This paper reports on interviews conducted with the managers of the EPPE pre-school centres. This interview was designed to provide information likely to help differentiate effectiveness in pre-school settings by contextualising information from observational profiles (reported in Technical Paper 6 in this series), other interviews with centre managers (reported in Technical Paper 3) and case studies (reported in Technical Paper 10). The paper reports on wide differences in provision across the sectors in terms of resources, professional facilities and support. The report also details information on staffing and staff development opportunities, qualifications and training and programmes in operation and parental involvement across the range of providers.

Table of Contents:
Overview of the Project Executive Summary Introduction Section One: Centre Characteristics 1.1 Age, opening times and fees 1.2 Number and age of children 1.3 Staffing levels 1.4 Ratios and quality characteristics 1.5 Occasional unpaid helpers 1.6 Building facilities 1.7 Staff recruitment 1.8 Staff turnover 1.9 Reasons for staff turnover 1.10 Staff development a) Appraisal b) Availability of in-service training c) Content areas of training d) Payment for training e) Books for staff training 1.11 Staff working conditions a) Written contracts and job descriptions b) Benefits Summary Section Two: Characteristics of the Work Force 2.1 Age profile and gender of managers and their staff 2.2 Ethnicity 2.3 Years of service 2.4 Hours worked per week 2.5 Contact time with children 2.6 Qualifications – Managers 2.7 Qualifications – Staff 2.8 Salary 2.9 Other professional staff Summary Section Three: The Centres’ Programmes and Activities 3.1 Views on objectives 3.2 Views of the quality of care and education 3.3 Perceived importance and performance of aspects of pre-school 3.4 Discrepancy between importance and performance 3.5 Relationship between manager ratings of quality and the ECERS-R and the ECERS-E 3.6 Assessing children a) entry assessments b) regular assessments c) child assessment training 3.7 Planning a) use of timetables and curriculum b) personnel who plan c) materials used in planning learning activities d) use of assessment information in planning e) paid planning time f) payment for staff meetings 3.8 Provisions for children with special needs a) number of children with special needs b) the identification of special needs c) strategies for special needs Summary Section Four: Centres and parents 4.1 Parental access and interaction with staff 4.2 Parent/staff meetings 4.3 Availability of a parents’ room 4.4 Other areas of centre – parent contact 4.5 Settling children in 4.6 Assessment Feedback to Parents 4.7 Educational support for parents Summary Appendices