- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Mark McDonald on 9 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05641 by Mark McDonald on 12 January 2017, what the (a) aims, (b) processes, (c) membership, and (d) distinct remit is of the (i) ELC Strategic Forum, (ii) ELC Managers Forum, and (iii) Senior Leaders Forum.
Answer
Membership of the three Forums is listed below. The remit of the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Strategic Forum is to develop and drive a strategic vision for high quality, flexible ELC in Scotland that is affordable and accessible for all. The forum provides strategic advice to Scottish Ministers through maintaining a high-level oversight of our ELC programme. The Forum meets three times per year.
The Senior Leaders’ Forum, which meets bi-monthly, provides an opportunity for senior representatives from local authorities with an interest in the ELC expansion programme to engage with Scottish Government officials directly in the strategic planning and implementation of the programme. It is intended that this group will help Scottish Ministers deliver on our vision for the expansion of ELC at local level. This forum will also communicate and share best practice in strategic planning with regional colleagues, and assist in resolving regional issues where these arise.
The ELC Managers’ Forum, which also meets bi-monthly, assists in the planning and implementation of the ELC expansion programme by providing specialist knowledge in ELC service delivery and infrastructure planning. This forum will also communicate and share best practice in service delivery with regional colleagues, and assist in resolving regional issues where these arise.
Early Learning and Childcare Strategic Forum
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Mark McDonald (Chair)
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Minister for Childcare & Early Years
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Irene Audain
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Scottish Out of School Care Network
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Sally Cavers
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Children in Scotland
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Lesley Brown
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Education Scotland
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Jean Carwood-Edwards
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Early Years Scotland
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Davina Coupar
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West College Scotland
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Anna Fowlie
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Scottish Social Services Council
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Valerie Gale
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Care and Learning Alliance
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Lesley Gibb
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Association of Directors of Education in Scotland
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Ann Henderson
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Scottish Trades Union Congress
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Vicky Crichton
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Save the Children
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Gerry McLaughlin
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NHS Health Scotland
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Fiona McQueen (Chief Nursing Officer)
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Scottish Government
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Kevin Mitchell
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Care Inspectorate
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Jane O’Donnell and Cllr Stephanie Primrose
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CoSLA
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Satwat Rehman
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One Parent Families Scotland
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Bruce Robertson
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ELC Strategic Evidence Group Chair
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Clare Simpson
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Parenting Across Scotland
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Maggie Simpson
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Scottish Childminding Association
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Christine Stephen
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Stirling University
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Purnima Tanuku
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National Day Nurseries Association Scotland
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Jim McCormick
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Joseph Rowntree Foundation
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Julie Wild
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National Parent Forum of Scotland
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Senior Leaders’ Forum
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John Butcher
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Executive Director, Education and Youth Employment, North Ayrshire Council (Chair at the request of SG)
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Craig McArthur
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Head of Finance and ICT, East Ayrshire Council
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Laura Mason
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Chief Education Officer, West Dunbartonshire Council
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David McClelland
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Head of Service Development, Glasgow City Council
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Bill Alexander
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Director of Care and Learning, Highland Council
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Alan Wood
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Director of Finance, Aberdeenshire Council
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Donna McMaster
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Head of Service,
West Lothian Council
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Grace Vickers
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Head of Education,
Midlothian
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Jim Boyle
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Executive Finance Officer Stirling Council
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Robert Naylor
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Director of Children's Services, Falkirk Council
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ELC Managers’ Forum
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Morag McDonald
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Early Years Strategic Manager, South Lanarkshire Council
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Rosemary Smith
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PT Early Years, Dumfries & Galloway Council
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Kathleen McDonagh
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Education Officer (Early Years), Renfrewshire Council
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Simon Mair
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School Improvement & Planning Manager, East Dunbartonshire Council
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Catherine Diamond
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Principal Teacher – Manager of Early Years Services, Orkney Council
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Alison Mackenzie
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Principal Officer Early Years, Argyll and Bute Council
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Graham Jarvis
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Head of Lifelong Learning, Culture and Sport, Moray Council
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Donna Murray
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Quality Improvement Education Officer- Early Years,
Edinburgh
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Grace Frew
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Senior Lead Education Officer Early Years, Scottish Borders Council
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Carrie Lindsay
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Head of Education and Children's Services, Fife Council
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Lesley Gibb
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Education Manager, Dundee City Council
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- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06038 by John Swinney on 18 January 2017, for what reason no minutes of the meetings are held; whether informal minutes or notes where taken and if (a) so, whether it will publish these and (b) not, how it was able to (i) keep a record of the views of Universities Scotland and Colleges Scotland and (ii) inform ministers regarding what was discussed.
Answer
As part of on-going stakeholder engagement, the Scottish Government has regular informal meetings with organisations. These are not routinely minuted.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the modern apprenticeship frameworks that will be supported for apprentices over the age of 25 by April 2017.
Answer
A list of the Modern Apprenticeship contribution rates, including those that include funding for those aged over 25 was included in the Invitation to Tender documents for bidders during the annual MA contracting process on Public Contracts Scotland
https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/41756/ma-contribution-tables-2016-17-dec-2016.pdf
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05641 by Mark McDonald on 12 January 2017, whether the operational guidance has been provided to head teachers, and whether it will make a copy available to the Parliament.
Answer
A draft of the operational guidance for the Pupil Equity Fund was issued to all headteachers on 1 February 2017 along with indicative individual school level allocations. On the same date the operational guidance and indicative allocations were made available online (www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Raisingeducationalattainment/pupilequityfund) and details were passed to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The operational guidance will be kept under review.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2017
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that almost half of head teachers consider that there is a lack of teaching staff in schools.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2017
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it produces to officials regarding keeping records of meetings, and under what circumstances it considers that a meeting will require (a) a formal minute, (b) an informal minute, (c) a formal note, (d) an informal note and (e) no formal or informal record to be taken.
Answer
The Scottish Government Intranet contains useful guidance and a template on how to structure formal/informal minutes.
Responsibility for what minutes, notes or recording, if any, should be taken at a meeting will be made at the discretion of the Chair of the meeting.
The chair is also responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the minutes and that they are circulated and or stored as appropriate.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government when it was advised that the full processing of applications for its New Entrant Scheme for crofters from the National Reserve 2016 would not be possible until February 2017, and what measures it has introduced to mitigate delays for applicants.
Answer
The Scottish Government incorporated the required IT functionality to process National Reserve - New Entrant Scheme applications into its 2016 delivery schedule. Due to the delivery schedule, and upon announcement of the 2016 National Basic Payment Support Scheme, we introduced manual assessments to allow loans to issue, under the NBPSS 2016, to those applicants where eligibility could be established.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Mark McDonald on 1 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria, guidance or support local authorities will receive to help them make decisions about the deployment of additional graduates to nurseries.
Answer
As part of the announcement on the Additional Graduate commitment on 18 January 2017 the Scottish Government set out more details and guidance as to how this commitment would be delivered. This can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/early-years/ELCTrials/AdditionalGraduateCommitment.
In order to support delivery of the commitment the Scottish Government will invest nearly £1.5 million in 2017-18 to fund additional places for teacher training and the BA Childhood Practise.
We are currently working closely with local authorities on the implementation of this commitment.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Mark McDonald on 1 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter by the Minister for Childcare and Early Years to the Education and Skills Committee of 18 January 2017 on the additional graduate commitment, for each local authority area, what proportion of allocations of additional graduate places will be for (a) teachers with early years expertise and (b) graduate practitioners with the BA Childhood Practice award.
Answer
The balance between the contribution of teachers with early years expertise and graduates with the BA Childhood Practice towards delivering the commitment will reflect a number of factors including the supply of suitably skilled professionals with early years expertise within local areas.
We are currently working closely with local authorities on progressing this commitment, and will ask them to provide plans setting out how they propose to allocate, and fill, the additional places in their area.
In order to support delivery of the commitment the Scottish Government will invest nearly £1.5 million in 2017-18 to fund additional places for teacher training and the BA Childhood Practice.
- Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Mark McDonald on 1 February 2017
To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the impact of its additional graduate policy will be on (a) the number and proportion of children attending high-quality nursery settings, (b) the number and proportion of children meeting expected developmental milestones at school entry and (c) attainment gaps at school entry points.
Answer
By providing more children who face the greatest disadvantages with access to highly qualified staff with expertise in early childhood learning and development our Additional Graduate commitment will help support our ambition to close the attainment gap.
We are working closely with local authorities to progress the delivery of this commitment, and will monitor the impact on child outcomes as part of the wider evaluation of the early learning and childcare expansion to 1140 hours.
