Quality counts at Manchester early years centres

Parents looking for childcare and education in the city's early years settings can now be assured of a commitment to providing top quality care, support, and learning experiences for their children.

This has been made possible through a partnership between Manchester City Council and the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA).

The Council has become the first local authority to become licenced to use the NDNA's quality improvement scheme in all of its early years' settings across the city.

'Manchester Quality Counts' means that local nurseries and early years settings will now be able to measure and target any areas for improvement against nationally accepted, tried and tested, standards. NDNA will also support Manchester City Council to work with settings so that they can achieve the standards.

Settings working towards 'Manchester Quality Counts' will undertake development in up to 15 different areas covered by the standards including nutrition, the nursery environment, equality, inclusion, observation and reflection and management.

The NDNA's quality improvement scheme was relaunched last year following a full review of the standards to take into account the latest early years developments nationally.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Executive Member Children's Services, Manchester City Council, said: "We already have some excellent early years provision in the city and this tie-up with the NDNA means that we can use their quality standards to ensure that all settings are operating to the same high standards."

Stella Ziolkowski, Director of Quality and Workforce Development, National Day Nurseries Association, said: "Nurseries in Manchester will benefit from the process of reviewing practice against these rigourous standards to further enhance the quality of care offered to children and families."