still be entitled to a place inthe following school year.

This means if your child turns threebetween 1 March and 30 June theywill start an early yearsclass/centre when the newsession starts in August. This is inline with school starting dates.

Children with birthdays from Julyto February will start the monthafter their third birthday.

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How areplacesallocated?

North Ayrshire Council has agreed that there arecircumstances which will give some children priorityfor admission into an early years class/centre. Thesepriorities will be used for admissions to all Councilcentres.

The head of the establishment will carefully considerall applications and find out which children havepriority according to the ‘Admissions to Early YearsEstablishments Policy’. Places will then be allocatedaccording to the priorities in the policy.

All children in Priority 1 will be allocated places firstthen Priority 2 and so on.

Where there are insufficient places to meet thedemand for an early year class/centre, difficultdecisions must be made in allocating these placesand a ballot will be held. There are guidelines toensure that this is carried out in an open and fairmanner.

It is not always possible to place all children in theearly years class/centre of their choice.

When a child has been allocated a place in an earlyyears class/centre they are entitled to remain thereuntil they are of age to move to primary school.Some children move to a different early yearsclass/centre for their pre-school year and they willhave to apply for a place in the same way.

Admissions to Early Learningand Childcare Establishments

Priority 1

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 places a duty onCouncils to provide support for children who are inneed of care and attention. These children will beidentified by a range of professionals and supportservices involved with children and families. Whenidentified, an assessment is submitted to the localEarly Years Partnership Forum and places will beagreed and allocated at this meeting.

The priorities are as follows:

Children in Need

The Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2004 places a duty on Councils toprovide appropriate support for children assessedas having additional support for learning needs.Places will be allocated to these children, followingappropriate discussion and agreement with parents,centres and professional agencies.

Children with AdditionalSupport Needs

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Priority 5Children in their ante-pre-schoolyear residing in North Ayrshire.

Priority 6Children in their pre-school yearresiding outwith North Ayrshire.

Priority 2All children in their pre-schoolyear living within the boundaryof North Ayrshire and thosechildren with January/ Februarybirthdays whose parents chooseto defer their child’s entry toprimary school.

Priority 3All children living within theboundary of North Ayrshirewhose parents choose to defertheir child’s entry to primaryschool and this has been agreedby North Ayrshire CouncilEducation & Youth Employment.

Priority 4Children in their ante-pre-schoolyear residing within NorthAyrshire. Places will be allocatedby month of birth in accordancewith the table T1 of the Admissionsto Early Years EstablishmentsPolicy.

Priority 7Children in their ante-pre-schoolyear residing outwith NorthAyrshire.

Questions you may have about your childattending an early years class/centre

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Q. Does mychild have toattend anearly yearsclass/centre?

Q. Can I applyto any earlyyears centre?

Q. Whatsessions areusually offered?

No. Attendance at the centre is not compulsory,however children benefit greatly from attending.

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Yes, however, children normally attend the centreclosest to their home. You may wish to apply toanother early years class/centre that is closer forchildcare or your place of work.

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Usually five mornings or five afternoon sessions areoffered. Within each neighbourhood there are some earlyyears centres/ classes who will be able to offer a differentmodel for working parents. If you have a specific requeste.g. split placement, speak to the head of theestablishment when you register your child.

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What toexpectfrom EarlyLearningandChildcareEducation

In the early years class/centre there will be fullyqualified friendly staff who will be able to respond toyour child’s needs. They use the guidelines from aCurriculum for Excellence to plan interestingexperiences to help him/her learn through play.

The early years class/centre premises will be safeand secure and children will have access to a widerange of interesting resources including outdoorplay. Children will have the opportunity to makefriends with other children and have fun in a safeenvironment where each child’s culture, religion andlanguage are respected.

As a parent/carer you will be encouraged to becomeinvolved in your child’s learning.

Q. Do I have topay anything formy child’s placeat an earlyyears centre?

Most centres ask for a small weekly donation towardsthe cost of providing snacks or special treats for yourchild. Some of our partner providers may have anadditional charge. You should ask about costs whenyou register your child.

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Q. Can Ichange centreat any time?

No. If your child has a place with a partner provider youmay have to sign a contract agreeing to give a period ofnotice before moving. It can also be disruptive for yourchild to move centre unless it is necessary.

Q. Can Irequest amorning placefor my child?

Most parents wish their child to attend five mornings aweek. Unfortunately, there are insufficient morningplaces to satisfy the demand. You will be asked to stateyour preference for a morning or afternoon place whenyou complete your application form and the centre willtry to allocate the session of your choice. However, ifthe demand exceeds the places a ballot will be held.

A.Q. What if Idon’t feel mychild is ready tostart school?

Children usually start school aged between four andfive in Scotland. However parents of children withbirthdays in January and February can request adeferred entry into school and children can haveanother year at the early years class/centre.

Parents of children with birthdays from September toDecember can also request a deferred entry to primaryschool if they do not feel their child is ready to startschool.

If you wish to consider deferring your child’s entry intoschool you should speak to the headteacher/head ofcentre. They will be happy to advise you on your child’sprogress and readiness for school. You will then begiven a form to apply for deferred entry to primaryschool. Sometimes an assessment is carried out withthe child to check his/her readiness for school.

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Q. Whatguarantee do Ihave that theearly yearsclass/centre is ofa good standard?

Centres must meet registration requirements agreedby the Care Inspectorate in order to be registered.All registered centres are inspected by the CareInspectorate and HMIE (Education Scotland). Copiesof recent inspection reports should be available inthe early years class/centre and can be accessed atwww.careinspectorate.com andwww.educationscotland.gov.uk

In addition to this North Ayrshire Council has its ownsystem for promoting quality in early year’sclasses/centres.

Q. Whatinformation will Iget on mychild’s progress?

Staff in the centre will observe your child and recordhis/her progress and development. They will sharethis information with you informally throughout thesession. You will also be given a report on yourchild’s progress and be invited into the early yearsclass/centre to discuss your child’s development.

A.Q. Will there besupport availableif my child hasadditional needs?

All children are treated as individuals in the centreand their learning needs will be met. If your child hasbeen assessed as having additional support forlearning needs, the early years class/centre will workwith you and a range of support services to ensureyour child’s needs are met.

Local Authority EarlyYears Classes and EarlyYears Centres

Abbey Primary & Early Years ClassClaremont Crescent, Kilwinning KA13 7HDTel: 01294 552251

Ardeer Primary & Early Years ClassClark Crescent, Stevenston KA20 3LZTel: 01294 469785

Beith Primary & Early Years ClassGlebe Road, Beith KA15 1EZTel: 01505 502363

Blacklands Primary & Early Years ClassDavid’s Crescent, Kilwinning KA13 6JJTel: 01294 552626

Brisbane Primary & Early Years ClassHolehouse Road, Largs KA30 9DZTel: 01475 686601

Caledonia Primary & Early Years ClassCampbell Avenue, Saltcoats KA21 5AFTel: 01294 472092

Castlepark Early Years Centre*Castlepark, Carron Place, Irvine KA12 9LQTel: 01294 278335

Education and Youth EmploymentNorth Ayrshire CouncilCunninghame House,

Irvine KA12 8EETelephone: 01294 310000

North Ayrshire CouncilWeb: www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Care Inspectorate Local OfficeTelephone: 0345 6009527

Web: www.careinspectorate.com

Some UsefulContacts

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Childcare & RecreationInformation Service (CARIS)Telephone: 0345 351 3000Web: www.families.scot

Children and Young People BillWeb: www.scotland.gov.uk

Education ScotlandWeb: www.educationscotland.gov.uk

Tax Credits & Universal CreditsWeb: www.hmrc.gov.uk

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Q. Whathappens if Ineed additionalearly learningand childcarefor my child?

Information in relation to childcare is available throughthe Childcare & Recreation Information Service (CARIS).Assistance towards the costs of childcare may beavailable through Tax Credits and UniversalCredits, telephone 0345 351 3000.

Q. Can my childgo to a centrewhich is locatedin another localauthority area?

If you would like to send your child to an early yearsclass/centre outwith North Ayrshire you should contactthe local authority in which the centre is located andcontact Education and Youth Employment at NorthAyrshire Council on 01294 310000.

*Provision also provided for 2 year-olds

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Garnock Valley Early Years Centre*St Bridget’s PS Campus, Hagthorn AvenueKilbirnie KA25 6EJ Tel: 01505 681322

Glencairn Primary & Early Years Class*New Street, Stevenston KA20 3HQTel: 01294 464376

Hayocks Primary & Early Years ClassLumsden Place, Stevenston KA20 4HGTel: 01294 465283

Kelburn Primary & Early Years ClassMoorburn Road, Largs KA30 9HT Tel: 01475 675216

Kilmory Primary & Early Years ClassKilmory, Isle of Arran KA27 8PQTel: 01770 870262

Kilwinning Early Years CentrePennyburn Primary School*Sundrum Place, Kilwinning KA13 6SETel: 01294 550858

Lamlash Primary & Early Years ClassMackelvie Road, Lamlash, Isle of Arran KA27 8NP Tel: 01770 600527

Lawthorn Primary & Early Years ClassLochlibo Road, Lawthorn, Irvine KA11 2AYTel: 01294 224548

Loudoun-Montgomery Primary & Early Years Class*Ayr Road, Irvine KA12 8DFTel: 01294 279031

Mayfield Primary & Early Years ClassKenilworth Drive, Saltcoats KA21 6HSTel: 01294 465576

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Corrie Primary & Early Years ClassCorrie, Isle of Arran KA27 8JP

Tel: 01770 810244

Corsehill Primary & Early Years Class*Fergushill Road, Kilwinning KA13 7LW

Tel: 01294 552418

Cumbrae Primary & Early Years ClassBute Terrace, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 0BB

Tel: 01475 530343

Dalry Early Years Centre*Sharon Street, Dalry KA24 5DR

Tel: 01294 832200

Dreghorn Primary & Early Years ClassDundonald Road, Dreghorn KA11 4AP

Tel: 01294 211018

Elderbank Primary & Early Years ClassSt Kilda Bank, Broomlands, KA11 1LA

Tel: 01294 218632

Fairlie Primary & Early Years ClassMorton Way, Fairlie KA29 0BW

Tel: 01475 568441

Garnock Community Campus Early Years Class* Beith Road, Glengarnock, KA14 3BF

Tel No: 01505 682685

Gateside Primary & Early Years ClassMain Road, Gateside, Near Beith

KA15 2LFTel: 01505 502776

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St Mark’s Primary & Early Years ClassClark Drive, Irvine KA12 0NSTel: 01294 271167

St Mary’s Primary & Early Years ClassLinn Avenue, Largs KA30 9JUTel: 01475 674382

St Peter’s Primary & Early Years ClassSouth Isle Road, Ardrossan KA22 7PXTel: 01294 462554

Stanecastle School & Early Years Class*Burns Crescent, Irvine KA11 1AQTel: 01294 211914

Stanley Primary & Early Years ClassStanley Road, Ardrossan KA22 7DHTel: 01294 462531

Whitlees Community Centre 2 year old provision*Carrick Place, Ardrossan KA22 7DTTel: 01294 462531

West Kilbride Primary & Early Years ClassHunterston Road, West KilbrideKA23 9EXEarly Years only open AM Tel: 01294 829978 Contact School PM Tel: 01294 822353

Winton Primary & Early Years Class*Anderson TerraceArdrossan KA13 6NQTel: 01294 464443

Woodlands Primary & Early Years ClassWoodlands Avenue, Irvine KA12 0PUTel: 01294 279532

Moorpark Primary & Early Years ClassMilton Road, Kilbirnie KA25 7EP

Tel: 01505 685386

Pirnmill Primary & Early Years ClassPirnmill, Isle of Arran KA27 8HP

Tel: 01770 850226

Shiskine Primary & Early Years ClassShiskine, Isle of Arran KA27 8EP

Tel: 01770 860207

Skelmorlie Primary & Early Years ClassInnes Park Road, Skelmorlie PA17 5BA

Tel: 01475 520997

Springside Primary & Early Years ClassStation Road, Springside KA11 3AZ

Tel: 01294 211651

Springvale Early Years Centre*Sannox Drive, Saltcoats KA21 6JD

Tel: 01294 607025

St Bridget’s Primary & Early Years ClassHagthorn Avenue, Kilbirnie KA25 6EJ

Tel: 01505 683293

St John Ogilvie Primary & Early Years Class13 Towerlands Farm Road

Irvine KA11 1PZTel: 01294 218823

St John’s Primary & Early Years ClassMorrison Avenue, Stevenston KA20 4HH

Tel: 01294 464557

St Luke’s Primary & Early Years ClassPennyburn Road, Kilwinning KA13 6LF

Tel: 01294 552131

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PARTNER PRE-SCHOOL CENTRES

Annick Pre SchoolOld Parish Church, 47 Kirkgate

Irvine KA12 0DG Tel: 07546 282992

Bradshaw Nursery22 Bradshaw StreetSaltcoats KA21 5HR

Tel: 01294 471576

Bright Beginnings NurseryGuide Hall, Muir Drive

Irvine KA12 0NRTel: 07977 557626

Brodick NurseryBrodick Public Hall, Brodick

Isle of Arran KA27 8DLTel: 07944 033993

Burnside House NurseryChildcare Scotland, Burnside House24

Kilwinning RoadIrvine KA12 8RU

Tel No: 01294 313180

Busy Bees NurseryThe James Moffat Centre

187 Glasgow StreetArdrossan KA22 8JY

Tel: 07967 129330 orTel: 01294 470892

Douglas Park NurseryCathcart RoadLargs KA30 8JBTel: 07971 523702

First Steps Nursery216 Bank StreetIrvine KA12 0YDTel: 01294 212632

Little Deers NurseryBuckreddan Care CentreIrvine RoadKilwinning KA13 7PFTel: 01294 542707

Owl and Pussycat Too Nursery1 Montgomery LaneIrvine KA12 8PS Tel: 01294 270700

Playtime NurseryDalry Community CentreSt Margaret AvenueDalry KA24 4BATel: 01294 833288 or alternatively07881 883544

Rainbow Childcare19 Howgate

Kilwinning KA13 6ENTel: 01294 557651

Summerlea House NurseryChildcare Scotland

9 Union StreetLargs KA30 8DG

Tel: 01475 672011

St Peter’s Children’s CentreSt Peter’s Parish Centre1 South Crescent Road

Ardrossan KA22 8DUTel: 01294 473030

The Yellow Brick Road Early Years CentreSt Columba’s Church Hall

13 Glasgow StreetKilbirnie, KA25 7AP

Tel No: 01505 227120

Treetops Too Private NurseryAilsa Road, Saltcoats

Ayrshire KA21 6LRTel: 01294 607270

Treetops Private Nursery83 Anderson Drive

Irvine KA12 9HYTel: 01294 312600

West Kilbride Early Years CentreCommunity Centre, Corse StreetWest Kilbride KA23 9AXTel: 01294 829217

Whitehirst Park Private NurseryWest Doura FarmStevenston RoadKilwinning KA13 6NQTel: 01294 551171

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