A STEVENSTON school will be one of the first in Scotland to offer double the number of free childcare hours from next month.

From January 8 the early years centre at Glencairn Primary School will see children receive an increased amount of free early learning and childcare.

The pilot scheme is being introduced ahead of national proposals to almost double the current provision of 600 hours of free early learning and childcare to 1,140 hours by 2020 for all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds.

Early years children attending Loudoun Montgomery and Glencairn Primary School in Stevenston will be among the first in Scotland to benefit from the new funded entitlement.

From January, the classes will be offering places from 8am to 12.45pm and from 1.15 to 6pm and will be open for 50 weeks throughout the year. Parents are also being given the option of choosing between term time or fullyear options.

Sharon McDowell, the head teacher at Glencairn Early Years Class, welcomed the pilot.

She said: “We are delighted to be one of the first in North Ayrshire to deliver 1140 hours.

“We are committed in our delivery of high-quality learning experiences for our children and it is very positive to be able to do this within the increased hours. It gives our Early Years classes more opportunities to increase attainment and improve the future life chances of our children and families.

“It is also a great opportunity for our parents as it will enable them to access work and education.”

Jan Richmond, head teacher at Loudoun Montgomery Early Years Class, said: “Quality is at the heart of the plans for the early years expansion and to ensure the best possible outcomes for children in North Ayrshire.

“Our vision is that we will lead the way in early learning and childcare by providing all children with excellent learning experiences in nurturing and inspiring environments.

“We want to provide all of our parents with a flexible and responsive service that meets their needs and, with them, build the foundation for a bright future for all of our children.”

The pilot offers staff in Glencairn and Loudoun Montgomery the opportunity to experience the benefits of 1140 hour provision and how it will work in North Ayrshire, ahead of a full roll-out in 2020. It is hoped that by expanding entitlement to early years education, many parents and carers will get the opportunity to enhance their training and employment prospects.

John Bell, Cabinet member for Education said: “We are delighted that two of our early years classes will be piloting this scheme and hope that it’s beneficial to both the children and parents.

“It is not simply about of increasing the number of hours available to young children – it is also about providing high quality educational provision which gives families greater flexibility.

“If we can improve outcomes for parents, we will achieve improved outcomes for our children and young people too.”

In preparation for the expanded early years hours at Glencairn and Loudoun Montgomery, 11 new early years practitioners will be employed.

Indeed, by 2020, it is hoped that the expansion will attract up to 11,000 new people across Scotland into the early learning and childcare profession.

A nationwide campaign is underway – Shape Their Worlds, Shape Your Career – which aims to encourage more school leavers to pursue a career in the early learning and childcare profession.

For more information about a career in early learning and childcare, visit here.