Early Years Strategic Plan 2025-2028

The East Dunbartonshire Council Early Years Strategic Plan 2025–2028 sets out our three-year vision and priorities for delivering high quality, equitable, and inclusive early learning and childcare (ELC) for all children and families across our communities.

This plan is aligned with the East Dunbartonshire Education Service Plan, the IMAGINE Leadership Strategy, and national Scottish policy objectives, including the National Improvement Framework (NIF), Realising the Ambition, and Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC).

A commitment to excellence, equity, and inclusion that empowers all children and young people to succeed in learning and life.

Our Service aims to deliver the highest standard of early learning and childcare, in line with the National Practice Guidance for Early Years in Scotland – Realising the Ambition: Being Me. We aim to put children at the heart of our delivery, giving them a strong start in life by supporting their wellbeing, development, and learning through play-based curriculum ensuring we Get it Right for Every Child. A key focus is to foster strong partnerships with parents, carers and families, recognising their crucial role in their child’s learning journey, as well as delivering high-quality, flexible, accessible and affordable childcare that meets their needs. Our service works to promote excellence and equality, with a specific focus on closing the attainment gap, particularly for vulnerable children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Quality and Equity: To provide the highest quality standards of ELC, ensuring all eligible children can access their entitlement to funded ELC and a hot meal, healthy snacks and milk. To prioritise high quality indoor and outdoor environments for learning through play, and work towards closing the poverty related attainment gap with support for families.
• Quality Improvement: To support and promote a culture of professional enquiry, robust self-evaluation and continuous improvement to ensure the highest standard of service delivery and achieve positive inspections from both the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland.
• Workforce Excellence: To develop a skilled and motivated workforce through professional learning opportunities, clear progression pathways and strong pedagogical leadership, with opportunities provided through the Early Years Professional Learning Calendar. In addition, to support the recruitment, appointment, retention and upskilling of new early years employees.
• Inclusion and Wellbeing: To promote inclusive practice and early intervention, ensuring children’s needs and rights are met, including those with additional support needs (ASN), ensuring we keep The Promise .
• Family and Community Support: To foster strong partnerships with families and communities, recognising their crucial role in their child’s learning journey. Practitioners supported with opportunities provided in the Supporting Families Professional Learning Calendar. To provide a comprehensive suite of timely, preventative and early intervention support for parents. To deliver play and food opportunities during school holidays for primary aged children to address the poverty related attainment gap. To provide a summer playscheme for primary aged children with moderate and complex ASN.

The East Dunbartonshire Council (EDC) Early Years Service provides high quality, safe and inspiring learning environments for children to learn through play. All providers of funded ELC must meet the Scottish Government Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard  for Early Learning and Childcare Providers which sets out rigorous quality standards and is subject to inspection by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland. Local Authority provision is delivered from 21 Early Years Centres (EYCs) and one specialist Early Years provision for children with ASN. The Council also works in partnership with 33 East Dunbartonshire based providers of ELC in the private, voluntary and independent sector, including Childminders, who have applied, met the National Standard, and entered a contract with EDC to deliver the funded ELC hours.

Our service is structured to offer a variety of provision through accessible delivery models that meet the diverse needs of families, based on consultation with parents and carers. The East Dunbartonshire Early Years Admissions Policy sets out our
commitment to the provision of ELC and provides the reader with guidance on eligibility criteria, application and allocation of places.

Funded entitlement is delivered through a network of council-run EYCs, as well as a range of Funded Providers in the private, independent and third sector, including childminders. This structure allows the Council to ensure delivery of the statutory 1140 hours of funded ELC for all eligible 2-year-olds and children aged three to those not yet attending school, ensuring parents have access to a range of delivery models and a choice of settings.

Our Local Authority EYCs delivery model provides support to parents and families by providing flexible and affordable options to purchase sessions for children aged from 3 months, out with a child’s funded hours.

The Council’s central Early Years Team provides ongoing support to Funded Providers including access to comprehensive professional development opportunities, to ensure a provider neutral approach to delivering the best possible outcomes for all children.

Our approach is designed to take account of Realising the Ambition: Being Me, Scotland’s National Practice Guidance for Early Years. The rationale of this document is that the earliest years are the most crucial for a child’s development, as research shows that high-quality early experiences are key to a child’s later success and wellbeing. It is based on the premise that children are born ready to learn and are active, curious learners from birth. The guidance emphasises that the quality of interactions, experiences, and spaces provided for children fundamentally affects their learning and development. It moves beyond a focus on just care to a more holistic, pedagogical approach.

The document’s central philosophy is that a child’s learning and care are interwoven. It promotes an attachment led, relational approach, stressing the importance of nurturing and secure relationships with responsive, sensitive adults. This means practitioners are encouraged to tune into a child’s verbal and non-verbal communication, follow their lead in play, and create an environment that supports their natural curiosity and development at their own pace. By embedding these principles, EDC Early Years Service ensures that it is not just providing care, but actively supporting children to be confident, resilient, and ready to learn.

• Workforce Development

• Quality Improvement

• Systems and Processes

• Partnerships

• Wellbeing and Inclusion

• Supporting Families

• Infrastructure and Environments

Action: 

Induction – New Practitioners

• Design and implement an EDC Early Years Induction resource that reflects the National Induction Resource with all new
  employees, ensuring managers utilise Oracle Fusion human resources system to record completion
• Review role profiles for all leadership and practitioners’ positions within EYCs to ensure they reflect the skills and responsibilities required.

Expected Outcome: 

• New employees feel valued, supported and motivated and understand their role
• Stabilised workforce due to increased retention and reduction in staff turnover
• Consistent, high quality care for children and service delivery.

Measure: 

• % of new employees completing induction
• % of positive new employee feedback following induction
• % of positive manager feedback on new employee performance after first year
• % of new employees retaining role for more than one year
• Fit for purpose role profiles.

Team Lead: 

• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale: 

July 2026

Action: 

Review the Nursery Teachers’ Role

• Review the Working Time Agreement to ensure effective and fair deployment of the Teacher role in EYCs.
• Update EYC staffing models to ensure Teacher is included in adult-to-child ratios.
• Support Teachers to engage in professional development ensuring effective planning and high quality learning assessments in line with the GTCS Standards and the Professional Review and Development Process.

Expected Outcome: 

Teachers are supporting, promoting and delivering high-quality learning and teaching. All children in ELC have access to a teacher.

Measure: 

• % of teacher timetables complying with the working time agreement, including non-contact time of 22.5 hours up to July 2026, changing to 21 hours from August 2026
• % of EYCs where the Teacher has engaged in professional development opportunities and reports positive impact on their own learning and teaching practice.

Team Lead: 

• Quality Improvement Officers
• Early Years Service Manager.

Timescale: 

September 2026

Action: 

Review and bespoke the Early Level Support. Teacher (ELST) role profile to reflect specific roles, responsibilities and qualifications.

Expected Outcome: 

Role Profile is fit for purpose.

Measure: 

Updated role profile in place.

Team Lead: 

Early Years Service Manage

Timescale: 

July 2026

Action:

Review the Housekeeper role to ensure continuity of service provision; consideration of implementation of a supply bank.

Expected Outcome: 

Service continuity is addressed to order to cover vacancies and absences.

Measure: 

• Number of Housekeeper vacancies
• % of EYCs reporting positive lunch experiences.

Team Lead: 

Early Years Service Manager

Timescale: 

December 2026

Action: 

Recruitment and training initiative to increase the number of Funded Provider Childminders, with a focus on areas of high demand, including a focus on eligible two year old provision, in recognition of the bespoke nature of delivery a Childminder can offer.

Expected Outcome: 

Increased number of Childminders delivering funded entitlement will result in a wider choice of high quality, flexible and accessible childcare options for families, support for parents to access work and training opportunities and a more robust early years sector.

Measure: 

• Number of Funded Provider childminders
• % of new childminders remaining as a Funded Provider for at least two years.

Team Lead: 

• Early Years Service Manager
• Quality Improvement Officers
• Early Years Support Officers.
  

Timescale: 

Ongoing over 2025 - 2028

Action: 

Support the development of a skilled, knowledgeable and motivated early years workforce through the provision of responsive professional learning opportunities to build capacity, foster pedagogical leadership at all levels and open to all providers of funded ELC. Training to include Early Protective Messages, ensuring consistent approaches and language in Child Protection, and The Scottish Breastfeeding Framework 2025. Develop a tracking system to monitor engagement levels across all settings.

Expected Outcome: 

High quality learning and childcare across all EYC where all staff take responsibility for their career-long professional learning and harness
reflective practice to ensure continuous improvement across settings, allowing children to thrive.

Measure: 

• % of participants reporting positive impact on learning and practice following attendance at CLPL
• Number of Plan, Do, Study, Act improvement projects following professional learning across all settings
• % of EYCs reporting confidence in implementing early protective messages for Child Protection
• % of EYCs that are Breast Feeding Friendly Establishments.

Team Lead: 

Quality Improvement Officers

Timescale: 

By June 2026 Annually

Action: 

Develop/review/establish a suite of professional learning for practitioners and leaders delivering Family learning and Supporting Families services, including Family Champions within all EYCs.

Expected Outcome: 

Practitioners working with parents and families feel equipped and confident to support and signpost to other services.

Measure: 

• % of participants reporting positive impact on learning and practice following attendance at CLPL
• Number of families engaging with Family Champion in EYCs and Family Learning Assistants in identified Primary Schools.

Team Lead: 

Quality Improvement Officers

Timescale: 

By June 2026 Annually

Action:

Implementation of new Quality Framework

• Provide support to ensure all leaders and practitioners understand and effectively implement the new HMIe and Care  Inspectorate shared Quality Framework
• Develop a quality improvement tracking system in line with the new shared framework to identify which EYCs are good or better, and which require significant improvement
• Review of support visits to settings to ensure that the link officer has a clear and agreed focus, directly related to The National Standard and the new Quality Framework (e.g., contractual obligations, safeguarding, curriculum, or leadership).

Expected Outcome:

• Early years leaders confident in implementing the new Self Evaluation Toolkit for the new shared Quality Framework, further improving practice and supporting preparation for inspection. Practitioners have a growing knowledge of the new Shared Framework
• Identified EYCs are supported and make improvements.
  Robust recording of visits from all Council officers, managers and teachers.

Measure:

• % of EYC leaders reporting confidence in using
  the Toolkit for the new Framework
• % of EYC inspections that are graded as good or better.

Team Lead:

• Quality Improvement Officers
• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Level Support Teachers
• Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

• Annually and initially by June 2026
• June 2027
  

Action:

Clearly define purpose of LPGs as a platform for dialogue, opportunity to gather feedback on strategic priorities including the new shared framework and collaboration for improvement.

Expected Outcome:

Enhanced partnership working resulting in shared and consistent standards across all EYCs.

Measure:

% of participants reporting confidence in implementation of LPG agenda items.

Team Lead:

Quality Improvement Officers

Timescale:

By June 2027

Action:

Being Me Under Three

• Review ‘Being Me Under 3’ development overview to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement, focussing on the impact on child development
• Design and implement a tracking tool to review the effectiveness of the ‘Eligible 2s’ programme to ensure resources are allocated to the most impactful interventions and ensure equity through addressing the developmental gap for children experiencing early adversity and disadvantage.

Expected Outcome:

High quality, bespoke and effective provision for under three year olds with a focus on equity, leading to improved developmental outcomes and a better preparation for school for all children.

Measure:

• % of EYC reporting confidence in implementation of Being Me Under three
• Tracking tool in place
• % of EYCs using the tracking tool to capture children’s outcomes.

Team Lead:

Quality Improvement Officers

Timescale:

By June 2027

Action:

Increase the uptake of eligible two year old places in line with national stretch aims. Work with national and local multi-agency partners and design and implement a tracking system to monitor the uptake.

Expected Outcome:

Parents are informed and knowledgeable on the benefits of ELC for their eligible two year old, and choose to apply for a place.

Measure:

% of eligible two-year-old uptake.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Years Service Officers

Timescale:

Stretch Aims – termly and annual reporting

Action:

Early Years Admissions Policy

• Review the Early Years Admissions Policy annually to ensure alignment with national and local authority guidance and decisions on the provision of ELC entitlement. Share and communicate the updated policy to ensure parents and providers are aware of procedures
• Carry out Early Years and Out of School Care statutory consultation every two years
• Align and implement local and national funded entitlement to move to funded places from the term after a child’s third birthday; ensure a clear communication strategy for parents and practitioners
• Review the local authority EYC delivery model following successful implementation of 1140 hours to assess the effectiveness in meeting the needs of children, families and the community as well as the ability to offer the highest quality service delivery and staffing structures that meet Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland standards. Develop and carry out consultation to gather feedback from all stakeholders to identify innovative improvements to further develop quality provision. Prepare an options report for Chief Education Officer/Education Committee.

Expected Outcome:

• The Admissions Policy and website clearly outlines procedures to access high quality early learning and childcare across all settings.
• Children can access funded entitlement in line with statutory provision. Parents and carers are knowledgeable on their child’s entitlement.
• All parents, families and stakeholders can take part in a review of the delivery model, and shape future improvements.
• Options report is prepared and shared with Chief Education Officer.
• Delivery model review considered/approved by Education Committee.

Measure:

• Policy is updated annually and shared
• Number of children accessing eligible funded entitlement annually
• Results from the Statutory Early Years and Out of School Care Consultation
• % of EYC inspections that are graded as good or better.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
  Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

• Annually
• Annually, Census data
• Every two years
• Implemented from academic year 2026/27
• June 2028

Action:

Review and update staffing models to ensure effective and sustainable staffing structures that ensure practitioners are deployed effectively to meet Care Inspectorate ratio across all local authority EYCs. 

Consideration of flexible working requests made within the business model/ratio requirements.

Expected Outcome:

• Practitioners are deployed to meet demand for places across the EYC estate
• Adult to child ratio is always met, in line with Care Inspectorate requirements
• Practitioner wellbeing is supported through flexible working opportunities.

Measure:

• % of EYC inspections that are graded as good or better
• % of flexible working applications within the business model/ratio that are approved.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

Annually

Action:

Review and streamline the current early years worker supply database and ensure supply employees are adhering to Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and Disclosure Scotland Protection  of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) registration and requirements.

Expected Outcome:

Improved system in place ensuring continuity for EYCs to meet adult to child ratio; Supply Practitioners meet professional standards.

Measure:

• Fit for purpose system in place
• % of supply practitioners complying with SSSC and PVG registration/ requirements.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
  Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

By June 2027

Action:

Develop and implement a clear transition plan for the rollout of SEEMIS EY, including a timeline, assigned responsibilities and representation at national level.

Training for leaders and practitioners delivered.

Expected Outcome:

Introduction of SEEMIS will support data-driven improvement and national reporting for Early Years.

Users are confident in using new system.

Measure:

• SEEMIS in place
• % of users reporting confidence in using new system.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Quality Improvement Officers.

Timescale:

In line with National implementation and roll out.

Action:

Funded Provider Partnerships

• Provide opportunities for robust partnership working with two-way discussion in line with contractual obligations and emerging policy and practice, including timely business meetings, professional learning via the Early Years calendar, the Supporting Families calendar, and invited as a key partner within the Learning Partnership Groups (LPGs)
• Ensure Funded Providers have access to Early Level Support Teachers who will provide bespoke support and advice related to high quality learning and teaching curriculum delivery and universal support strategies (working with practitioners and children) to ensure that appropriate support is in place for children with ASN, including guidance on the processes for accessing targeted support.

Expected Outcome:

• Strong partnership working and regular opportunities for sharing of good practice, resulting in high-quality ELC provision across settings and ‘provider neutral’ approaches.
• Funded Providers able to access high quality professional learning and opportunities
• Funded Providers meet the National Standard, providing high quality learning and teaching curriculum supported with consistent and effective ELST input.

Measure:

• % of Funded Providers attending business meetings
• % of Funded Providers engaging in professional learning opportunities
• % of Funded Providers attending LPGs
• % of Funded Providers engaging with link ELST
• % of Funded Provider settings achieving good or better in inspections.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Quality Improvement Officers.

Timescale:

Ongoing

Action:

Provide support and advice for Funded Providers to meet contractual obligations in line with Funding Follows the Child National Standard for ELC and with the terms of the conditions of their contact with EDC.

As guarantors of quality, create and implement an information pack with Legal Services for Funded Providers that sets out the actions that EDC will implement, should they not meet their contractual obligations. Information pack will outline timescales and communication templates, including EYC Improvement Periods, legal implications and the sharing of information with parents of funded children.

Expected Outcome:

• Funded Providers are meeting contractual obligations
• Funded Providers are fully aware of procedures should they not meet contractual obligations.

Measure:

• % of Funded Providers meeting all contractual obligations
• Information pack in place
• % of Funded Provider settings receiving good or better at inspections.

Team Lead:

Early Years Service Manager

Timescale:

By June 2027

Action:

Contribute to the review of EYCAT, including referral data and allocations ensuring children receive appropriate targeted support within their mainstream setting.

Implement a new enhanced learning outreach model, led by Psychological Services and the ASN Team ensuring practitioners are confident in supporting children with ASN and children experience continuity of support and care.

Expected Outcome:

Children with ASN are supported within EYCs and experience positive transitions.

Measure:

• Number of children supported through EYCAT and the outreach service
• % of EYCs reporting positive impact of the outreach service on practitioner confidence and children’s outcomes.

Team Lead:

• Quality Improvement Officers
• Early Years Service Manager.

Timescale:

December 2026

Action:

Lead multi-agency meetings to take a trauma-informed approach to respond to Requests for Assistance (RFA) for families facing crisis, where children are experiencing adverse childhood  experiences (ACES).

Expected Outcome:

Vulnerable children and families facing crisis are supported with additional sessions in EYCs on a short-term basis to support parents.

Measure:

Number of families supported through the EY Locality Panel.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

• Termly
• Reported annually.

Action:

Deploy EELs to support the most disadvantaged children, working towards closing the attainment gap. Role to include upskilling fellow practitioners through pedagogical leadership, professional development and modelling and influencing practice, as well as working directly with children and families to improve experiences and outcomes.

Expected Outcome:

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are engaged and involved in their learning following a targeted intervention.

Measure:

• % of practitioners reporting increase in confidence following EELs intervention
• % of children showing an increase in involvement and wellbeing following EELs intervention.

Team Lead:

Early Years Service Manager

Timescale:

• Termly
• Annually.

Action:

Out of School Provision

• Deliver Snack and Play out of school provision for primary school aged children in line with the Scottish Government poverty agenda. Carry out a review of Snack and Play provision to ensure it meets need and can be delivered within set budget
• Support delivery of the Woodland View ASN Summer Playscheme for primary aged children with ASN that attend specialist provision
• Establish and deliver nine new primary school breakfast clubs in line with the Scottish Government poverty agenda
• Support out of school care providers in the private and voluntary sector to deliver services from EDC primary schools that meet Care Inspectorate regulations.

Expected Outcome:

• Primary age children growing up in poverty have access to fun activities and food during school holidays. Provision meets need and is delivered within set budget
• Primary age children with moderate and complex ASN have access to fun activities and food during the summer holiday period
• Children growing up in poverty can access a healthy breakfast.

Measure:

• Number of children attending Snack and Play
• % of children attending Snack and Play that meet the key groups within the Scottish Government poverty priority groups
• % of families reporting a positive impact on their child and family wellbeing following attendance at the Playscheme
• Number of new breakfast clubs established
• Number of children growing up in poverty accessing breakfast
• Number of out of school care providers delivering services from EDC primary schools and community venues.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Early Years Support Officers.

Timescale:

• Bi-Annually (financial year end and academic year end)
• Annually

Action:

Supporting Parents and Families

• Provide parenting support and advice that is responsive, timely, appropriate and proportionate. Delivered through a suite of parenting interventions via group or one to one. Interventions include: The Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) for
  all parents; New Vision Relationship approach (formally known as Non-Violent Resistance) for families facing complex challenges including trauma, neurodiversity, and attachment difficulties; the Solihull approach; and multi-agency community-based approaches and events for families
• Chair an Education Services working group to create and implement a new Supporting Families Strategy.

Expected Outcome:

• Parental self-efficacy and confidence is increased, promoting resilient families
• Improved parent-child relationships and child prosocial behaviour, with a reduction in parental anxiety and stress
• Parents and families can access support where and when they need it
• A cohesive approach to supporting families across Education Services.

Measure:

• Number of referrals for parenting support
• % of parents reporting positive impact and increased confidence
• Number of families attending multi-agency community events
• Joined-up evaluation and measures will be included in new strategy.

Team Lead:

• Early Years Service Manager
• Supporting Families Workers
• Quality Improvement Officer.

Timescale:

• Ongoing
• Monthly and annual reporting
• July 2026

Action:

Support the implementation of the Nurture and Family Learning
approaches across 12 primary schools and all EYCs, including mentor and support to Family Champions, Family Learning Assistants and Head Teachers.

Support and promote schools with a nurture base and all EYC to work towards gaining the Keeping the Promise Family Learning and Early Years Award.

Expected Outcome:

Families have increased opportunities to participate in family learning approaches across early years and primary.

Outcomes for children will improve in line with The Promise agenda.

Measure:

• Number of families taking part in family learning opportunities
• Number of families accessing further supports following successful interventions with Family Champions in the EYC or with Family Learning Assistants in indentified primary schools
• Number of settings achieving the Keeping the Promise Award for Family Learning and Early Years.

Team Lead:

• Quality Improvement Officers
• Early Years Support Officers
• Supporting Families Workers.

Timescale:

• July 2026 and ongoing
• Annually.

Action:

High quality learning environments

• Ensure EYCs follow the correct process and central team tracking is inplace to ensure timely building and maintenance improvements
• Ensure EYC kitchen areas meet health and safety requirements, including suitable kitchen layout and fit for purpose industrial appliances such as fridges and dishwashers.

Expected Outcome:

• Children experience high quality environments with improvements completed in an appropriate time frame
• Kitchen areas meet requirements, with fit for purpose appliances under warranty
• Fewer health and safety issues and good working environment.

Measure:

% of EYC inspections that are graded as good or better.

Team Lead:

All EYC Officers

Timescale:

Ongoing

Action:

Early Years Officers work with the assets and school improvement team to ensure new build EYCs meet Care Inspectorate requirements.

Expected Outcome:

Excellent standard of new builds that meet all Care Inspectorate requirements ensuring quality environments.

Measure:

% of EYC inspections that are graded as good or better.

Team Lead:

All EYC Officers

Timescale:

Ongoing