EDR04 - Financial Savings 2021-22 - Teachers in Early Learning and Childcare
| Title | EDR04 - Financial Savings 2021-22 - Teachers in Early Learning and Childcare |
|---|---|
| Council Resource | Education |
| Aims and Objectives | Through consideration of the requirement for access to an Early Years Teacher in nurseries, a saving of £0.797m can be realised in 2021/2022. This will be achieved through the replacement of all 82FTE Early Years Teachers with an Early Years Worker, while ensuring that staff ratios are maintained and statutory requirements continue to be met. A pool of 12FTE Peripatetic Early Years Teachers would be retained that would continue to work with establishments. Teachers would contribute to a number of nurseries across an area of the Council. The focus would be on curriculum and leading children's learning. This would allow continued access to a teacher in the ELC environment and enhance flexibility and would not be part of pupil : staff ratios. The Early Years workforce is now moving towards a degree workforce and the professional learning and overall learning environment enhance children’s experiences and learning. There are currently 82FTE Early Years Teachers - 28.0 FTE teachers within 52 week (including 1140 expansion teachers) and 53.2 FTE teachers in nursery classes. Through implementing the above change, whilst retaining the pool of 12 Peripatetic Early Years Teachers, a saving of £0.797m can be realised in 2021/2022. This will require an additional 12.0 FTE to be added to the Early Years Establishment. The saving will be part year effect from August 2021. The annual saving equates to £1.246m. A further saving of £0.449m is therefore achievable in 2022/2023. This saving will require a plan to redeploy teachers back into the primary sector or cover setting. |
| Conclusion | This proposal will see the replacement of Early Years Teachers with Early Years Workers in early years establishments. A previous saving has already been implemented in nursery classes/establishments with 20 FTE and 30 FTE provision. |
| Completion date | 24/2/21 |
| Contact Email address | equalities@southlanarkshire.gov.uk |