FIFE COUNCIL is set to roll out more flexible ways of delivering early learning and childcare to families across the region.

Parents will still have the choice of three hour 10 minute sessions each day of the academic year (38 weeks) as either morning or afternoon sessions but from August 2015 they will also be able to opt for full-day sessions of seven hours 55 minutes over two consecutive days, whether Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 requires all councils to offer at least 600 hours of Early Learning and Childcare to eligible two-, three- and four-year-olds.

The new model aims to offer families more choice and flexibility when it comes to childcare options and could possibly see further options included down the line, such as four-hour sessions over four days and a ‘wraparound service’ – where parents can pay for the extra care they need.

The model will operate through an extended nursery area so that no family will be disadvantaged by not being in the absolute catchment area of the nursery which offers the flexibility that they need. For example, the first extended nursery area for the Dunfermline and Inverkeithing area would include Aberdour, Dalgety Bay, Donibristle and North Queensferry primary schools and Inverkeithing Nursery.

At the executive committee meeting today (Tuesday), Councillor Susan Leslie expressed concern about the transition from nursery to schooling, as children attending one nursery that benefits the flexibility of their parents won’t necessarily feed directly into the same school catchment.

She explained that nursery was where children began to build friendships and relationships which help the transition into formal schooling, as they normally move up with a group of children. She said she had “grave concerns” that were based on educational principles and that they were in danger of defeating the purpose of nurseries.

However, Carrie Lindsay, area education officer, assured the meeting that it was something they would work on and that there was a group looking at transitions, with good transition packages in place.