Preschool Matters Term 4 2014 by Early Learning Association Australia

The voice for parents and service providers

PRE SCHOOL MATTERS Early childhood education preparing children for life term four 2014

Community playgroups: connecting rural families Transitions; one giant leap together Bicultural support in preschools

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Preschool Matters Term four 2014

in this edition

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Welcome to the last edition of Preschool Matters for the year. This is an exciting time for ELAA and our members, many of whom say goodbye to children and families at their service, while preparing to welcome new faces in 2015.

Rural Community Playgroups

In early September, we welcomed Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley’s announcement that the Commonwealth Government will continue to make its funding contribution to 15 hours of preschool in 2015. The announcement has given our members and families certainty – for next year at least. Minister Ley also acknowledged that the important final report of the Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare and early childhood learning is due to be presented to government at the end of October. We understand that the Government will make further policy and funding announcements after considering the Commission’s recommendations – and ELAA will continue to advocate for the continuation of 15 hours funding by both State and Commonwealth governments. With the Commission’s final report looming and in the lead-up to the Victorian State Election in November, we have also taken the opportunity to ask the major State parties to share their early childhood education and care policies with us. You can read their responses on pages 8 and 9.

Bicultural support at kindergarten

Advice and training in term 4

Q&A; political priorities for the sector

10 New approach to teaching safety 20 Nutrition in childcare

As many families and educators are thinking about children’s next steps on their educational journey, we asked Rhonda Livingstone (ACECQA’s National Education Leader) to discuss Quality Area 6 and the role it plays in the transition to formal schooling. You can read Rhonda’s article on page 16. We have also been out and about in regional Victoria supporting Playgroup Victoria’s rural connections project, which has been helping rural families access quality play-based early learning programs. Read more about the project on pages 12 and 13. I look forward to seeing you at our AGM on 30 October, when – on the eve of the final Productivity Commission report – special guest Associate Professor Sharon Goldfeld will present on the latest research into the importance of quality early childhood education for all children. I wish you all the best for an enjoyable last term. Jo Geurts, President

CEO Shane Lucas

Printing Mouleprint @ www.mouleprint.com.au

President Jo Geurts Editor Sue Smith

Creative Director Louisa Roubin

Preschool Matters © ELAA 2014. Preschool Matters belongs to ELAA.

Advertising Cass Marxsen

ISSN 1448-9597 Reg No A0024070C ABN 39058205158

Preschool Matters is a quarterly magazine which communicates issues and developments that concern and assist members in the effective management of early childhood services. Disclaimer Early Learning Association Australia and its employees accept no responsibility for the performance of the products and services advertised in this newsletter. The listing of products and services in this publication does not constitute a recommendation. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all warranties, terms, conditions and any duty of care, which otherwise may arise or be imposed on Early Learning Association Australia as well as Early Learning Association Australia’s liability to any person in connection with the products and services advertised in this newsletter, are hereby excluded.

Cover: City of Greater Dandenong FDC service. Photo: Reg Ryan.

Level 3, 145 Smith Street, Fitzroy Vic 3065 PO Box 1246, Collingwood Vic 3066 Phone (03) 9489 3500 Rural 1300 730 119 Fax (03) 9486 4226 Email elaa@elaa.org.au Web www.elaa.org.au

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

news & events ELAA 2014 Annual General Meeting 30 October 2014 We are pleased to invite you to attend the Early Learning Association Australia Annual General Meeting. Date: Thursday 30 October 2014 Venue: Treacy Centre, 126 The Avenue, Parkville Time: 6.30pm for 7pm start RSVP: By Friday 17 October to Andrea Foreman on (03) 9489 3500 or aforeman@elaa.org.au

Romp & Stomp Fun Day For Children Celebrate Universal Children’s Week and join us at Romp & Stomp fun day for children. ELAA and other early childhood organisations are hosting fun, educational activities especially for children aged 0–5 years at the Melbourne Museum on Wednesday 22 October, 10am to 3pm. Visit rompandstomp.org.au for more information.

Free support to meet the NQS Has your service undergone the national quality assessment and rating process and you have found that you need help in Quality Area 7? ELAA can help you improve your service’s rating.

Congratulations... and thank you! Congratulations to Barry Road Preschool in Thomastown, winner of the ELAA Member Survey Prize Draw! Barry Road wins a free 2 day registration to attend the 2015 Early Childhood Education conference to be held on 29 & 30 May at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. The conference theme for next year is Together we grow – investing in our future. A big thank you to all members that completed either the Independent or the Cluster Management Survey this year. We were delighted with the response. Your feedback about our member services – the advice line, training, resources, publications, and advocacy – is extremely valuable to us, particularly your suggestions about how we can improve. The survey results will form the basis for future planning and service delivery. For more information about the survey results, please see page 7.

The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has funded ELAA to establish a NQS support program for services with a funded kindergarten program that have been assessed as ‘not meeting’ or ‘working towards’ in Quality Area 7 – Leadership and Service Management. The ELAA member services team can support you to develop an Action Plan to improve your service’s rating. We offer up to ten hours of free advice via telephone, email or meetings, depending on an assessment of your needs. For more information, please contact ELAA member services on 9489 3500 or elaa@elaa.org.au.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Putting a value on early childhood education and care in Australia Just in time for the Productivity Commission inquiry, international consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released ground-breaking new Australian research providing evidence of the clear economic benefits of investment in quality early childhood education and care. While there is persuasive international evidence for the value of ECEC – and the Australian evidence base is growing – this is the first time the economic benefits of quality early learning have been analysed in an Australian context. The PwC research draws on evidence from a range of sources and uses economy-wide modelling to put a dollar figure on the benefits of ECEC in three areas: • increased workforce participation of parents (women) • long term productivity improvements for children who receive a quality early childhood education program • economic benefits of the increased participation of vulnerable children in ECEC. The modelling shows that the following benefits can be achieved with a net saving to government:

I ncreased female labour force participation provides a

Increased productivity of children receiving quality ECEC provides a benefit to GDP of up to

Increased participation in ECEC by vulnerable children provides a

$6.0 billion

$10.3 billion

$13.3 billion

benefit to GDP cumulative to 2050

cumulative to 2050

benefit to GDP cumulative to 2050

The report’s findings “demonstrate that there are potential benefits across the board for providing quality ECEC. These include: • growing Australia’s GDP • improving workforce participation choices for parents and, in particular, women • helping realise the full potential of Australian children • reducing the impacts of disadvantage.” These findings come at a time when OECD indicators show that Australia is spending much less than the OECD average on early childhood education. In Australia, only 0.1% of GDP is spent on pre-primary education – compared with 0.6% across OECD countries. And public funding accounts for only 45% compared to the OECD average of 81%. (www.oecd.org/edu/Australia-EAG2014-Country-Note.pdf) We hope that this new research evidence will assist the Productivity Commission in preparing its final report by 31 October. Most importantly, we hope PwC’s work helps convince the Commonwealth Government – and States and Territories – to invest more in quality early learning for all Australian children. The full report is available on the PwC website: www.pwc.com.au

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

advice & Training “As soon as a concern is raised, regardless of how it is received (verbally – face to face or by phone or in written form – letter or email), it should be considered a complaint and should be immediately actioned following your service’s Complaints and Grievances Policy”, Laura Mondon, Member Services Advisor, ELAA.

The committee has received a complaint from a parent – what do we do? Laura Mondon, Member Services Advisor Don’t panic!! As soon as a concern is raised, regardless of how it is received (verbally – face to face or by phone or in written form – letter or email), it should be considered a complaint and should be immediately actioned following your service’s Complaints and Grievances Policy. Initially the complaint should be assessed to determine the nature of the concerns raised, the response required and to decide if it is a notifiable complaint*. Following the receipt of a complaint the first step is to refer the complaint to the Complaints and Grievances sub-committee. If you don’t already have a sub-committee, one should be convened immediately. The chair of the subcommittee should write to the complainant to acknowledge receipt of the complaint and inform them that the complaint is being investigated. They should be told that they will be informed of the outcome when the investigation is complete. The committee should not respond to the individual concerns raised until the matter has been investigated and a decision made by the committee on the investigation outcome.

Training in term 4 ELAA provides training, workshops and seminars for a range of audiences in the sector.

Free Committee Training Presenter: ELAA management advisors ELAA Office, Level 3, 145 Smith St, Fitzroy

Welcome to the committee – an overview of your responsibilities 3rd December, 10am – 11.30am and 6.30pm – 8pm

The subcommittee should then conduct the investigation in a timely manner. The form of the investigation will vary depending on the nature of the complaint. The role of the investigation is to gather evidence and/or information to allow the committee to make an informed decision on how to respond to the complaint. If the investigation involves taking statements from staff or from witnesses, the statements should be documented and the person making the statement should be given the opportunity to review the statement and should sign to confirm that it is an accurate record of their statement. At any time during this process you can contact an ELAA member services advisor for assistance on 9489 3500. ELAA’s PolicyWorks Manual – NQF, available from the ELAA website, has all the mandatory and best practice policy templates for early childhood services. * A notifiable complaint is any complaint that alleges that the health, safety or wellbeing of any child within the service may have been compromised, or that there may have been a contravention of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. A notification must be made to DEECD in writing within 24 hours of receiving the complaint.

For more information and to register for a training event visit the training section at www.elaa.org.au.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Our work in action ELAA provides intensive support to help services resolve governance and management issues.

Case study 1

Case study 2

Last year, ELAA was contacted by a long day care centre for support to become a stand-alone service when the local council had decided to end its management of the service. ELAA met with the committee many times, helped them with budgets, rosters, job descriptions and the transition from council.

A large long day care service had sought advice and support from ELAA over a number of years. The cooperative had experienced poor management and governance over the past few years which had resulted in some major financial concerns.

The new committee contacted ELAA this year regarding a spot inspection of their service (following a complaint to the DEECD on a range of issues) which revealed a number of breaches of regulations. The committee did not understand the implications of the breach. Unfortunately, the committee had not received any sort of handover from the previous committee and had little understanding of their roles and obligations. ELAA staff met with representatives of the committee and the director to go through the report from DEECD and develop an action plan to rectify the issues. ELAA also provided support at the meeting with DEECD. The Department was satisfied with the action plan; however the service will be closely monitored to ensure that improvements are implemented.

ELAA assisted the board by suggesting they contract someone to help them with a restructure and put them in touch with an experienced early childhood educator/manager. Following discussions with the board and staff, the consultant advised that she felt the service had outgrown the capabilities of the coordinator and suggested recruiting a new Director. ELAA met with the board to discuss the consultantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations and assisted them to implement a restructure. The cooperative have since recruited a new Director and improved their financial position and governance procedures.

ELAA will continue to provide advice and support including reviewing position descriptions, roles and responsibilities, and performance management, counselling and discipline (if required).

Does your service need help with a governance or management issue? Contact ELAA (03)489 3500, rural 1300 730 119 or elaa@elaa.org.au

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

A year of uncertainty “From a “big picture” perspective, 2014 has been a year of uncertainty as the Commonwealth Government kept services and families waiting until 5 September before committing to funding 15 hours of kindergarten/preschool in 2015”, Shane Lucas, CEO, ELAA.

The last term of 2014 will cap off what has been a significant and challenging year for our sector. From a “big picture” perspective, 2014 has been a year of uncertainty as the Commonwealth Government kept services and families waiting until 5 September before committing to funding 15 hours of kindergarten/preschool in 2015. While the Commonwealth announcement was welcome, it is still unclear whether the funding will continue beyond next year or whether Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley’s announcement was just a stay of execution. Minister Ley has also said that she will await the release of the final report of the Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare and early childhood learning on 31 October before making decisions about the future. This is appropriate, as the inquiry has provided a critical opportunity for governments (and the community as a whole) to consider where childcare and early learning sit in the Australian policy landscape – and the funding options that best support that policy. The Commission’s draft report made many recommendations, some we support, some we do not support, and others which we believe raise significant questions as to how they would be implemented – and hence critically, how they would be experienced by children, parents and families. On behalf of our members, ELAA made a further submission to the inquiry in September and presented to the

Commissioners at a public hearing in Melbourne in August.

• m aintaining qualification and ratio requirements for teachers of 0–3 year olds

Our final submission focused on those issues and recommendations in the draft report that are of principal concern to our members, and which sit at the intersection of Commonwealth-State relations in early childhood learning and care.

• m aintaining Fringe Benefits Tax and Payroll Tax exemptions for not-for-profit early learning providers

In summary, our recommendations are:

• e nsuring no disadvantaged or vulnerable children and families are worse off under the recommendations ultimately made by the Commission.

• e nsuring the Commonwealth contribution to Universal Access funding (15 Hours) continues beyond 2015 – and that the funding is transparent and provided for the purposes of supporting early childhood education

We also took the opportunity to restate our core view that high quality early learning enriches the development and wellbeing of all children – and is of particular benefit for disadvantaged children and families.

• e nsuring that preschools/kindergartens remain within the National Quality Framework

This is not an opinion based on conjecture or an article of faith. It is a view informed

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

MEMBER SURVEY... What you told us by the research evidence; by our members’ experience in delivering high quality early learning; and by the positive outcomes achieved by children in our members’ care. We can only hope that the Commission has heard our views – and the views of many other respected organisations and individuals – and that the final report recognises the importance of high quality early learning for children and for our economy and community as a whole. During this term, Victorians will also go to the polls on 29 November to decide the next State Government – and NSW (26 March 2015) and Queensland (by 20 June 2015) will follow. These elections in the big three eastern seaboard States provide further opportunities for members and parents in our sector to demand that State politicians also demonstrate a real commitment to supporting and funding quality early learning programs. With this in mind, ELAA invited the major Victorian political parties to respond to what we believe are the key concerns for our sector – and to provide our members with a clear statement of what they believe is important. The responses from the Coalition, Labor and the Greens are on pages 8–9 of this edition of Preschool Matters. In the lead-up to the Victorian election, ELAA will be providing members and parents with some resources to help you communicate with your local candidates – especially those in marginal seats. At ELAA, we have a proud history of working constructively with governments of both political persuasions to enhance and improve the early learning service system. But we have also found that it never hurts to remind our elected representatives that parents, service providers and educators are also voters – and that we expect them to listen to, and respect the views of their constituents.

In our recent online survey, we asked ELAA members to tell us what they think about the services we provide – and we were delighted with the response. The feedback provided by over 30% of Independent members and 42% of Cluster members was overwhelmingly positive, and contained many suggestions for improvements we can make to better assist you. We have now analysed the almost 200 survey responses and will use this information to plan and deliver improved member services.

This is what you told us… There are high levels of satisfaction with our overall performance and our member services (the advice line, training, publications and resources) are very well regarded. There were also many helpful suggestions for improving further. Respondents from rural and regional areas requested additional professional development and support delivered in person and online. Following the success of our PolicyWorks Manual NQF, services in all locations have suggested other resources be made available online. The new ELAA website gives us the opportunity to do this and we are currently in the process of developing an online governance training package for Boards and Committees, funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Many survey respondents expressed concern about the workload on parent volunteer committees and related issues of succession planning, governance and the need for additional support. Cluster managers also told us what they would like to see covered by tailored training offerings, publications, and resources. The vast majority of respondents were aware of ELAA’s advocacy role and rated this highly. Many of you told us to keep being a strong voice for the early childhood sector to government, media and the community, particularly in relation to funding for 15 hour programs. With no funding certainty beyond 2015, this was the issue of overwhelming concern to you. Respondents were worried about the impact on services including issues of affordability for families, service viability and jobs. The upcoming state elections in Victoria, NSW and Queensland will provide opportunities to increase pressure on the major parties in those States – and to keep the issue on the agenda at the national level. The Productivity Commission proposal to exclude preschools from the NQF was also of great concern to members with one respondent seeing it as a: “huge issue, it will set early childhood back years”. This is already a key focus of our ongoing advocacy work. I want to thank everyone who took part in the member survey and assure you that all suggestions will be carefully considered as we work to improve our services to you.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Q&A for 4 year old children for a further 12 months only. If the Commonwealth does not provide its funding contribution beyond 2015, how many hours of preschool would your party commit to fund annually? The Napthine Government played a key role in securing the Commonwealth Government’s funding commitment for 15 hours of kindergarten in 2015. The announcement follows months of sustained advocacy to the Commonwealth on the need to maintain 15 hours and all the benefits it delivers.

The HON. wendy lovell MP

minister for children and early childhood development 1. The National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care is currently under review. What is your party’s policy regarding the quality agenda, particularly in relation to qualifications for educators and ratios of educators to children? The Napthine Government supports the National Quality Framework’s aim to improve the quality of services and provide better information for families about their children’s education and care. While the Napthine Government is keen to reduce any unnecessary regulatory burden on early childhood education and care services, we do not want to compromise on quality improvement and ensuring services meet children’s health, safety and wellbeing needs. The Napthine Government believes that qualified educators working with children and families and the ratio of educators to children are necessary components to optimise every child’s learning and development in the early years.

2. On 5 September, the Commonwealth Government committed to funding their share (5 hours) of 15 hours of preschool

nationally. This result demonstrates the high-quality early childhood education and care services in Victoria. As outlined in our response to the draft Productivity Commission report, the Napthine Government supports the retention of preschools in the National Quality Framework and ongoing Commonwealth Government funding for the National Partnership on Universal Access.

This great result would not have been possible without the leadership of Premier Napthine and the support of kindergarten service providers, local government and Victorian families. The Commonwealth Government has extended the 15 hours of kindergarten for 12 months to allow it time to consider the future funding of this program in conjunction with significant reports, such as the Productivity Commission Report, which is due in October. The Napthine Government will continue to advocate on behalf of Victorian families to secure further Commonwealth funding for 15 hours of kindergarten programs and looks forward to further discussions with the Commonwealth Government once the final Productivity Commission report is complete.

3. What is your party’s position on the Productivity Commission’s recent recommendation to remove preschools from the NQF and to have them come under state and territory education legislation and funding? The Napthine Government together with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and early childhood education and care services have all worked hard to implement the National Quality Framework in Victoria. The Napthine Government is proud that 78 per cent of Victorian early childhood education and care services are either meeting or exceeding the National Quality Standards, compared to 62 per cent

jenny mikakos MP shadow minister for children

1. The National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care is currently under review. What is your party’s policy regarding the quality agenda, particularly in relation to qualifications for educators and ratios of educators to children? Victorian Labor wholeheartedly supports the retention of the National Quality Framework (NQF). We are committed to high-quality early childhood education and care and improving outcomes for all children, especially those children from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds. The commitment by all Australian Governments to a new National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care and school age care was a landmark reform. I am proud that under the former Victorian Labor Government,

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Victoria agreed to host the national legislation to give effect to the NQF.

funded under global school funding arrangements.

Improved staff to child ratios and higher qualifications for the early childhood education and care workforce are both fundamental parts of the NQF.

Given the Federal Assistant Minister for Education, Sussan Ley’s comments in the past that she does not believe kindergarten is a Federal Government responsibility, Victorian Labor is concerned that the Abbott Government may use this recommendation to remove itself from the direct provision of kindergarten funding.

An Andrews Labor Government will support children having access to quality learning programs to develop the skills and knowledge they need for life and learning.

2. On 5 September, the Commonwealth Government committed to funding their share (5 hours) of 15 hours of preschool for 4 year old children for a further 12 months only. If the Commonwealth does not provide its funding contribution beyond 2015, how many hours of preschool would your party commit to fund annually? The Abbott Government’s short-term reprieve of kindergarten funding, whilst welcome news for kindergarten committees and parents, is a cynical move designed to take this issue off the election agenda in Victoria and other states. There continues to be a great deal of uncertainty about the funding, what Victoria’s allocation will be, whether funds will be for new buildings and most importantly, whether funding will continue after 12 months. Victorian Labor was a strong supporter of the community campaign undertaken by Early Learning Association Australia as well as kindergarten committees, parents and volunteers calling on the Abbott Government to retain 15 hours. It was these combined efforts that directly influenced the Abbott Government’s announcement of 12 months funding. An Andrews Labor Government will be vigorously lobbying the Abbott Government to sign up to a new National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education and continue funding 15 hours of kindergarten on an ongoing basis for all 4 year old children.

3. What is your party’s position on the Productivity Commission’s recent recommendation to remove preschools from the NQF and to have them come under state and territory education legislation and funding? Victorian Labor is concerned about the implications that may stem from the Commission’s draft recommendation 7.9 that dedicated preschools should be removed from the scope of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and should be

Victorian Labor supports the ongoing implementation of the NQF. An Andrews Labor Government will vigorously lobby the Abbott Government not to unwind the significant early childhood reforms that we have seen rolled out across Australia in recent years.

2. The Commonwealth Government has not yet committed to funding their share of 15 hours of preschool for 4 year old children in beyond 2015. If the Commonwealth does not provide these funds, how many hours of preschool would your party commit to fund annually? The Australian Greens support federal government funding of preschool education which enables children to access 15 hours of preschool per week. Currently government funding is guaranteed until next year, however, this is also part of the Productivity Commission’s review, the outcome of which is expected to determine the future of federal government funding. The Greens would not support a reduction to the number of hours children have access to. Greens state policy advocates for two years free preschool education to all children delivered by registered, fully qualified educators.

Sue Pennicuik MLC AUSTRALIAN GREENS

1. The National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care is currently under review. What is your party’s policy regarding the quality agenda, particularly in relation to qualifications for educators and ratios of educators to children? The Greens are supportive of the National Quality Framework. We believe that all children have the right to quality early childhood education and that this can be delivered through the quality standards. Any attempts to reduce child to staff ratios and dilute the qualification requirements of educators would be of great detriment to the quality of care delivered. Research proves that quality early childhood education and care gives our children the best start in life and is integral to their future development. High quality education and care are essential for the health and development of our children and must be central to any reforms. Vulnerable and at risk Australian families must be guaranteed equal access to high quality education and care.

3. What is your party’s position on the Productivity Commission’s recent recommendation to remove preschools from the NQF and to have them come under state and territory education legislation and funding? The Australian Greens don’t support removing preschools from the NQF. We support federal government funding of preschool. In general the Productivity Commission is a great opportunity to review the way we deliver early childhood education and care in this country. However, the government has advised the Productivity Commission that they must stay within the current funding envelope. We know that in order to deliver high quality care it is integral that we fund the sector properly, the current funding envelope is not sufficient. The cost of childcare is rising and parents are under more pressure, particularly since the government announced its budget in May. We need to be supporting parents, not making it harder for them. The Victorian and Australian Greens education policy can be viewed on our website at: http://greens.org.au/policies/vic/ education

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

new approach to teaching safety By Caroline Milburn

Starting Out Safely Road Safety Educator Resource

In a sector awash with policy guidelines and recent reforms, how do you inspire educators to embrace a new way of teaching children under six and their families about road safety education? The National Practices for Early Childhood Road Safety Education were developed by early childhood education and road safety experts throughout Australia and New Zealand, to support evidence-based road safety education in early childhood settings. A new resource – The Starting Out Safely Road Safety Educator Resource – provides practical advice to enable educators to bring to life the eight national practices. “We were very conscious of giving people a sense of what road safety education looks like in practice and to stretch people’s thinking about what it might mean,” said Ms Catharine Hydon, an early childhood education consultant and lead writer of the Starting Out Safely Road Safety Educator Resource. “People might not think that activities such as children sourcing old Melways maps, looking at the maps and talking about the roads are about road safety education. But we wanted to make it clear to educators that they can use material like that in road safety education. “Sometimes in early childhood education we talk about broad concepts and we don’t talk about what it means in practice. Educators are such busy people and they really value things when they’re made as accessible as possible.” The eight national practices were released in 2011, to support educators to embed evidence-based road safety education in their curriculum to lay the foundations for safe road use throughout life. More children are killed using Australia’s roads each year, than the number of children who die each year from accidental drowning.

National Practice: Learning through play Through play-based learning seek opportunities to address road safety in a way that expands children’s thinking and encourages

Safely solving. Starting Outproblem Road Safety Educator Resource

Starting Out Safely Road Safety Educat or Resource National Practice s – Learning through play continued

Road safety education in practice

Case Study 1: Educators can encourage playful exploration in many ways. Sand and in the outside environment provide soil areas for children to a perfect space create their own scenari with their ideas about roads, vehicle os and play keeping safe. s, traffic and

National Practice: e Cultural competenc

education Implement road safety relevant for the that is culturally , their families diversity of children and the community.

Play is a central component of effective early childhood education and care programs. Through play, children learn about themselves and the world around them. Play provides the opportunity for children to learn by doing and when the child is in control of the play, they can learn naturally, make choices and solve problems without fear of failure, fostering self-esteem and confidence for further exploration. Thoughtful and reflective educators support children’s growing understanding of safety through play-based experiences and the provision of materials, space and sufficient time for full engagement. Supportive adults will extend children’s thinking by being a play partner, a role model and a guide to understanding safe behaviours.

t focuses on an educator’s Being culturally competen d ly respond and understan capacity to respectful es are When these perspectiv diverse ways of living. for children and their incorporated into programs individuals s are celebrated and families, difference ness. of belonging and connected feel a greater sense is more about being practice this part, For the most a set rather than only utilising patient and inclusive . of activities and resources of being e and understanding Children’s experienc This by that of their families. road users is shaped particularly for families can be a complex story, may have in Australia and who who are newly settled to rules and cultural attitudes experienced different countries. road safety in other

use in culturally Supporting safe road ways will ensure sensitive and inclusive become active children and families ity life. participants in commun

Connections

Road safety education is enhanced when play underpins the whole curriculum and reflects children’s interests and strengths.

Framework (EYLF) Early Years Learning t culturally competen “Educators who are ways of knowing, respect multiple cultural the benefits of seeing and living, celebrate to understand ability an diversity and have & s” (Belonging, Being and honour difference k Years Learning Framewor Becoming – The Early p.16). for Australia, 2009 National Quality Standard nal program Quality Area 1: Educatio and practice making contributes 1.1.1: Curriculum decision and development to each child’s learning n to their identity, connectio outcomes in relation confidence as learners with community, wellbeing, communicators. and effectiveness as ideas, current knowledge, 1.1.2: Each child’s n interests are the foundatio culture, abilities and of the program.

A small city childre n’s service receive delivery of sand d their annual to replenish the sand area. Instead Connections of asking the families to relocat e the sand as normally would, they they talked to the children about they might relocat how e the sand from the big pile at gate to the sand the areas. The childre Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) n worked togethe and devised a detailed system r to “Play can expand children’s thinking and enhance deliver to its new home the sand that involved trucks and trolleys their desire to know and to learn” (Belonging, pathways, and , entries and exits. Being & Becoming – The Early Years the Learning The educators opportunity to used talk with the childre Framework for Australia, 2009, p.15). they could keep n about how everyone safe during the process In response, the . children develop National Quality Standard ed more elabora plans includin g gates and signs, te and asked educat Quality Area 1: Educational program for hats and vests ors to keep safe when and practice trucks. The childre directing the n’s playful explora 1.1: An approved learning framework informs service tion of this routine task lasted several weeks and facilitat the development of a curriculum that enhances in the children’s unders tanding and awaren ed growth each child’s learning and development. how to keep themse ess of lves and their friends safe. 1.1.1: Curriculum decision making contributes

Case Study 2: Children also benefit from dramat play opportunities ic where they can act out what they know and observe in their families and community life. When a parent informed a service that he had just secured his first job as a bicycle patrol officer, educators invited the him to show the children his bicycle and uniform, and tell them about his work people safe on keeping the roads. The visit generated discussion and much excitement among the children. They were particularly impressed with the bicycle’s flashing lights, siren and bell. The educat ors responded children’s enthus to the iasm by providi ng police shirts, helmets, tyres, bicycle traffic signs, blocks steering wheel and a mounte d in the dramat ic play area. Childre pretended to n be drivers in cars, cyclists and bicycle patrol officers . The play allowed children to act and make sense out of what they had heard and seen during the visit.

to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection Practice sugge stions with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.

Play is centra l to children’s exploration of road safety . – Act as a guide during play, assistin When children g children to use and include are supported safe road strateg to play through their ideas, they example safe are provided with practices for crossin ies, for to develop the the opportunity g the road (stop, look, listen skills, attitude and think). s and understanding necessary to become • Set the environ safe road users. ment to suppor might conside Educators t children’s exploration and r the following key ideas when engagement of encouraging childre road safety by providing: n to engage in play. – open-ended • Support childre resources and n’s play ideas equipment such and interests. blocks, cars, signs – Listen deeply as and other building to children and that can be freely tune in to their equipment, questions or comme chosen by childre nts about the stimulate imagin n, will road environment either ation and can as passengers be used in a variety of differen or pedestrians. Respond respect t ways to explore fully and accurat understanding children’s ely to their questions, though s of the road environment ts and ideas, – extended play and join in with their play experie time to explore nces to suppor ideas related and t and extend their understanding concepts to road safety. Educators can . these extended support – Through observ play opportunities ing children’s with resources and specific informa play, educators evaluate and can assess childre tion that engage n’s individual thinking and unders s children’s strengths, interes tanding. ts and unders tanding of road • Invite childre safety, and plan n to undertake experiences that their own travel about how children support further engagement and survey participation. and families arrive Children could at the service. also map and analyse this data.

Further inform ation For more information about http://roadsa fetyeducation. Starting Out Safely vic.gov.au/res activities and ources/early-c resources please hildhood.html visit:

Nationwide, 61 children aged 0–14 died in 2011 from road traffic accidents on a public highway or street involving a moving vehicle such as a motor vehicle, bicycle or tram. Seventy-five per cent of those killed were passengers and a further 20 per cent were pedestrians. Younger children aged 0–4 were more than twice as likely to be killed in a road transport accident than those aged 10–14. Many thousands more children are seriously injured in road accidents each year. For example, in Victoria on average each year 622 children aged between 0–18 are seriously injured and 30 are killed on the state’s roads, according to the latest figures from VicRoads, the state’s road traffic authority. VicRoads was one of the road safety authorities involved in the Australian and New Zealand expert reference group that developed the eight national practices for early childhood road safety education. After the reference group developed the national practices VicRoads turned its attention to creating the educator resource. It set up a working group to

produce the resource by gathering ideas and practical examples of innovative road safety activities in early learning services. The working group members included Ms Hydon and representatives from Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA), Gowrie Victoria and VicRoads. VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission funded the development of the resource. The group was mindful of the need to overcome assumptions about road safety education – that it is traditionally viewed as an information session or special event and it involves a limited number of activities, applied to early learning services regardless of their location or individual needs. To break through these traditional beliefs about teaching road safety messages to children under six, the working group packed the educator resource with practical tips, curriculum suggestions and case studies. The material is aimed at encouraging and inspiring educators to use the ideas in their early learning services, as well as coming up with their own experiences for children. “We wanted to encourage people

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“It’s a smarter not harder approach. The last thing that ELAA or VicRoads want to do is make the attention to road safety education a burdensome, extra task for educators”, Catharine Hydon.

to think of road safety education as not just being about introducing children to crossing a road safely,” Ms Hydon said.

other early childhood education experts before finalising the resource for publication.

“We wanted to broaden our curriculum responses to get children thinking about things like how they might get to school safely.

VicRoad’s Emma Clarkson, who led the development of the resource, said educators who trialled the resource were overwhelmingly positive about its effectiveness in helping them understand how to embed the national practices into their teaching strategies and engagement with children and their families.

“And we wanted to avoid a one-size fits all approach by being explicit about different examples, so that an educator in a service located next to a busy road might approach road safety education differently to a service in a country town with no footpaths.” The eight national practices and the educator resource have also been designed to mesh with Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care. The resource’s practical tips include teaching strategies and activities that enable road safety education to be embedded into, rather than added on to, the early years curriculum. “It’s a smarter not harder approach,” Ms Hydon said. “The last thing that ELAA or VicRoads want to do is make the attention to road safety education a burdensome, extra task for educators.” The working group sought feedback on the usefulness of the resource from early learning services in rural and urban locations. It also sought responses from

The educator resource is divided into eight sections outlining each of the eight national practices, with relevant case studies and practical suggestions included in each section. Ms Clarkson said the working group was determined to ensure the resource included some of the more difficult challenges that educators are expected to deal with, such as communicating with families, especially those from culturally diverse backgrounds, about safe road use attitudes and behaviour. “Giving parents guidance can be a tricky thing to do, especially when there are strong cultural differences,” said Ms Clarkson, a VicRoads senior policy officer. “When families come from places with few road rules, it can be hard for those families to adjust to a new society and new road laws in Australia. “So the conversations that early childhood educators have with these families about road safety are very important.”

Cultural Competence – implementing road safety education that is culturally relevant for the diversity of children, their families and the community – is one of the eight national practices. Under the Cultural Competence section of the educator resource, the national practice is illustrated with suggestions about how educators can reach out to families. The section also advises educators “for the most part, this practice is more about being patient and inclusive rather than only utilising a set of activities and resources”. A case study describes a rural family day care service with families from Sudan who drove their children to the service in cars without proper child restraints or seatbelts. The service worked with a local community leader and social worker and held a local information night to talk with families about seatbelt and other road safety issues. After the information night educators at the family day care service noticed an improvement in the number of families using seatbelts. The service plans to hold a similar neighbourhood meeting for families each year. Ms Hydon said such examples showed the extraordinary, society-wide benefits of early childhood road safety education. “Road safety education is not just for children and young drivers. It’s for the whole community and the whole community benefits when everyone knows about it and takes it seriously.” She said the case studies and other materials in the resource also revealed how educators played a crucial role in helping to create healthier, safer and stronger communities. “Part of our work in early childhood education is to be responsive to the place and community you work in,” Ms Hydon said. “Early learning services are important community institutions and educators in these services are often the first point of contact that families make when settling into a community.” The free on-line resource has also been designed to ensure it can be used anywhere in Australia by early childhood educators. It is available on the websites of ELAA and VicRoads and will form part of ELAA’s Starting Out Safely road safety professional development sessions for early childhood educators.

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Community playgroups: connecting rural families locally Playgroup Victoria’s rural pilot program, in partnership with ELAA, connects rural families to the benefits of quality, play-based learning experiences for young children. Anyone who has participated in playgroup knows of its benefits to children, families and communities. Playgroups reinforce the role of parents as first and most enduring educators of their child, ensure children learn through play before attending kindergarten and other early childhood settings and build social connections for families in local communities. Victoria’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has funded a three year pilot project to build parents’ capacity as first educators and to provide children with early learning experiences. The project will provide playgroup families with opportunities to connect to early childhood information, resources and universal services. Playgroup Victoria is working in partnership with Early Learning Association Australia to raise awareness of the benefits of playgroup participation in the early childhood sector and ensure playgroup families transition smoothly from

playgroup to kindergarten. The Municipal Association of Victoria, a peak body for Victoria’s local councils, is another key stakeholder as partnerships with local government are recognised as vital to this project’s success. Three Playgroup Development Consultants are working across 14 Victorian municipalities to increase access to and participation in community playgroups. The following snapshots from each of the project sites highlight some of the many positive outcomes of the project so far.

Giant Playgroup (Gippsland project site) The Giant Playgroup was a free community event held in Newborough Public Hall on 27 June. It was hosted by Latrobe City Council and organised by Latrobe Best Start Facilitator Libby Langford and Playgroup Development Consultant Leanne Dhami. About 200 children, parents and carers participated in this event which brought together six community playgroups and three supported playgroups to each run a simple activity. Activities included decorating crowns to wear, dot painting, sensory play dough and sand, pasta

necklaces and seedling planting allowing children to explore, move and experience the environment. The day included a story time session reading of Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes to encourage reading and literacy and an Aunty Wendy’s Mob music and movement session. Local businesses offered support by donating the venue, fruit, equipment and books for the story time. Playgroup Victoria staff provided a Play Day with fun activities and information for families. The Giant Playgroup promoted and celebrated the importance of playgroups and demonstrated that playgroups are inclusive, supportive and fun for adults as well as children. The community spirit was evident as local playgroups were able to meet and work together and provide an opportunity for new families to get information and join playgroups. The Giant Playgroup was the first event of its kind in the Latrobe area and has everyone in Latrobe asking when and where the next playgroup event will be.

Playgroup Library Week (Ballarat and surrounds project site) This year’s statewide Playgroup Library Week from 21–25 July was a great opportunity to meet local families with preschool aged children in Ballarat, Ararat, Hepburn, Central Goldfields and Pyrenees and work with local libraries to promote playgroups and story time. Playgroup and storytime both aim to engage parents and carers with their children and offer great opportunities for fun and learning in a relaxed, informal environment. There is little or no cost involved and no need to book. Throughout Playgroup Library Week, Playgroup Development Consultant Amy Marnica co-hosted storytime pop-up playgroup sessions with Clunes, Trentham, Ballarat, Maryborough, Ararat, Beaufort and Avoca libraries. At Beaufort Library the Beaufort Playgroup came and made it their playgroup session for the week, and at

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members gathered at the Heart Felt Café community enterprise for the opening of the second annual Kaniva Playgroup Art Show. In pride of place were the large hand painted 3D elephant and giraffe welcoming everyone into the café. Cath Healy, Playgroup Victoria’s Rural Project Manager, was invited to officially open the art show showcasing the works of all children who regularly attend the community playgroup held in the Kaniva Early Learning Centre. In her opening speech, Cath spoke about the wonderful volunteers who make participation in playgroups possible across Victoria and how much children and families gain emotionally, socially and cognitively from attending playgroups especially in rural areas.

Ararat Library about 40 people joined in the fun! We had a fantastic turn out at some sessions and enjoyed fun-filled stories, singing, activities and parachute games. The Rural Consultants travel with pop-up playgroup kits filled with books, blocks, pretend play activities and craft resources, so are able to set up a playgroup session just about anywhere. It was fantastic to see lots of book borrowing at the end of the Playgroup Library Week sessions too. “These sessions worked so well because of the fantastic support from local libraries,” Amy said. “I’m looking forward to working

with the libraries again to host similar events in the future. It was great to meet so many local families and to have the opportunity to promote playgroup and storytime – a great match!”

Kaniva Playgroup Art Show (Wimmera project site) Anyone who has ever driven to Adelaide on the Western Highway would know Kaniva as the last town on the highway before you reach the South Australia border. If you were passing through on Thursday 19 June you would have seen lots of playgroup families and community

What made this art show unique was the way the community got behind its fundraising efforts by making silent bids on art works displayed. Community members placed silent bids on the artwork over several weeks to win their favourite pieces. The highest bidder got to take home a handcrafted piece of Kaniva children’s artwork and help raise funds for the playgroup at the same time. The bid for the Zoe the Zebra art piece was successfully won by the Rural Project team and now hangs in pride of place in the Playgroup Victoria training room in Brunswick! You can view locations and find out more about this project on the Playgroup Victoria web page at www.playgroup.org. au/Programs---Projects/Rural-Project.

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Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Real stories: What Bicultural Support really means to children, families and educators By Katrina Licuanan Kutschker, Programs Manager, FKA Children’s Services

In the small town of Trafalgar, 125 kilometres east of Melbourne, Natalia, a recent immigrant from Ukraine and newly widowed mother of three, recounts her story behind dark sunglasses. With a few words of English interspersed with her flawless Russian, she speaks passionately of the early childhood educators and bicultural support team who helped her at the most critical time in her family’s adjustment to a new country. Not knowing anyone at the time who spoke Russian, Natalia felt isolated and in her own words ‘suffocated.’ “Can you imagine what it was like? You have a terminally ill husband and very young children, and I couldn’t speak any English. Everyone here has their own private life. I couldn’t even talk to my family back home for almost a year! I wanted to hang myself!” Soon she realised that her twin girls Sofia and Margaryta could not just stay home “looking out the window all day.” They needed to be amongst other children of their age, and so she enrolled them at the local kindergarten. Although her daughters were happy to play with each other, they had limited involvement with other children in the kinder due to the language barrier. The educators in the kindergarten did their best to help and communicate with Natalia and her children. However, Natalia felt she was not able to communicate adequately, so she would try to slip in and out of the service unnoticed to avoid conversations. It was the educator at the local kindergarten who sought Natalia’s consent to access Bicultural Support from FKA Children’s Services ( fkaCS). Soon after, Leyla, a Russian-speaking bilingual worker from fkaCS, came to visit Natalia and her children in the kindergarten. “Leyla was the first person in Australia with whom my children and I could speak in Russian. It was like a breath of fresh air for us! I was ready to go back to Ukraine, but then I realised there are people who understand and want to help me and my children.” The impact on Natalia’s twin girls from having a bilingual worker in their kindergarten was immediate.

Leyla recounts, “Sofia and Margaryta’s eyes lit up instantly as soon as they heard me speak to them in their home language. They came straight up to me and did not want to leave my side.” fkaCS Consultant Christine Speziale who worked with Leyla to support the twins, has seen similar outcomes amongst children in other Bicultural Supports she has done. In her own words, “It is always amazing to observe the positive outcomes for children who have access to Bicultural Support. Educators often ring us for assistance to support children from CALD backgrounds who are struggling, distressed or displaying challenging behaviours. Often after implementing some simple strategies and a few visits from a bilingual worker, children become more settled and engaged in the program. I often see children who are quiet and withdrawn, become confident and social in their play, feel comfortable to speak their home language and even begin to try some English words! Something as simple as language is often overlooked as the key to children developing a positive sense of identity and wellbeing in their early years. Bicultural Support helps to achieve these positive outcomes for children.” Russian is not the only language for which requests for Bicultural Support have doubled in the last five years. Similar increases in need have been recorded for commonly requested languages such as Mandarin, Hindi, Farsi and Vietnamese, as well as emerging languages such as Dari, Dinka, Hazaragi, Oromo and Chin Hakka. This comes as no surprise considering Australia’s ever-growing multicultural community. Based on the 2011 Bureau of Statistics census, more than a quarter of the Australian population was born overseas. One in five people born in Australia has at least one parent born overseas, and nearly 4 million people speak a language other than English at home. As families continue to arrive from overseas and settle in Australia, early

childhood educators are seeing the importance of being able to understand the needs and situations of children and families entering early childhood services. Fortunately, Bicultural Support from fkaCS is available in over one hundred and fifty different languages, and is available at no cost to most early childhood services* across Victoria. Through Bicultural Support, early childhood services have free access to an interpreter or other bilingual or bicultural person to help enroll and settle children from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Bicultural Support provides varying levels of support to assist educators in facilitating the inclusion of a child or children from CALD backgrounds: 1. Bicultural Support helps facilitate communication between educators and families. Charlotte Bischoff, Teacher-in-Charge at TRY Peninsula Montessori Centre in Frankston, recently accessed Bicultural Support for a Russian speaking child in her three-year-old group. In her own words; “Bicultural support has enabled educators and peers in our centre

Above; fkaCS bilingual worker Leyla with Natalia and her twin daughters Margaryta and Sofia. Opposite page; fkaCS bilingual worker Leyla and educator Charlotte supporting a Russian-speaking child at Peninsula Montessori Centre.

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“Bicultural support has enabled educators and peers in our centre to develop relationships with children from CALD backgrounds that may otherwise not have been possible in such a short period of time”, Charlotte Bischoff, Teacher-in-Charge, TRY Peninsula Montessori Centre.

Educator Charlotte attests, “Being involved with Bicultural Support has meant we were able to borrow Russian resources like bilingual stories and a music CD from fkaCS with no cost for a limited period of time. Having access to these resources will allow us to continue the support beyond just the sessions with the bilingual worker. We have also been provided with information handouts in both Russian and English emphasisng the importance of families maintaining their home language. Together, this combined support has helped our team of educators to work more effectively to engage the child and her family within our centre.” to develop relationships with children from CALD backgrounds that may otherwise not have been possible in such a short period of time. So much is dependent upon the relationships a child makes with the people around them, especially during the early years, and bicultural support has helped all of us to develop these relationships with the child and her family. A child’s identity, self confidence and wellbeing, self expression and ability to communicate ideas, willingness to take risks and openness to learning are all supported through this process. We have worked with bilingual worker Leyla over several sessions and she has facilitated communication with the child in individual and group settings during this time, speaking in Russian to the child and also translating for both educators and child. She has given us simple Russian vocabulary with phonetic pronunciation to support our interactions with the child and she has acted as interpreter during a meeting with the family which was facilitated by an fkaCS consultant.” 2. Bicultural Support facilitates cultural awareness. With specific cultural insight from bilingual workers and early childhood-specific

coaching from fkaCS consultants, educators become aware of differences in customs, traditions and child-rearing practices across cultures. Bicultural Support makes educators aware that even amongst families from the same cultural background, practices at home can be extremely varied. Culturally competent educators understand that a non-tokenistic approach in their programming is only possible through knowing and understanding the specific needs and practices of individual children and families attending their service, and incorporating these practices in the daily running of the program. To enable these discussions to occur, fkaCS consultants can facilitate family meetings between educators and parents, with the support of a bilingual worker. 3. Bicultural Support provides advice on programming or curriculum. FKA Children’s Services has a team of consultants who are highly-qualified and experienced early childhood educators. They offer advice on culturally appropriate practices, inclusive practice, resources and programs to assist newly arrived children and families. Consultants can suggest or provide suitable books, toys and other resources from fkaCS library collection to help educators in developing culturally competent programs.

Natalia’s twin girls Sofia and Margaryta have now gone off to prep at the local primary school in Trafalgar. They continue to speak both Russian and English and are thriving in their new environment, despite grieving the recent passing away of their dad. Soon, they will move into the home that Natalia is building in a new estate in Trafalgar. “Moving to another country is like starting a new life, step by step like a baby,” Natalia says. The newly widowed young mother is determined to face a new chapter in her life with her head held high, grateful for the support that she and her children have received at the most critical time in their lives. * As Professional Support Coordinator for Victoria, Gowrie Victoria contracts FKA Children’s Services to provide Bicultural Support to eligible services under the Inclusion and Professional Support Program; eligible services include Child Care Benefit (CCB) approved long day care, family day care, out-of-school-hours care, occasional care, in-home care and Budget Based Funded (BBF) services. Bicultural Support is also available to State-funded four-year-old kindergartens through funding from the Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

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One giant leap together By Rhonda Livingstone, ACECQA’s national education leader

The beginning of a new experience is generally an exciting time for anyone, but with it also comes a level of apprehension as you take your first steps into the unfamiliar. Starting school is a big step for children and assisting them to transition to school is an important part of their journey of life-long learning. The KidsMatter publication titled Transition to Primary School: A Review of the literature identifies the importance of supporting children to have a positive start to their school life and promoting children’s health and wellbeing. It recognises that the transition to school ‘involves negotiating and adjusting to a number of changes including the physical environment, learning expectations, rules and routines, social status and identity, and relationships for children and families’.1 Knowing what to expect in the school environment helps children to make

a smooth transition and preparing children for this begins well before their first day of school. Success is more likely when key stakeholders, including children, families, educators, teachers and relevant community representatives, work and plan this transition collaboratively. Researchers have also identified that children’s initial social and academic successes at school can be crucial to their future progress.2 The Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard (NQS) recognise the importance of transitions and embedding continuity of learning as a key principle. This is acknowledged in element 6.3.2 of the NQS which requires that continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing relevant information and clarifying responsibilities. The notion of supporting children in their transitions is woven throughout the NQS. For example,

It is widely acknowledged that effective transitions require collaboration between early childhood programs, schools, families and other relevant professionals. Increasingly, we are moving away from the notion of school readiness, instead working collaboratively to ensure the transition to school is smooth and children have every opportunity to settle into their new environments and succeed.

recognising the importance of supporting children to feel secure, confident and included (5.1.3), building relationships and engaging with the local community (6.3.4) and families (6.2.1), and linking with community and support agencies (6.3.1), to name a few. The Early Years Learning Framework (p. 16) reminds us of the importance of ensuring children have an active role in preparing for the transition and building on children’s prior and current experiences to ‘help them to feel secure, confident and connected to familiar people, places, events… understand the traditions, routines and practices of the settings to which they are moving and to feel comfortable with the process of change’. This also aligns with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. It is widely acknowledged that effective transitions require collaboration between early childhood programs, schools, families and other relevant professionals. Increasingly, we are moving away from the notion of school readiness, instead working collaboratively to ensure the transition to school is smooth and children have every opportunity to settle into their new environments and succeed. Many researchers acknowledge that children’s adjustment to school is not simply about a child’s specific skill set, but is shaped by the relationships and interconnections formed between key stakeholders (such as teachers, educators, families and health professionals)3. I recently heard from principals from two schools in regional Queensland (Charleville State School and Newtown State School) who are working collaboratively to build partnerships and networks with families, health services, early childhood services, schools and the broader community as part of the Great Start, Great Futures4 project. The project draws on data from sources such as the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI), brain research and ecological, educational and developmental theories. It has

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• i nvolving children in transition planning can trigger early childhood educators and Prep teachers to think about how routines and activities can be improved’.5

Available resources There are a number of resources to assist in developing policies and practices that support effective transitions. For example, Community Child Care Co-operative NSW has developed a Transition to School Example Policy which you may find helpful. The Transition: A Positive Start to School Resource Kit (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria) is relevant for long day care, family day care, occasional care, playgroups, OSHC, early childhood intervention services, kindergartens and schools. Ready Together-Transition to School Program, produced by Communities for Children (Inala to Ipswich) and the Crèche and Kindergarten Association (C&K), includes resources which provide support, tips and suggestions to support families and early childhood professionals in preparing children for school. The new NSW transition to School Statement is a practical tool designed to make it easier for information to be shared between families, early childhood services and schools. Use of the statement is optional and is completed by the child’s early childhood educator in cooperation with the family, before being communicated to the intended school. Other resources include: • Linking Schools and Early Years – http://www.rch.org.au/lsey/ • Illawarra Transition to School Program – http://transitiontoschool.com.au/ • I nternational Journal of Transitions in Childhood – https://extranet.education. unimelb.edu.au/LED/tec/journal_index.shtml • S chool Readiness. Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth – http://www.aracy.org.au/publications-resources/area?command=record&id=96 • T ransitions: between groups, settings and beyond. Early Childhood Australia – http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/resources/case-studies/ transitions-between-groups-settings-and-beyond/

reframed the idea of school readiness to ensure schools are ready, welcoming and engaging and children are ready for sustained school success. So how can early childhood education and care (ECEC) services help support children’s positive transition to school? Building respectful, positive and collaborative relationships with families, schools and community services is a good place to start. The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Transition: A Positive Start to School Resource Kit reminds us that all children are different and effective transition-to-school programs recognise

and respect these differences. It also emphasises the importance of involving and listening to children ‘because: • i t acknowledges their right to be listened to and for their views and experiences to be taken seriously • i t can make a difference to our understanding of children’s priorities, interests and concerns • i t can make a difference to our understanding of how children feel about themselves • l istening is a vital part of establishing respectful relationships with the children we work with and is central to the learning process

Parents and early childhood professionals can work together to prepare children to understand the change in environment, including providing clarity around what they might expect to see and do, what they will learn about, routines, practices and structures of the school setting. Together, parents and educators can provide consistent messages in preparing children for their transition and therefore reduce anxiety. Partnerships between the education and care service, community child health services and the school are equally important in supporting children’s continuity of learning, security and healthy development. When information is shared with new educators and other professionals about each child’s current development, knowledge, skills and understandings, continuity for children is enhanced. The service’s philosophy, policies and procedures should also guide approaches and practices that promote positive transitions and support children to build on their previous experiences to embrace the changes and challenges of the new school environment.

Macedon Kindergarten, Macedon VIC ACECQA spoke with Macedon Kindergarten Educational Leader Julie Priest, Macedon Primary School principal David Twite, and local mother Katie Toll about the programs and activities in place to support children and families during transition. “Macedon Kindergarten’s participation in a local child services network has helped us establish really strong links with the schools in the community,” Julie Priest said. “The schools frequently drop off information about their programs and special events, which we display in our foyer and hand out to families. While it may seem like a small action, these materials are the stepping stones that begin the transition process.” Earlier this year, Macedon Primary started a new initiative with Macedon Kindergarten where the preschool/kinder group was invited to the school to participate in storytelling and reading in the library. “These days provide an opportunity for the children to familiarise themselves with the (continued on page 18)

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surroundings of what could potentially be their new school the next year,” Julie said. David Twite said the sessions were a great success, with investigations underway for future events. “As the weather warms up, we hope to extend another invitation to Macedon Kinder to participate in some outside activities,” David said. “We are fortunate to have an environmental reserve opposite our school and it would be great to organise another event where families and children can be exposed to our natural environment and surroundings in a fun and engaging way.” Macedon Primary also visits the kindergarten as part of a mentoring program. “During their visits, teachers and their ‘buddies’ [year 5 and 6 students] read to the children and participate in classroom activities,” Julie said. “This provides another opportunity for the children to meet potential teachers, peers and to form relationships. “We also use a ‘transition display’ as part of our program to visually illustrate the schools each child will attend. By using photos of the school, teachers, principals, and children, we are able to create a scene that the children can connect with.” Another important component of Macedon Kindergarten’s program is the development of transition statements. The statements are completed by the educators and families to ensure useful information is captured and passed on to the teacher and principal of the desired school. ADVERTISING

“Each child is unique, therefore is it vital our statements directly reflect their learning abilities and personalities,” Julie said. “We have received a great deal of positive feedback from families who appreciate the effort we go to, to ensure their child is supported throughout the process.” Macedon Primary is also committed to supporting children and families through the transition process. “Once we receive the statements, our teachers meet with the educators at Macedon Kinder and discuss in length each child’s learning development, friendship groups and readiness for school and any additional support required,” David said. Mother of two, Katie Toll, experienced the transition to school with her eldest son last year as he progressed from Macedon Kindergarten to Macedon Primary School. “The children regularly attended events and activities organised by the kindy and the school,” Katie said. “A great example was Orientation Day, where the children were invited to attend Macedon Primary for a couple of hours in the morning to familiarise themselves with the school, teachers and their new surroundings. “Macedon Primary School’s information sessions provided us with an opportunity to meet the teachers face-to-face, form a relationship and learn about the prep program first hand.” Katie believes the smooth transition experienced by her son was due to the close relationships shared within the community.

“I also found the program really valuable because the support networks and relationships I developed with other families in the kindy were able to continue through to the next year,” she said. 1 Hirst, M., Jervis, N., Visagie, K., Sojo, V. & Cavanagh, S. (2011) Transition to primary school: A review of the literature. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, page 5. 2 Fabian, H & Dunlop, A-W. (2006). Outcomes of Good Practice in Transition Process for Children Entering Primary School. Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education. UNESCO 3 Hirst, M., Jervis, N., Visagie, K., Sojo, V. & Cavanagh, S. (2011) A review of the literature. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, page 12 4 Great Start, Great Futures (2014), Queensland Government http://www.prezi. com/zkl1yxdegox2/ 5 Transition: A Positive Start to School Resource Kit, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria. http:// www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/ professionals/learning/Pages/transkit.aspx

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Preschool Matters Term four 2014

SUPPORTING NUTRITION FOR AUSTRALIAN CHILDCARE By Ruth Wallace

Early childhood is an important time for growth, and nutrition in particular plays an essential role in a child’s physical, social and emotional development, contributing significantly to good health as an adult. Early learning services are an important setting, not only for the provision of nutritious foods, but also for the child to learn healthy food habits which will remain with them through to adulthood. Whilst most Australian children are doing well, the most significant current health issue is overweight and obesity. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported 19% of children aged 2–4 years

Ruth Wallace has a Bachelor of Health Science (Health Promotion/Nutrition) with Honours, and is an Associate Nutritionist (registered with the Nutrition Society of Australia). She is also a PhD candidate and sessional tutor at Edith Cowan University and sits on the Committee of Management for Nutrition Australia (WA Division) where she engages with voluntary work, offering presentations, cooking demonstrations and other activities, covering all aspects of community nutrition, including early years.

were overweight or obese in 2009, which can increase their risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, and of being overweight or obese in adulthood. Considering that on average, a child will spend 27 hours a week at an early years service, it is essential that the food provided is nutritious and a healthy eating environment is promoted. This is also an ideal setting from which to liaise with families about these important issues. However, research has shown that, for a number of reasons, providing nutritious food and promoting a healthy eating environment is not always an easy task for educators and established a need for more training and support for the industry. Results from the first phase of the project, which involved interviews with 48 educators in WA, established that they were concerned about children’s food preferences, fussy eating and parental influences on the children’s diets. Whilst the educators I interviewed all expressed a very positive attitude towards providing a healthy eating environment, some also expressed their concerns about their own ability and confidence to discuss or teach basic nutrition concepts. In addition to the interviews, a consultancy group was also established. This was comprised of key stakeholders from the industry, such as education services directors, early childhood experts from ECU and other key organisations such as Ngala, Child Australia and Meerilinga. This group also provided valuable insight into the needs of the early years sector, and how to best promote the website once developed. The ‘SNAC’ website was launched on 1st August 2013. SNAC provides reliable and accurate nutrition specific resources together with online activities. These are designed to up skill educators about basic nutrition concepts and increase their confidence to teach these to children and discuss them with the parents. For example, there are many fact sheets, covering topics such as dealing with fussy eating, allergies and food label reading –

and many, many more. There are links to other key organisations such as Child Australia, Nutrition Australia and the Heart Foundation. Ideas for healthy eating activities are also offered – these are designed to help educators with planned activities which promote healthy eating, but are not necessarily focused around mealtimes or eating. For example, there is a water pouring activity, which allows toddlers to practice this sometimes messy activity outside, thus building up their own confidence, but also providing the educator with an opportunity to promote drinking water as the healthy option. Other examples include growing carrot tops, the ‘Eat for Health’ game and ‘Plant Investigators’, which are all linked to healthy eating and sustainability. A bank of menu planning resources such as menu planning checklists and sample 2 week menu plans are also available to download, together with a raft of nutritious, child specific recipes which have been designed, tried and tested specifically for early years services. The online activities include brief videos and quizzes, covering topics such as menu planning, basic nutrition concepts and food label reading.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

SNAC provides reliable and accurate nutrition specific resources together with online activities. These are designed to up skill educators about basic nutrition concepts and increase their confidence to teach these to children and discuss them with the parents.

posted on a forum, is then available to a wider audience. So if you want to know if an apple a day really keeps the doctor away, go to www.snacwa.com.au! There are now over 900 registered users on SNAC and educators are being actively encouraged to access the community forums, and to engage with me and their colleagues with the aim of building a valuable professional network and fostering a sense of community within the early years sector. The SNAC team encourages you to register as a user and to help us develop this valuable and important early years resource. Your feedback is also highly valuable to the research team, so if you come across something on the site that you like or don’t like, please feel free to leave your feedback. Also, if there is a resource you need, but can’t find on the website, let the SNAC team know and we will do our best to source those materials. More information is available on www.snacwa.com.au

It is important to note however, that these resources and activities are not designed to replace the existing mandatory training but to add value, by offering current and accurate nutrition information wrapped in support. Lastly, there are also a series of discussion boards on SNAC (found under the

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‘community’ tab), which are designed for educators to share their ideas and strategies, and to seek support from the SNAC team and other educators. For example, there is an ‘Ask the nutritionist’ forum, in which educators are able to ask any nutrition questions and have them answered by a qualified nutritionist. This information, by virtue of being

This is a research project, and to access the website you are required to register with some personal information. However, the project is monitored by ECU’s ethics committee and your confidentiality is assured at all times. On a final note, I would like to thank all the ‘Snacers’ who have been a part of the project from the start and who have worked with the SNAC team to get us this far. Please do take 5 minutes to register and become a part of the growing SNAC community.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Handing-over the mantle By Glenda Glover, Manager Member services

Managing an early childhood service requires a good understanding of the management structure of the organisation, service agreements and a range of legal responsibilities. The success of any committee is enhanced by thoughtful succession planning and an effective handover of knowledge, skills and tasks from the outgoing committee. As the Annual General Meeting approaches and committee members reach the end of their term of office, it will be of great benefit to the organisation for committee members to take time to reflect on their experiences. When preparing to handover responsibilities to new committee members, outgoing members should reflect on what worked well and where improvements could have been made when they went through the handover process. Good reflective questions include: • w hat information and support was most useful for their handover? • w hat did they appreciate most at the time of handover? • w hat would they have liked to have known at the beginning of their term but weren’t told? Unless your constitution states otherwise, the new committee is responsible for the management of the service from the time of their election at the AGM. Therefore outgoing committees need to think about how they will manage the transition to the incoming committee to ensure all their hard work is not lost. It is important that they are provided with as much information and resources as soon as possible to ensure their future decisions are based on a strong working knowledge of the history and structure of the organisation and the current issues. A handover meeting should be held as soon as possible after the AGM, preferably within one week. Committees should also consider developing an orientation program which will ensure new members are welcomed and provided with the information and support they need.

When preparing to handover responsibilities to new committee members, outgoing members should reflect on what worked well and where improvements could have been made when they went through the handover process.

Handover to the next committee requires the transfer of a great deal of information and the completion of a range of forms. These requirements will vary depending on the committee’s responsibilities. For example, site/advisory committees will not be required to complete forms related to the legal operation of the early childhood program such ‘Notification of Change to Information about Approved Provider’ as this is the responsibility of the external management body which is the Approved Provider. A committee member operational folder is a very useful resource for all members of current and future committees and is an effective way to provide information to new members. This folder may include information such as, details about the management structure, minutes of meetings, committee member job descriptions, contact details of committee members, constitution, program timetable, staffing details and a list of resources and support agencies. Where appropriate consider spending some time at the handover meeting orientating new committee members with the building such as the location of

files, resources, keys, light switches, alarm systems, kitchen supplies and anything else which may be specific to their role. As an outgoing committee member consider how you can best assist the newly elected committee by; • a cting as a mentor for as long as is required or being available as a sounding board • s pending time passing on the knowledge or insights you have acquired • e nsuring that all individual tasks have been completed and committee member operational folders are organised. ELAA has recently updated the Early Childhood Management Manual v2.1, which has a comprehensive range of templates, advice and committee handover checklists. Go to www.elaa.org.au to order a copy. ELAA’s free committee training for term 4 deals with the essentials of good governance and tips for seamless handover to new committee members. For more information or to book online visit the ELAA website, www.elaa.org.au.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

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Preschool Matters Term four 2014

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Phone/Fax 03 9791 9149 Email info@tppreschoolequipment.com.au www.tppreschoolequipment.com.au Celebrating our 30th year of manufacturing for the Early Childhood Industry

What makes a good Early Childhood Education & Care Training Course? Ask your Training Provider: > What is the sector experience of your trainers? > Will I get a job after I finish your qualification? > What practical support will I experience? > How will I be supported during training? > What learning experiences do you provide? Gowrie Victoria's RTO Team can answer these questions. Call us on (03) 9349 2890 or email training@gowrievictoria.org.au Visit our website for more information: gowrievictoria.org.au/training

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WORKCOVER PARTNER: ALLIANZ

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

ELAA Partnering with Allianz Workers’ Compensation Insurance Allianz knows the importance of having peace of mind when growing your business.

Peace of mind when growing your business means making the right choices along the way, including the important one about workers’ compensation insurance. Your workers’ compensation insurance should work as a ‘silent partner’ with your business to protect you and your employees when you need it most. When contacting us to arrange cover, make a change to an existing policy, or to lodge or enquire about a claim, we make it easy for you, exceeding your expectations. As the preferred WorkCover agent of the ELAA, Allianz will provide you with: • A n Account Manager to oversee your Workers’ Compensation program; • C laims management expertise that will return your injured workers to employment sooner; • Occupational Health & Safety support and guidance; • Access to Allianz training courses and events.

2014 National Training Schedule now available To help ELAA members begin planning their training requirements for the new year, Allianz’ workers compensation courses for 2014 are now available online.

As well as standard course offerings, three new courses have been introduced. New courses for 2014 are: • I ncident Investigation – This course will provide participants with an overview of incident investigations, reporting, notification obligations and prevention strategies in the workplace; • P revention of Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Workplace – This course will examine the common causes of musculoskeletal injuries, including manual tasks and slips, trips and falls. The course will focus on prevention and provide ergonomic principles and risk management strategies to implement in the workplace. • E nhancing Wellbeing in the Workplace – This workshop will help you understand the impact of health and wellbeing levels on workforce capability and the benefits that a wellbeing program can add to your workplace. It will also assist you to develop and implement a strategic wellbeing program in your workplace. For more detailed descriptions of these new courses and all other courses available go to http://www.allianz.com.au/ workers-compensation/training/

The online National Training Schedule, gives you access to book your training courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other benefits include immediate confirmation for your booked course, email and SMS reminders and the ability to pay for courses via EFT, MasterCard or Visa, that incur a fee. Our 2014 training offerings will be reviewed quarterly to ensure they continue to be relevant and topical. Courses scheduled for the second half of 2014 will be released in March.

For all queries regarding the ELAA/Allianz partnership and the benefits it provides or general queries regarding Workers’ Compensation, please contact your Allianz Business Account Manager, Danielle Hickey, on (03) 9234 3413 or via email danielle.hickey@allianz.com.au.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

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ELAA established the Early Childhood Education Foundation to address concerns that many Victorian families were not accessing preschool. Due to financial hardships and other factors many children are not experiencing this vital year of development.

Why was the Early Childhood Education Foundation established? To make a donation or to apply for funding, call 9489 3500 or download an application form from www.elaa.org.au and send to PO Box 1246, Collingwood Vic 3066.

The ELAA Early Childhood Education Foundation believes that all young children and their families should have access to high quality educational programs. Please help us to help those families in need. Donations will assist us in providing a child with the opportunity of accessing this vital year of development.

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Preschool Matters Term four 2014

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Insurance House offers members of the Early Learning Association of Australia (ELAA) a range of innovative insurance products that provide broad cover at a competitive price to meet your specific needs.

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Does your committee need some extra help to solve an ongoing issue? ELAA’s consultancy service is here to help. ELAA offers a wide range of individually tailored, specialist consultancy services to the early childhood services sector. ELAA has the expertise to provide advice, support and practical solutions for new ways of working. We regularly consult to independent committees of management and cluster managers on a range of projects; OHS compliance and training, staff handbook review, board/committee handbook review, policy review, staff recruitment and retention, program timetabling, staff rosters and much more.

We offer very competitive rates with special discounts for members. To speak to our ELAA Consultancy Coordinator about how we can help you contact us on 03 9489 3500 or email elaa@elaa.org.au or visit our website elaa.org.au for more information.

Preschool Matters Term four 2014

Member profile In this edition of Preschool Matters we catch up with

Michelle Stirling President, Patterson Lakes Kindergarten Centre Inc

Why did you volunteer for the Committee of Management? I wanted to be a part of the centre, be involved in my children’s kinder experience and meet other parents. The relationships I have made so far have followed me into the community and into primary school, which makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable. I also joined for myself, as the experience I have gained throughout my three years on committee has had a positive influence on my work, my projects and my personal goals. What does your role involve? I am currently President of the kinder, so there are many aspects to my role, ranging from liaising with our cluster manager ECMS, coordinating aspects of the management transition, facilitating the kinder’s change to ECMS, liaising with staff- including the kinder’s administration officer, coordination of all committee

roles to ensure a cohesive result, continuing with the maintenance issues or council liaison relating to our new kindergarten renovation and coordinating events when needed.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role or your involvement with the Kindergarten? The most rewarding aspect of my role has been my contribution to the kindergarten’s renovation and upgrade in 2013. Along with the 2013 president, Courtney Smyth, we were able to facilitate and co-ordinate the refurbishment on behalf of the kinder, as well as successfully implementing a whole kinder relocation for a term during building works. At the beginning of 2014 we opened a new two room kindergarten with community spaces and three additional play spaces. We both take great pride in knowing we contributed, in a large part, to a building which has been planned

and purpose-built to cater to the needs of the children, parents and the community for many years to come.

Have you driven changes at your service or faced any challenges? The last year has been full of changes, we implemented a two day session enabling families that couldn’t otherwise, to enrol their child into our wonderful kinder and participate in our programs. During term 2, we transitioned the management of the centre to Early Childhood Management Services (ECMS), enabling the future parent committees of the kinder to concentrate on fundraising and maintenance. We also opened a two room centre which created some great challenges, including furnishing the space, the logistics of setting up a new centre, licensing and so on, all of which I am still involved in.

Have you registered for your free e-News from ELAA? e-News is delivered free each month and features all the latest news from the sector, including information on training and resources. For more information visit www.elaa.org.au/e-newssubscribe

Starting Out Safely, funded by VicRoads, is Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early childhood road safety education program.

For information on free training for Early Childhood Educators and for CALD organisations on child car seats or to book a Thingle Toodle education session, please contact the road safety education team on (03) 9489 3500 or email rse@elaa.org.au. Visit the ELAA website www.elaa.org.au/roadsafety