To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Minister for Childcare and Early Years to the Education and Skills Committee on 18 January 2017 on the additional graduate commitment, of the 432 nurseries identified, how many directly employ (a) qualified early years teachers, (b) qualified graduates, (c) staff working towards a graduate-level teaching qualification and (d) staff working towards a Childhood Practice qualification, broken down by (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent.
Allocations of the additional graduates to local authorities were determined by their share of the nurseries located in the 20% most deprived postcode areas. Using the Care Inspectorate data on Early Learning and Childcare settings, and the latest Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), 432 nurseries were identified as being located in the 20% most deprived postcode areas. Each of the three local authorities (Orkney, Shetland, and Western Isles) without a nursery in the 20% most deprived postcode areas will also receive one additional graduate.
We are currently working closely with local authorities on progressing this commitment, and will ask them provide plans setting out how they propose to allocate the additional places in their area, including how many of the additional training places they wish to access.