The report draws from the findings of 867 inspections conducted nationally on providers delivering the state funded Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Free Preschool Programme. These inspections were undertaken to specifically evaluate the quality of children’s learning and development within these settings.

Key insights:

  • Almost all Early Years services provide warm, welcoming and safe environments for children and have very good relationships with parents and families.
  • Many services provide a rich range of learning experiences and are providing children with enjoyable, play-based opportunities that promote the development of important learning dispositions and skills such as curiosity, persistence, independence and empathy.

Read the full report A Review of Early Years Education Focused Inspection – April 2016-June 2017.