Unit 2.5 Task 1.1 Identify the Main Types of State and Independent Schools

These are stand alone schools for children ages 3 to 4 years old. Some have their own head teacher and trained nursery staff, and may be state funded; however there are also privately run nursery schools.

Community and foundation special schools- cater for children with specific special educational needs. These may include physical disabilities or learning difficulties.

This Act transferred the responsibility of children with special educational needs looked after by the health service to the local authority and as a result many special schools were built.

Early years learning usually runs with adults working with children on focused activities that have specific concepts such as play involving using numbers, starting letter formation and language activities. The classroom will usually contain educational toys/play areas and children will be encouraged to work/play independently and choose from a wide range of activities. Foundation stage classrooms/areas also have facilities outside the classroom for outside play.

This means keeping children safe from accidents (i.e. road safety), crime and bullying and actively promoting their well-being in a healthy, safe and supportive environment. It also encompasses issues such as pupil health and safety and bullying, about which there are specific statutory requirements, and a range of other issues, for example, arrangements for meeting the medical needs of children with medical conditions, providing first aid, school security, drugs and substance misuse.

In England, pre-school and nursery education is provided for within a wide range of settings including all pre-school groups, play groups , nursery centers, day nurseries, nursery schools and reception classes ( children aged 4-5 years) in primary schools.

The early years framework emphasises a personal and individual approach to learning and development because valuing a child’s individuality, ideas and feelings is an important part of developing an individual approach to the learning and development. A child has universal physical needs such as food, drink and shelter and psychological needs such as love, affection, security, friendship which are essential to maintaining their quality of life. In recognising and trying to meet an individual child’s needs each child’s age, physical maturity, intellectual abilities, emotional development, social skills and past experiences and relationships need to be considered.

There are four types of mainstream schools that have to adhere to the national curriculum and are funded by the LEA (Local Education Authority). These are:

Independent Schools – These are funded by the fees paid by the parents & income from gifts / charitable endowments. Most have charitable status which means that they can claim tax exemption. They also do not have to follow the national curriculum & the head teacher & governors decide on their admission policy. Approx. 2300 independent schools in the uk. They do however to register with the Department of Education so that they can be monitored, although they may not be monitored by Ofsted but the ISI (independent school inspectorate).

With so many choices it’s important to know the difference between each option. Public school is primarily supported by public funds. Public school funding comes primarily from local government sources of revenue. When revenue sources are looked at independently, state sources to schools of formula monies are the largest single source of funding followed closely by local government receipts of property tax monies. Public schools are often local to your community. They are close or close enough that the school district can provide bus services at no or low cost to you, the parents. The children who attend these schools are often your neighbors and the people your children will grow up with and develop bonds with within your community. Public schools are free to the parents of the students who reside within the district you are zoned for. These schools provide the

The structure and development of Early Childhood centres and kindergartens has constantly changed over the course of history and continues to change today. Kindergartens and child education centres first began in the early 19th century. Most of the early education centres drew on the

Education policy has developed in the UK since the Thatcher period because when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister, the governance of education was largely unchanged since the first world war. In schools, there was no national curriculum, no parental choice, no systematic means of monitoring performance, no publication of examination results beyond what schools themselves chose to reveal. Local authorities drew up catchment areas, and they decided which children went to which school, and distributed funds, specifying what should be spent on teachers' salaries, repairs, books and other items. (Wilby, 2013)

Preschools and playgroups - Provide part-time play and early learning for the under five years. Nursery schools - Provide early learning and childcare for children between three and five years old. The provision made in schools is all about supporting very young children, from key stage 1. It is based on the concept that young children learn through play rather than formal learning, as play is seen to be an important vehicle for childrenâ€TMs early learning.

Children in the US start preschool or nursery school at age four or under, kindergarten at five years of age. Schools provide American children with much more than academic education. More than 80 percent of all students participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports, student newspapers, drama clubs, choral groups and bands.

Pupils enter secondary school at the age of 11. Secondary schools are much bigger then primary school, for example there may be 240 pupils in a single year group at secondary – this may be more than the entire primary school. Pupils start