Magazine magazine of the of Professional the professional Association association for Childcare for childcare and and Early early Years years | August/September | april/may 20132013
PACEY LIVE 2013 THE GREAT ‘SCHOOL READY’ DEBATE
BRAND NEW FACE WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LOOK PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
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PACEY LIVE 2013:
PACEY LIVE is a new and exclusive members-only event, designed to support and develop you as a childcare professional. The annual event will help you to approach the next stage of your career with confidence, and is also an opportunity to meet up with friends and colleagues from across the country. We’ve listened to feedback from members about what they want from a conference-style event and are delighted to be able to share plans for the first of these events here – PACEY LIVE 2013: Together, we’re growing!
Creating a debate
Written by Iva Manova
Together, we’re growing!
PACEY LIVE 2013 will host an array of prominent childcare and early years experts who will deliver inspirational speeches and workshops, including:
Penny Tassoni PACEY President, Penny Tassoni, will be this year’s keynote speaker. Penny specialises in learning and play and is a best-selling author who has written over 30 books. She is also a regular contributor to national early years magazines. Penny is looking forward to delivering her keynote speech and recommends PACEY LIVE 2013 to members as “a great opportunity to meet the PACEY team, network with other PACEY members and be inspired by the seminars”.
Ian Billings Children’s author, Ian Billings, is ideally placed to encourage imaginative storytelling from children and childcare professionals alike. Ian will deliver a one-hour session called Learning through laughter, exploring how to make children laugh and use their imaginations to improve their overall creativity. He explains, “Come along to my session at PACEY LIVE 2013 for a vibrant and fun-filled session full of laughter and stories!” Dr Anita Soni Academic and educational psychologist, Dr Anita Soni, works regularly with children aged between 0 and 5, their families and childcare professionals. She will deliver a one-hour session called Understanding children’s behaviour, “helping those who attend PACEY LIVE 2013 to reflect on and understand the reasons for children’s behaviour rather than simply managing it – as understanding behaviour leads to more effective solutions and strategies”. PACEY LIVE 2013 will also be the platform for the climax of PACEY’s first ever Practice Debate. Since June, we’ve been investigating with members, teachers, parents and children what they feel ‘school ready’ means. After weeks of research and surveys, a panel debate will discuss the findings, giving childcare professionals like you the opportunity to get involved in the debate alongside our panel of experts.
Time to network
PACEY LIVE 2013 will offer you quality networking time with other childcare professionals. Meet your peers at the event and share common experiences
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PACEY MAKE and best practice with them. You will also have the chance to socialise with members of PACEY during refreshment breaks and over lunch. Also, for those of you attending Childcare Expo on Friday 27 September, we offer a complimentary drink at 6pm in Singers bar in the Ricoh Arena!
What members are saying about PACEY LIVE 2013
“I booked a place at PACEY LIVE 2013 as I’m new to my role and I think it’s very important to get as much information and training as possible. I recently gained my NVQ3 in Childcare and the books I used were mostly written by Penny Tassoni, so I am really looking forward to hearing her speech. I think other members should book, as it will be a great opportunity for us all to meet and learn from each other. I’m really looking forward to it!” Kirstie Jacob, member of PACEY “I’ve only been working since August 2012. I certainly don’t know all I need to know, so I want to learn as much as I can! This is the reason why
LIVE 2013
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I booked my place at PACEY LIVE 2013. My job is very demanding, emotionally and mentally, and I feel the more you know and the more people you meet, the better you are! I think that ongoing learning is essential to staying ahead of the game.” Kate Day, member of PACEY “Coming to PACEY LIVE 2013 will enable me to meet like-minded colleagues, and to share support and guidance with them. It’s a great way to meet up with childcare professionals from across the country and to meet PACEY staff as well. I will enjoy being able to ask questions, especially about the future of childminders and the agency threat. I will also be able to bring back from the event everything I have learned, and to share my learning with other childcare professionals in my area.” Jackie Noakes, member of PACEY
Book now! PACEY LIVE 2013 will take place on Saturday 28 September at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. Members who register for the event will be allocated a free parking space on the day. Accommodation is not provided. However, we have negotiated some special rates for attendees with a selection of hotels in Coventry. To find out more about PACEY LIVE 2013 and to book your place at the event, please visit www.pacey.org.uk/paceylive2013 or call 01920 458 537 Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 4.30pm. n
‘I booked a place at PACEY LIVE 2013 as I’m new to my role and I think it’s very important to get as much information and training as possible.’
PROGRAMME* 08:45 – Registration, networking and breakfast 09:30 – Welcome address by Sue Davis 09:35 – Keynote address by Penny Tassoni 10:05 – Refreshment break 10:30 – Breakout sessions: Ian Billings/ Dr Anita Soni 11:30 – Panel debate: What does ‘school ready’ really mean? 12:30 Close of PACEY LIVE 2013
*Subject to change
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Nanny of the Year 2013
On 18 May, PACEY member Paula Vekony was awarded the title of Chiltern College Professional Nanny of the Year 2013, having demonstrated an excellent balance of professionalism and nurture and a real commitment to children’s learning. Paula, from London, works in a nanny share position caring for two children. Here, she tells PACEY about her award…
Q
When did you know you wanted to become a nanny? Being an only child, I always wanted to work with children and after I worked on a summer camp in Hungary, helping to teach English language to children aged 3 to 5, I decided that I wanted to have a career in childcare. I was drawn to the nanny profession because it gave me opportunities to use my creativity in helping children to learn and grow in their early years.
Q
What made you enter Chiltern College Professional Nanny of the Year? I wanted the opportunity to raise the profile of nannies and saw this as an excellent opportunity to gain recognition for the job that I love, whilst raising the profile of the industry. I was delighted to win and felt honoured – all the other entrants were outstanding.
Interview by Jessica Coyne
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Q
How will you work to support nannies over the course of the year? I aim to raise the professional profile of nannies by writing and contributing to articles in industry press, facilitating workshops on childcare and talking to students about my experiences to encourage them into the nanny profession. To help support nannies directly, I am thinking about writing a blog to share the kinds of activities and work that I do.
Things are still unfolding and I am sure there will be many opportunities for me to promote the role of nannies – I am so passionate about communicating the important work we do and the contributions that we make to the lives of children and parents. Being a nanny requires a great deal of skill and knowledge and I would like this to be valued and recognised. I think that nanny registration may be one of the ways that this could happen. I am currently on the Ofsted voluntary register, but I think it would be interesting to explore how a compulsory nanny register could work.
Q
What issues really matter to you as a childcare professional? I am committed to establishing and maintaining a friendly, trusting, professional relationship with the parents of the children I care for. I think that it’s important to support children while they grow, taking all aspects of their
‘I wanted the opportunity to raise the profile of nannies and saw this as an excellent opportunity to gain recognition for the job that I love’
development into account. I plan and carry out stimulating activities for them to learn in fun and interesting ways, referring to the EYFS. The last memorable activity was ‘caterpillars to butterflies’ – look out for this in a future edition of The Childcare Professional!
Q
What do you think is the most important thing childcare professionals can do to prepare children for school? I believe that it’s important that we prepare children both for school and for life in general. To
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Q&A ‘I am so passionate about communicating the important work we do and the contributions we make to the lives of children and parents.’ do this, we need to make sure that we help children achieve their full potential and develop a love for learning by providing happy, stimulating environments. It’s important to observe and identify areas in which children need help and guidance. Children need encouragement, consistency and emotional support to help their selfconfidence, self-esteem and the way they interact. I also believe that physical stimulation and a balanced, nutritious diet helps children to develop into healthy adults.
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CHILTERN COLLEGE
Q
In your spare time, do you do additional things to improve your skill set as a childcare professional? Yes, I make sure that my knowledge is up to date by attending courses or workshops such as First Aid or Sleep Training. I particularly enjoyed the recent Professional Nanny Conference at Chiltern College; Dr Kay Mathieson inspirationally talked about understanding children's behaviour and how this helps us to support children’s development. I am always on the lookout for new courses that will
help me to improve my practice, which is why I am looking forward to trying out PACEY’s free training! I continually read childcare magazines and visit websites to familiarise myself with current issues and regulations, which are constantly evolving. To me, continual professional development is a key part of being a professional nanny. n
Every year, Chiltern College searches for The Chiltern College Professional Nanny of the Year, a competition which is open to applications from nannies across the UK. The winner is announced at Chiltern College’s Professional Nanny Conference, which is an all-day event where participants listen to presentations from a variety of speakers on nanny-related issues. To find out more about the competition and the conference, visit www.chilterncollege.com
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PACEY Coventry
When Coventry’s Childminding Development & Network Coordinator, Audrey Grif�iths, conducted Lesley Hooper’s formal network visit, she discovered all about Patch the bear and has been following his trips and adventures around the world ever since!
Written by Laura Coleman
In Coventry, being part of a network involves going that one step further in your setting, ensuring that as a childminder you meet the network standards and are providing quality experiences for children. Lesley is one of many childminders in Coventry doing just this. In 2011, Lesley created Patch the bear with the children in her setting to help further their learning and understanding. As Lesley’s son, Harry, was going on his �irst tour of Afghanistan, she asked him how he would feel about taking Patch with him and reporting back on Patch’s travels! “The children were very interested in my son’s trip already,” Lesley recalls, “so I knew it would be a great learning tool for them.” Whilst Patch and Harry were away, Lesley displayed a large map of the world in her setting;
pointing out to the children where Afghanistan was, and displayed clocks telling both Greenwich Mean Time and Afghanistan Time. Lesley also showed the children Patch’s blog and his Facebook page, which documented his trips with photos, letters and messages. The children learnt all about different cultures and traditions from around the world – what children of their age group are like, the types of clothes they wear and lots more. Patch quickly became an educational tool for Lesley’s setting. He also reached other children through Lesley’s local childminding group who sent her letters inquiring about Patch’s whereabouts. “The children got so much out of it! So now Patch goes anywhere he can,” says Lesley.
Since Patch’s original trip, he has been on several new and exciting adventures. He has been to Italy on a Footloose tour and to Bulgaria on holiday with a local Early Years worker. He’s also made several trips around the UK – even to the Houses of Parliament!
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Patch began his journey to Afghanistan from RAF Waddington on 29 December 2011. He travelled to RAF Brize Norton where he caught a connecting flight, before boarding a C-17 Military aircraft to Afghanistan. After arriving at the UK Military base, Camp Bastion in the heart of Helmand Province, Patch had some much-needed rest in preparation for his extra training. Patch spent New Year’s Eve at Camp Bastion where he sat by Harry’s side to watch his beloved Blackburn Rovers take a vital three points against Manchester United – one of the few perks afforded to military personnel in Afghanistan.
As a network childminder, Lesley has found using Patch a very worthwhile experience and would highly recommend a travelling teddy bear as a learning tool for other childcare professionals. As a coordinator, Audrey has also been taken with Patch, and she and her team regularly stop by to see how he is getting on. ■
The following day, Patch boarded the next flight with Harry as they headed for their final destination of Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar Province – a short flight on board a C-130. Harry and Patch landed at night on Kandahar Airfield and were swiftly shown to their room where they would be spending the next four months. The first few weeks were tough for Patch, adjusting to the surprisingly bitter weather conditions of the Afghanistan winter, with temperatures as low as -5˚C. There were, however, some perks of the job – like when Patch was able to go in the passenger seat of a Tornado GR4, which provides air support to the many troops on the front line. After returning from his flight, Patch then took a more relaxing flight on board a C-130 to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, where the harsh winter had taken its toll. The mountains surrounding the capital were still snow-covered, with conditions on the ground just as treacherous. Back to daily life, Patch was able to enjoy the delights of a variety of dining facilities provided by the British, Americans and Canadians. What helped Patch get through a hard four months away from his home were all the amazing treats, Valentine’s cards and Easter eggs he received during his stay. On 27 April 2012, Patch began his long journey home – via Cyprus for a short day break to recuperate – and on 29 April he was finally back in the UK at his home in Coventry.
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SPOTLIGHT
PATCH’S AMAZING JOURNEY
The children learnt all about different cultures and traditions from around the world
INSPIRED? If you are interested in using a learning tool like Patch in your own setting, you can find out more information online at www.jofli.com
FACEBOOK Do you have a travelling teddy bear? Let us know what they are up to by uploading your pictures to our PACEY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ paceylocal
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