Are ‘Good’ settings beneficial to children’s development?

Unfortunately sometimes settings are graded at levels 3 and 4 which are seen as requiring improvement or inadequate, in these cases settings are allowed to continue offering services to families and offering care and education to children, however some feel this should not be the case and such a setting has no benefits. There are a number of things Ofsted look at to grade a setting these include teaching and learning , outcomes for children and also include looking at leadership and management and behaviour and welfare.  Do all of these need to be good or outstanding for a child to have some benefits from attending an early years setting?

High quality childcare is better but is it crucial?

Studies such as EPPE Project (2004) show how outstanding provision offers the best outcomes for children and the importance of high quality care and education.  To truly allow children to achieve their full potential and achieve a good level of development high quality outstanding settings are important however others would argue this does not mean there are no benefits at all to a child attending a setting with a lower Ofsted grading.

Attending a setting regardless of its grading is useful for a child to become use to separating from parents and to become accustomed to spending some of the day in a setting, as this will happen when a child starts school. There are also other benefits such as socialising with other children, accessing new resources that they may not have at home and communication development from being around others. Esteem and confidence may also be supported through making friends and starting a setting. These settings may also be providing an important support to the community by providing childcare so parents can go to work and support their children. This may be a small community who need childcare facilities, therefore these settings may be a better support then having nothing available at all.

Ofsted also sets targets for these settings to ensure they are striving for better and that the children are kept safe and supported during their early years. There is potential that the setting may become a good or outstanding  with some support and some direction so it is important that these settings are able to continue as long as the children are in no immediate danger. Although a lower grading setting does not fully support a child and is not the best start to ensuring a child achieves a good level of development at the end of the foundation stage it does have some benefits to the child and their family.

What is your opinion on this?