Chamber and committees

Local authorities have a duty to provide early learning and childcare to all eligible children within their area. Parents can contact their local authority to find out where their child can access the funded hours. There may be a number of reasons why it is not possible to obtain a funded place in a parent’s first choice nursery.

From 2020, as part of the national roll-out of 1140 hours, any provider wishing to deliver the funded ELC entitlement must meet the requirements of the new National Standard.

The proposed criteria in the draft National Standard focus on what children and their families should expect from their ELC experience, regardless of whether they access their entitlement in local authority, private, or voluntary/third sector nurseries or through provision offered by childminders. We anticipate this means parents will be able to access the funded hours at any childcare provider that meets the national standard, subject to there being a place available at that provider.

As I set out in my answer S5W-15210 on 26 March 2018 it is for local authorities to determine, on the advice of their own legal and procurement teams, the local process for contracting with providers in the private and third sectors to deliver funded early learning and childcare entitlement hours.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

We do not hold this information.

Local authorities are responsible for fulfilling the duty to provide early learning and childcare. Local authorities are also required to consult representative populations of parents and carers on how funded early learning and childcare should be made available. They should also publish and implement plans on how they will make their services available in response to those consultations.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information on a school-by-school basis. However, there are a range of emerging and innovative models to support delivery of the curriculum.

Curriculum for Excellence gives schools the flexibility to offer different and innovative approaches, enabling them to meet each young person’s needs in a range of ways. There is no one approach to delivering CfE, as long as the school and education authority have a clear and robust educational rationale for their approach and they continue to work closely with their partners and parents to inform, shape and develop their approach to support the individual needs and aspirations of all learners.

The well being of school pupils is vitally important, and we recognise the impact that anxiety about school work can have on children. That is why health and wellbeing is a key priority of the Curriculum for Excellence.

Opportunities should be available through the school year for every young person to have regular conversations about their learning and progress. This should include discussing any stress a young person may be feeling as they prepare for examinations, and support around how this can best be managed.

Opportunities should be available through the school year for every young person to have regular conversations about their learning and progress. Good practice would include discussing any stress a young person may be feeling as they prepare for examinations, and support around how this can best be managed. All schools should gather evidence about any issues facing young people and look at steps that can be taken to address concerns.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority provides information to learners in preparation for exams. This includes help with studying for exams, what to expect on exam day and information on results day.

Education Scotland have also commenced a review of Personal and Social Education (PSE) delivery in schools, which will include consideration of the provision of counselling services for children and young people.

The following figures represent the number of Modern Apprentices for whom a payment was made in 2016-17 to the provider and the total costs to each provider. This does not necessarily represent all apprentices as claims may not have been made for all apprentices in training at year end.

The figures below cover the period up to the end of Quarter 3, 2017-18. They represent the number of Modern Apprentices for whom a payment was made to the provider and the total costs to each provider. This does not necessarily represent all apprentices as claims may not have been made for all apprentices in training at Quarter 3 end.

Skills Development Scotland contracting arrangements are not made by singular Modern Apprenticeship frameworks, but by occupational grouping, therefore it is not possible to provide an estimate for 2018-19. This framework is one of several within the Food and Drink occupational grouping which includes: Aquaculture; Agriculture; Food and Drink Operations, and Maritime Occupations.

Further to this overall expenditure is influenced by a number of variables including how many new apprentices are recruited by employers and how quickly these apprentices progress through their training.

As the framework was recently created and demand is expected to increase, as a STEM occupational area, Skills Development Scotland will support additional demand for take-up in this framework across the year.

Skills Development Scotland has been working to ensure that Providers need now only make one, rather than multiple claims, and Providers were notified of this new process on 12 March 2018. A payment will be made within a few days of a successful claim submission by the Provider.

The Scottish Government's understanding is that subject to a caveat being lodged by the other party, a hearing before a sheriff on an application for an interim interdict can normally take place on the same day as the application is made to the court. If the member has a particular concern in this area, I would be grateful if he could write to me and I would then consider further.