Description
The Greater Manchester Early Years Data and Evaluation Task and Finish Group was formed in November 2019, and met four times from November 2019-June 2021. The remit of the group was to explore the use of school readiness metrics within GMCA, in light of the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework from September 2021, as well as the refreshed Greater Manchester Strategy (a ten year strategy document (2021-2031) with an implementation plan for the first three years (2021-2024)). The first two sessions were convened by Leon Feinstein (Rees Centre, University of Oxford), and were attended by practitioners, health professionals and Early Years leads. Work then paused due to Covid. After lockdown, group activity resumed, and was convened by Claire Forbes, Pam Qualter and Sarah MacQuarrie from Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, and attended by Anna Sanders (Lead Analyst for School Readiness at Greater Manchester Combined Authority-GMCA), David Ottiwell (Principal Researcher, GMCA), Erica Roscoe (Manchester City Council) and Leonie Allerton (Manchester City Council). The aims of the group were:to evaluate GMCA school readiness metrics that will feed into the broader Greater Manchester Strategy;
to identify indicators of school readiness that fall outside of these metrics, focussing upon population-based studies (including millennium cohort study);
to consider relationship between inequality and school readiness, and possible metrics related to this;
to identify poverty indicators at ward level across GM, and conduct a comparative analysis - OfSTED ratings, take-up at 2-4 years, in/out of work, parental mental health measures.
Proposed metrics were then fed back to the Greater Manchester School Readiness Board for further consultation in June 2021. The GM School Readiness Board emphasised the importance of the need to re-evaluate existing School Readiness metrics, and were in broad support of the proposed measures.
| Period | 1 Dec 2020 → 1 Jul 2021 |
|---|---|
| Held at | The Greater Manchester Early Years Data and Evaluation Task and Finish Group |