Angry parents and concerned councillors join growing debate over Fife’s nursery admissions policy

A Kirkcaldy dad has hit out after his daughter was denied the opportunity to return to Strathallan Nursery to complete her pre-school year.
Parents and councillors add their views to the debate over Fife's nursery admissions policy. Pic: PixabayParents and councillors add their views to the debate over Fife's nursery admissions policy. Pic: Pixabay
Parents and councillors add their views to the debate over Fife's nursery admissions policy. Pic: Pixabay

Ian Mitchell’s voice is the latest to be added to the growing debate over at Fife Council’s admissions policy.

It has to deliver an increase from 600 to 1140 hours of funded early learning and child care to meet the Scottish Government’s new directive issued before coronavirus lockdown impacted on all services.

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The council faces an August deadline to meet the policy and is now in the frontline of complaints from parents.

Ian Mitchell with daughter Maisie. Pic: Fife Photo Agency.Ian Mitchell with daughter Maisie. Pic: Fife Photo Agency.
Ian Mitchell with daughter Maisie. Pic: Fife Photo Agency.

Mr Mitchell told The Press he can’t understand why every other local authority in Scotland has prioritised pre-school children in their admission policies for August 2020 – except Fife.

His daughter, Maisie, was accepted and enrolled at Strathallan from August 2019, but, due to the new admissions policy she will not automatically be allowed to return, and her parents have to re-apply.

Mr Mitchell said many authorities, including Perth and Kinross, didn’t ask their pre-school children who were already enrolled to re-apply for their places, but instead just asked what hours they would prefer.

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He said: “Through my research, I have discovered that every other authority in Scotland, all 31 of them prioritised pre-school children in their admissions policies when expanding to the 1140 hours except Fife.

Shelagh McLean, Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, said under the new policy all parents have been asked to apply for nursery places for their children, including those already in nursery this year.Shelagh McLean, Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, said under the new policy all parents have been asked to apply for nursery places for their children, including those already in nursery this year.
Shelagh McLean, Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services, said under the new policy all parents have been asked to apply for nursery places for their children, including those already in nursery this year.

“There is now a cohort of children who have missed out on a large chunk of their ante-pre school year due to the pandemic and will now, like my daughter, not have a nursery place to return to. She was accepted and enrolled from August 2019 and has now been rejected from her setting.

“I have contacted the executive director of education, and many people from the Early Years Team to ascertain why then, is this cohort of children not being prioritised when allocating nursery spaces in Fife.

“They seem to stick to their script due to the hours changing, no child has a space to return to and, therefore, all children needed to re-apply.

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“To assume this kind of policy and admissions procedure is not damaging to our children is naive and potentially very harmful.”

He said he was “incredibly angry” and added: “I’m holding out on the council making the right choice and allowing this group of children to return to their setting in August as part of the Covid-19 recovery package.”

Councillor Alistair Cameron, Kirkcaldy Central, admitted the policy had caused upset to many parents.

He said: “This is an important issue, and for Fife to be the only local authority to be going down this route and take the decision to punish kids by not allowing them to return to the place they are used to seems an extremely strange and bizarre decision.

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“The consequences have really upset so many people. Every year there will always be parents who don’t get their first couple of choices, but to do it in this particular manner does seem to have caused more issues than it has solved, judging by the number of complaints councillors have received in certain areas.

“But my main issue is we are putting too much pressure on our education staff by enforcing this 1140 policy to happen this year.

“We should be taking the time – as we are doing with everything else – to allow everybody to adapt.

“We are not ready staff-wise, and we are not ready in terms construction of facilities, so why are we forcing education staff to cram in a lot of work in a very short space of time, putting too much pressure on too few people?

“I don’t see why they can’t leave this until next August.”

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Councillor Neil Crooks, who convenes the area committee, said there were initially over 300 youngsters without placements.

They were given letters or emails showing availability at council and local playgroups, child minders and private nurseries.

“Many now have a placement and work is ongoing to accommodate the rest.”

He added: “I am told there is more than enough capacity in our nursery system for all identified children, but some council nurseries fill quicker than others, leading to disappointment.

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“Nine to three is the preferred option of most parents and this in turn halves the number of youngsters who can be accommodated so the difficulty is an obvious one.”

Cllr Crooks said in a normal year, headteachers are able to manage the situation through face-to-face contact.

The coronavirus lockdown has ruled that out, and there are a few members of staff fielding letters and emails from sometimes frantic and angry parents.

The Labour councillor continued: “This year, because of the change to 1140 hours, there are no returners in the system, so if your child was placed at Torbain Nursery the previous year they were not guaranteed to get that place this year.

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“That has been a major change, and does not appear to have been communicated effectively.

“I am also empathetic with parents whose child has been put on a waiting list which appeared to make a successful placement to that nursery impossible.

“The timeframe set by the Scottish Government for introduction of the 1140 hours by August was ambitious from the outset, and when Covid 19 hit, that date should have been reviewed.

“We are investing in nurseries and not all were ready, Templehall Nursery in my ward was one of the projects halted by Covid 19.

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“That project delay means many local parents can’t get 1140 hours and will stay with 600 in the meantime.

“The building programme delays have hit placements hard and limited choices for some.

“In my view, that should have led to a suspension of the 1140 hours programme across Fife until we were better placed to meet its demands.”

He added: “The placing requests are continuing and I hope that can produce even more positive outcomes for Fife’s parents and children in this awful period of uncertainty.”

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Shelagh McLean, Fife Council’s head of education and children’s services (Early Years and Directorate Support), said From August 2020 the local authority will be able to offer parents 1140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC). This is available for all three- and four-year olds, as well as some two-year olds and will provide most families with more choice than they have ever had.

She said: “There are a lots of different ways parents can get 1140 hour of ELC for their children. Parents can have their children placed in Fife Council nurseries, as well as private nurseries, playgroups and childminders.

“This is because the “funding follows the child”. This means that if a child is due to get 1140 hours of ELC, this can be in a council run nursery or with one of our partner providers. Partner providers are private nurseries, play groups or childminders, who have met national criteria and are in partnership with Fife Council.

“In each area of Fife, we are offering children at least 3 different options. Parents can also “blend” ELC between Fife council nurseries and other private nurseries, playgroups and childminders.

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“Nursery areas in Fife are not divided in the same way as school catchments. There are more than 150 school catchment areas but only 22 local nursery areas. This means there cannot be a direct connection between one nursery and one primary school. Parents, for many reasons, may choose to use nurseries or other childcare, not in their school catchment. Wherever a child attends nursery there are transition arrangements which help to settle our children into P1.”

She continued: “We have had to be realistic and acknowledge that for every parent who may want to see the 1140 hours provided in one form, there will be as many parents who are looking for something different. There is no ideal standard which will be suitable for every family and their needs. What we have done is try to make sure that there are at least three different options in each area.

“We are also aware of concerns that places will be given on a first come, first served basis. This is not true. We prioritise children with any additional needs first and then try, where possible, to allocate to children locally.”

She said as part of their projections they have looked at the number of eligible children across the area based on child health index data and have adjusted their capacity to make sure there are sufficient placements available.

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She added: “Under the new admissions policy, all parents have been asked to apply for nursery places for their children due to attend nursery in session 2020-21, including those with children already in nursery this year. Returning children will not need to re-apply for places beyond August 2020, unless they wish to change provider or model.

“For this transition year only, all parents must apply for their child’s ELC funded place. This is because the current 600 hours models will no longer exist, and parents are being asked to make choices from a completely new menu of provisions/models. Places have been allocated using the agreed priorities set out in the admissions policy to ensure fairness for all parents.”