Provision of ELC access for children who defer primary 1 - Evaluation of pilots

Tender description

The Scottish Government wish to commission a research project to evaluate the pilot approach to early learning and childcare access for children who defer Primary 1. The primary aim of the work is to provide Scottish Government and Local Government with timely, robust information on the implementation of the pilot projects to inform full roll-out of the policy. The Scottish Government Children and Families Analysis Unit and Early Learning and Childcare Directorate wish to commission a research project to evaluate the pilot approach to early learning and childcare access for children who defer Primary 1. The primary aim of the work is to provide Scottish Government and Local Government with timely, robust information on the implementation of the pilot projects to inform full roll-out of the policy. Specifically, the research should provide information about implementation of the policy in the pilot areas, including implications for admissions processes, communications, overall capacity and parental choice in the pilot local authorities, and explore the impact of the pilots on parental awareness and perceptions of the entitlement. The proposed research will provide a final report, the findings of which will be disseminated within Scottish Government and Local Government as well as externally published. It will also provide an interim report, which will be disseminated within Scottish Government and to the Deferral Working Group, and two presentations. The findings will be used to inform the full roll-out of the policy across Scotland.