Under 5 October 2018

Under 5 WIN d

Magazine of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

October 2018

oa a rockyr rom tunnel f for Designs n Educatio 109 worth ÂŁ

Autumn’s bounty Seasonal activity ideas

Marketing

Ideas for your business

Ability groups A wellbeing crisis?

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Contents 4

News round up

8

My Under 5

All the latest news, research and policy updates from the early years sector

12

A chance for Alliance member settings to share news of recent projects and events

10 Letters to the editor

Under 5 readers share their views

12 Safety first

The RoSPA shares safety tips for this year’s Bonfire Night celebrations

14 30 hours: one year on

Results from the Alliance’s latest survey on the 30 hours offer

16 A new direction

How the proposed changes to the EYFS and ELGs could affect the sector

19 Happy holidays

An update on how you should calculate holiday entitlement for staff

20

20 Fancy dress: trick or a threat?

How to make sure children’s fancy dress costumes are safe this year

22 Ability groups: a wellbeing crisis

Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes shares his concerns about the use of ability groups in the early years

24 Muscular dystrophy

Signs and symptoms of a rare condition that could affect children in your setting

26 Employing an apprentice

EduCare, the Alliance’s training partner, explains the benefits of employing an apprentice

30

28 How to market your setting

Ideas for increasing take-up of spaces at your early years business

30 Autumn’s bounty

Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares seasonal activity ideas

32 Creating balanced meals

the Infant & Toddler Forum shares ideas for ensuring toddlers eat healthy meals

33 Competition

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome Welcome to Under 5 As we head into October, the change in the weather and increasingly dark evenings and mornings offer a rich source of inspiration for your early years activities, and that’s before you get started on the excitement of Halloween and bonfire night.

This issue brings lots of seasonal ideas for enjoying the season in your setting. Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher has shared some fun ideas for autumn-themed arts and crafts, however you are celebrating the season in your setting (page 30).

You may also remember that last year we highlighted concerns about the safety of some children’s Halloween costumes. The event is as popular as ever with children, but sadly the rules on fire safety for fancy dress costumes have yet to change. We’ve got some essential tips for checking that the costumes your families use this year are as safe as possible (page 20).

Bonfire Night is another popular celebration at this time of year, but again this is another one that families will need to take some care with. We’ve heard from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents about the best ways to keep children safe while still having fun this year (page 12).

This term is already shaping up to be another busy one for the early years sector with many proposed changes and continued concerns about the 30-hours policy. Last month, we saw the results of the Alliance’s latest 30-hours survey reported widely in the media. As promised, this issue includes the full results (page 14) for you to consider.

Please do get in touch to share your thoughts, or sign up to the Alliance’s Fair Future Funding campaign at www.preschool.org.uk/fair-future-funding.

Last issue, we heard from Alliance director of quality improvement Michael Freeston about the proposed changes to the Early Learning Goals. This issue, he has considered the future implications of these proposed changes (page 16).

We’ve also heard from Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes, senior lecturer in early childhood education at UCL, about the potential threat to children’s wellbeing caused by the increasing use of ability groups in the early years (page 22).

Please do share your thoughts on any of the concerns raised – you can get in touch at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk.

Rachel Lawler, editor

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in brief...

SCHOOL NURSERIES: The Government is calling for schools to bid for a share of a £30 million funding pot to help them provide more nursery places for disadvantaged children.

Ofsted sets up early years forum

round-up Half of parents paying increased fees after launch of 30 hours offer The 30 hours funded childcare offer has led to increased fees for nearly half of parents, according to a new survey by the Alliance and Mumsnet. The survey also revealed that four in 10 providers fear that they may have to close within the next year as a result of the scheme.

The survey received 1,662 responses from nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in England. 42% of these providers said that there was a chance they could closed within the next academic year due to the 30 hours offer and underfunding.

additional charges for goods and services after taking up the offer and The findings come just one year after the 30-hours scheme launched across England. Earlier this year, the Treasury Committee criticised the government for using “misleading” figures about funding when defending the scheme and called for funding rates to be increased in line with increasing delivery costs.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “The fact is that even those providers who are technically managing to make the 30 hours work are often only • 48% of these providers said that they able to do so by introducing or increasing had increased their fees as a result of additional fees and charges. Is this what the 30 hours offer and 42% said they the government meant when they promised had introduced or increased charges for parents 30 hours of ‘free childcare’? additional goods and services.

“And while better-off parents may be able to shoulder these unexpected costs • 34% of providers said that they were in the short-term, those on the lower end planning to increase their fees in the of the income scale – the families that the next 12 months and 19% said the were government claims to be so committed to planning to introduced additional charges. supporting – are the ones who are likely to suffer as a result.

A separate poll, conducted by Mumsnet on “How many increasingly expensive behalf of the Alliance, surveyed 1,143 parents ‘additional costs’ will providers be forced to of three- and four-year-old children. The introduce, how many providers will be forced survey found that 45% of parents accessing to close their doors, before government the 30-hours offer had been asked to pay admits there’s a problem? The inescapable increased fees for non-funded hours since fact is that, as these figures show, without the introduction of the offer. 41% of parents urgent action, the 30 hours policy is simply said that they have been asked to pay not viable in the long term.”

Four in 10 providers fear that they may have to close as a result of the 30 hours scheme.

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Ofsted is setting up a new forum for early years experts, which will allow the sector to discuss a wide range of early years issues.

The Ofsted Early Years Pedagogy and Practice Forum will consider concerns including early literacy skills, physical skills and translating early education theory into practice. The forum will meet for the first time in autumn 2018 and Ofsted is calling for academics, practitioners and researchers form across the sector to express their interest in the forum in advance.

The forum will offer experts a chance discuss these concerns and to help shape Ofsted policies and future priorities.

Gill Jones, early education deputy director at Ofsted, said: “The way young children learn and develop is a source of endless fascination.

And research on early education is growing all the time.

“So it is timely to have a forum where early years experts can come together and discuss the latest findings. I hope those with experience in leadership and research will consider applying so that they can take part in some lively discussion about early education.”

OFSTED: The Public Accounts Committee has published a report claiming that Ofsted is underperforming, citing several missed targets.

BEDTIME STORIES: Just three in 10 parents read to their children everyday, according to a new survey from the Literacy Trust.

30 hours offer is “not completely free” for parents, according to DfE report Most parents are paying additional charges for accessing the 30-hours offer, according to research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE).

Conducted by Frontier Economics, the research confirms that 56% of parents are paying charges for additional items or activities when accessing the 30 hours offer. 48% of parents said that they had seen restrictions placed on when they could use the hours.

Additionally, the research found that 39% of providers reported a reduction in their profit or surplus due to the 30 hours scheme while 25% of providers said that they had moved from making a profit to breaking even or from breaking even into making a loss.

The researchers spoke to 774 parents and 1,717 providers about the offer and collected further information from 12 local authorities.

The local authorities said that many providers could not offer the 30 hours to parents “completely free for all parents”. The report says that many reported that providers were adapting their business models with additional charges or extra hours to remain viable.

The local authorities also said that many providers wanted the word ‘free’ dropped from the 30-hours policy.

They also said that they expected

pressures on providers to develop new business models to continue because “the funding rate is planned to remain unchanged while costs will increase”.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “The government’s unwavering insistence that all is fine with the 30-hour offer in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary might be funny if it wasn’t so damaging.

Every week we are hearing about more and more nurseries, pre-schools and childminders being forced to shut their doors because they cannot make this policy work.”

39% of providers have seen a reduction in profits as a result of 30 hours

Study confirms positive impact of quality early education Children who spend time in quality early education are more likely to have improved language and non-verbal skills, according to the latest Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) report.

Published by the Department for Education (DfE), the report confirms that early education has a positive impact on children, regardless of their household income and disadvantage level.

The study said that these positive trends were consistent across different regions in England and different levels of disadvantage. While a child’s home

learning environment was also found to be important in improving their outcomes at age four, the study suggested that even children with the most stimulating home environments would benefit from spending time in early education.

However, the study could not conclude on a specific number of hours spent in early education or care that would be the most beneficial for children.

Neil Leitch, chief executive at the Alliance, commented: “In recent years the debate around what the early years should look like seems to have shifted. We’ve moved away from a

child-focussed approach towards one that seems to be more concerned with practitioners’ qualifications and children’s school readiness.

“But, even if the conversation has moved on, the facts haven’t changed.

The latest findings from SEED’s research are testament to that. It’s pretty clear: children – especially those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds - benefit from high quality practitioners, not necessarily those with the highest qualifications, and their childcare should address their broader needs as children, rather fixate on literacy and numeracy.”

75 employers back campaign to keep childcare voucher scheme open 75 employers have joined a campaign calling for the government’s childcare voucher scheme to be kept open beyond the current deadline.

The scheme is currently due to close to new applicants on 4 October 2018, but the #SaveChildcareVouchers campaign is calling for this to be extended. Some of the employers backing the campaign include Kettle Foods and children’s charity Barnardo’s.

If the scheme is not kept open, under the government’s current plans, only parents already receiving vouchers will

be able to continue using them. Any parents currently receiving them who change job after 4 October, or any expectant parents who have their first child after this date, will no longer be entitled to benefit from the childcare voucher scheme.

Jacquie Mills, chair of the Childcare Voucher Providers Association, commented: “Employers across the country want the childcare voucher scheme to remain open because the

families they employ would struggle to manage work and home life without it.

“It is vital for business’ recruitment and retention – working parents consistently favour employers who understand and support their childcare needs.

“We’re calling on the government to #SaveChildcareVouchers so that working parents can keep doing what they do best with the childcare support that suits them.”

The childcare voucher scheme is currently due to close on 4 October 2018

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Childcare costs rising faster than wages, says TUC Funding concerns reduce take-up of funded places A new report from the Department of Education (DfE) has revealed that current funding levels are preventing more families from benefitting from funded early education places.

The report looks into why take-up of funded places for three- and four-yearolds has declined in recent years, with researchers speaking to parents and providers. Funding was cited as a significant barrier by providers, who said that the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF) has “altered the funding context” of the early education offer.

Providers also told researchers that the new funding formula had resulted in local authorities “scaling back” activities including “outreach and brokerage”, which they said was important for increasing take-up. Funding for two-year-olds was also a common concern, with providers

noting the higher staffing ratios and amount of space needed.

Parents were also concerned about funding levels, with some wary of “hidden costs” associated with funded places.

Others were put off by the application process, while many were unaware of the offer or confused about the eligibility criteria.

Take-up of funded places for both two-year-olds and three- and four-yearolds has been lower in London than in other areas. Just 84% of three- and four-year-olds children access a funded place in London, compared to 94% nationally and just 61% of eligible two-year-olds in the capital access their funded place, compared to 72% across England.

The researchers noted that funding concerns are “most acute in London”, which could explain the declining levels of take-up in the capital.

The researchers have suggested to the DfE that “addressing the funding pressures that may be undermining sufficiency” could increase that take-up.

Childcare costs for children under five are increasing faster than wages, according to new analysis from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The TUC says that average fees for childcare have increased 52% since 2008, while the average wage has gone up by just 17%.

Parents are concerned about the “hidden costs” of funded places

Low income families struggling to follow healthy diet guidelines Low income families cannot afford to follow healthy eating guidelines for their children, according to new research from the Food Foundation. The organisation looks at the cost of following the government’s Eatwell Guide and compared this to average household expenditure from the Living Costs and Food Survey 2015/16.

More than a quarter of families (26.9%) would need to spend more than a quarter of their disposable income in order to meet the Eatwell Guidelines and more than half of these families include at least one child, or more. Families earning less than £15,860 a year would need to spend 42% of their disposable income on meeting the cost of the Eatwell Guide.

The Food Foundation says that the government should ensure that the lowincome families are given adequate support to help them meet the Eatwell Guidelines.

Annie Denny, nutrition development manager at the Early Years Nutrition

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Partnership, said: “Ensuring that young children have access to healthy and nutritious food is at the very heart of what we do here at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership. We’re deeply saddened to hear that children growing up in lower income families may not be able to get enough fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods to meet the government’s official guidelines.”

Average fees in England are now said to be £236 a week for a child under the age of two and £232 a week for a child over the age of two.

This is up from £159 and £149, respectively, in 2008. The TUC says that this increase has occurred in spite of the various childcare funding schemes offered by the government.

Frances O’Grady, general secretary at the TUC, said: “Despite the government support families still face eye-watering nursery bills.

Britain’s cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on working mums and dads.”

The TUC has recommended that the government gives local authorities more funding to spend on childcare provision and is calling for increased support for parents through tax credits and universal credit.

Charity day

Boys & Girls N ursery in Rickmanswor th, Croxley Green, Watfo rd and Stanmore, ha s hosted its own ‘charity da y’ to celebrat e International Day of Charit y in September.

The settings raised funds fo r local charity Playskill with various schem es including bake sales, book sales and fanc y dress days.

They raised a total of £800 for the charity so far, with more events planne d later this ye ar.

ational

er e gap ing intergen s been host Bridging th ha help n to ol B in funded with ool

Green finger s

Children at St Giles Childre n’s Centre in growing their Lincoln enjoye own vegetabl d es and flowers th setting grew is summer. Th lettuce, carro e ts and potato patch and lave es in their vege nder and sunfl ta bl e owers in thei Parents have r flower bed. now said that th ey were surp was and will ised at how ea try growing th sy it eir own produc e at home too.

-sch e was Daisy Hill Pre k. The schem n playing es every wee iti tiv ac sees childre E d P n Council an football and to ol B ng, said: d tti an se e ttery Grant anager at th m r, ar P from a Big Lo ra take part with ents. Deb eir grandpar ts coming to en ar dp in an gr alongside th love their as shortlisted n absolutely e scheme w Th ” n. io ss “The childre . ergetic se last month wonderful, en port Awards them. It is a the Bolton S at ry go te d heath ca the sports an

Super sunflowers Children at Tonge Nursery in Bolton have been very successful with their growing project this summer, learning to take care of plants and the environment. One of their sunflowers grew to more than two metres tall.

Cheryl Cusack, manager at the setting, said: “We’re all very proud of what the children have achieved in their growing project over the spring and summer. It’s so important that children get to learn about and spend time in the outdoors – and our time in the garden is a great way of doing that. Perhaps for year’s challenge we will try and grow a beanstalk!”

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Story time

Cherubs Exec utive House in Nottingham ha View Ideal Hom s been workin e, a nearby ca g with nearby re home, to forg Fair and elderly resid e links betwee ents. Some of n the children th e residents ha to the setting to ve been makin host story time g regular visits as part the wide r partnership.

ccess celebrating Carnival su racombe are Nursery in Ilf

be ak Tree the Ilfracom Children at O Children’ in ng ki al W y, t ph es ‘B ed a big tro after winning setting receiv e Th . eir er th m e m is su t to recogn Carnival this fundraising po r ei th : r id fo sa 0 £5 the setting, rosette and manager at us la Freebody, el St s. es r supporting fo cc su our families to ul ef at al gr nu ry is huge an “We were ve take part in th Oak Tree to g lin ab en d an ent.” community ev

Outstanding ac hievemen

t Oak Tree Nursery in Ilfracombe has been awarded ‘outstanding’ in its latest Ofsted inspe ction. The inspecto praised the settin r g’s staff for worki ng tog ether “extremely well” and support ing children’s ind ependence, leavin “exceptionally we g them ll prepared” for sc hool. Manager St Freebody said: “T ell a he team has worke d passionately to that our provision en sure is the absolute be st that it can be an that this judgeme d I feel nt reflects the da y to day life in ou community and pro r Oak Tree vides an outstandin g starting point for young people of the the Ilfracombe co mmunity as a wh ole.”

What’s been happening in your setting?

Under 5 wants to know! To share your own stories, please email editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk with the subject line ‘My Under 5’.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Graduate focus I must be honest any say how irritated I get with these constant articles about graduate teachers. I totally agree with Neil’s comments about this being a more complex issue.

I wish that Steve McIntosh, director of UK poverty policy at Save the Children, would visit some settings that are not led by early years teachers. He would then see the high quality each early years practitioner strives to achieve every day. His comments that “all of our little ones should have access to nursery care led by an early years teacher” sound like a vendetta against those of us who don’t hold degrees. It makes us feel totally worthless.

An early years teacher would require a considerable salary, which is just not viable in the long-term for sessional settings. I agree that we need to take action now because otherwise we will be letting down our next generation. But it doesn’t just hinge on having graduate teachers in the early years I’m afraid.

Candy Head, Principal, Tigglets Montessori A parent’s concerns As you are all aware, childcare is very costly for most families and can even result in some parents only breaking even each month when you compare the difference between them working and not working. So I was really pleased when my daughter turned three and we were finally going to be entitled to 30 hours free each week.

At first, I was pleased that my monthly invoice was going to be somewhat reduced. But then I received a letter from my daughter’s pre-school confirming that the scheme was causing their business financial hardship as the amount they claim back from the government doesn’t cover their costs, leaving them with a shortfall each month.

This has resulted in an additional fee of £8.30 being added to the usual day rate, which they confirmed was a supplement to pay for food for each child. I requested to start sending in a packed lunch instead, but was told that due to allergies at the setting, this was not an option. We are also charged £1 a day for breakfast, although my daughter doesn’t even eat breakfast there.

A number of months later, the pre-school then tried to increase the daily fee to £17.50 per child per day for food, on top of the day rate. Thankfully, following a meeting with parents, the setting decided not to take this action in the end. However, as the new term approached, the setting them tried to increase its fees for a third time, due to increasing financial difficulties with the 30-hours scheme.

It would appear that the 30-hours offer isn’t of much value to parents. I thought the idea of the scheme was to help parents back into work, but if providers have to increase their day rates, then there is no real benefit to parents.

Aimi Turnbull, parent

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Baseline isn’t better The majority of children in the UK attend an early years setting.

I believe most of these send information about each child to the school they join. Surely this is a better baseline for schools to work with than any formal assessment schools do in the first few weeks? A nursery has usually had a minimum of nine months to get to know a child, and often it will be much longer.

The proposed baseline tests are due to take place when children are still adjusting to the transition into school. If schools are to ignore the professional judgement of early years practitioners, I am not sure why we are required to spend so much time demonstrating the progress that children in our care are making.

Kate Rees, via Alliance Facebook page

Send your letters to Under 5 magazine, Pre-school Learning Alliance, 50 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT or email: editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk using the subject line ‘Letters’.

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SAFETY

Safety first Sheila Merrill, public health advisor at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, shares some safety tips for enjoying Guy Fawkes night with children

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uy Fawkes night is always a popular event at this time of year, usually celebrated with bonfires and fireworks. But with this historic celebration comes the danger of potential burns and other accidents. NHS hospital admission statistics from 2017 show that 183 people were admitted with firework injuries and more than 80 of these were children.

In the four weeks around Bonfire Night, around 1,000 people on average visit A&E for treatment after a firework-related injury.

A quarter of all injuries occur in the street or other public places. Burn injuries can be life-changing, not only for the injured but also for their families, as these injuries can leave mental scars just as damaging as the physical ones. These injuries are even more devastating because they can be avoided with proper firework safety measures.

Planning a safe event The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) recommends that families attend organised firework displays. However, many people will choose to host their own celebrations at home. If families attending your setting decide to do so, please remind them not to leave safety concerns until the last minute.

A few simple planning steps can help them to ensure that children, and the rest of the family, remain safe while dealing with fireworks, bonfires and sparklers.

Setting up firework displays, the lighting of fireworks and the safe disposal of them once they have been used should only be carried out by adults. All children, young people and other spectators should only watch, from a safe distance away.

Remind families that they should have a torch, buckets of water, eye protection, gloves and a bucket of soft earth to put the fireworks in all ready to go. If you find any debris in the outdoor spaces at your setting and you think may be from a firework or that it could be dangerous, make sure children avoid it and douse it in water from a hose.

Fireworks Tell parents to follow the firework code: plan firework displays in advance keep fireworks in a closed box and use them one at a time

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read and follow the instructions on each firework, using a torch if needed light the firework at arm’s length, with a taper, and stand well back keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away from fireworks never return to a firework once it has been lit don’t put fireworks in your pocket and never throw them direct rockets away from spectators never use petrol or paraffin on a bonfire make sure that the fire is out and surroundings are made safe before you leave

Bonfires When starting a bonfire, families should ensure that one person is made responsible for it. It is essential that the area is cordoned off, and children and young people should be supervised at all times while it is lit. When choosing a site for a bonfire, families should make sure that it is kept away from wooden fences, sheds and any areas where children play. Firelighters can be used instead of petrol, paraffin or meths to prevent flare-ups.

Sparklers Sparklers are often used in celebrations and a common misconception is that they are safe for children to use. We recommend that they are not given to children under five. Adults should not hold young children while holding a sparkler. Sparklers should be held at arm’s length and held with gloves on to prevent burns. Even when a sparkler has burned out, it can still cause injuries, so families should keep a bucket of cold water nearby for them to be discarded safely into.

By sharing these tips, you can make sure that families follow simple safety steps to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable, injury-free celebration.

Encourage parents to visit RoSPA’s fireworks website at www.saferfireworks.com for all the information they need to plan a safe fireworks display including details on the law and the firework code.

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30 hours: one L

ast month marked the one-year anniversary of the rollout of the government’s flagship childcare policy, the 30 hours scheme.

The policy, which provides an additional 15 hours ‘funded’ childcare to three- and four-year-old children from eligible working families, has ignited passions like few other issues in the sector.

And with good reason. Earlier this year the independent sector research agency, Ceeda, found a black hole in government funding of more than half a billion pounds, while the Treasury Select Committee condemned the government for its ‘misleading’ use of figures when discussing funding rates.

Ministers have rarely strayed from the party line, citing ‘record investment’ in the early years, the happiness of parents able to return to work or increase their hours and the fact that 94% of eligible children have been able to find a 30 hours place. But government statistics and ministerial confidence tell only one part of this story.

Which is why last month the Alliance teamed up with Mumsnet to ask providers and parents about the offer. More than 1,600 providers over 1,000 parents were asked about their experience of 30 hours.

The results make for grim reading.

Strikingly, four in ten (42%) childcare providers say there’s a chance they will have to close their setting in the next academic year due to the 30 hours and/or

underfunding. And just under half (45%) of parents accessing 30-hours places have been asked to pay additional fees for nonfunded hours since taking up the offer.

Sadly, these figures will be of little surprise to anyone who has been following the rollout of the policy in recent months.

For our part, the Alliance receives phone calls weekly from childminders, nurseries and pre-schools struggling to balance the books, while underfunding is never far away in any of our conversations with politicians and civil servants – many of whom share the sector’s concerns.

The results of this survey seem irrefutable: 30 hours is leaving providers facing closure and forcing parents to pick up the government’s tab. This can’t be news to anyone at the DfE, which has seemed content to plead ignorance as providers continue to share stories of their funding struggle.

The Alliance has been concerned about the impact of these so-called voluntary charges since before last year’s national rollout. It’s clear that, while better-off parents may not be happy about paying additional charges for their supposedly ‘free’ hours, they are at least able to subsidise the shortfall in funding. The worry is that those parents on the lower end of the income scale – the families that the government claims to be so committed to supporting – are the ones who are likely to suffer as a result.

The results of the survey are clear: 30 hours is leaving providers facing closure and forcing parents to pick up the government’s tab

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An online survey conducted by the Alliance between July and August 2018, which received 1,662 responses from nurseries, pre-schools and childminders in England, found that:

42%

of childcare providers say there’s a chance they will have to close their setting in the next academic year due to the 30 hours and/or underfunding.

8 in 10

say that it would have a somewhat or significantly negative effect on them if their funding rate stays the same next year.

48%

of providers have increased parent fees as a result of offering 30 hours, while 42% have introduced or increased charges for additional goods and services.

a third

plan to increase fees for nonfunded hours over the next 12 months, and 1 in 5 plan to introduce additional charges.

A separate online poll conducted by Mumsnet on behalf of the Alliance, which received 1,143 responses from parents of three- and four-year-olds, found that:

45%

of parents accessing 30-hours places have been asked to pay additional fees for non-funded hours since taking up the offer

4 in 10

have been asked to pay for new or additional charges for goods and services

30%

have had difficulties renewing their 30 hour eligibility online

30 HOURS

year on

Deri Jones, press and public affairs officer at the Alliance, looks at the results of the Alliance’s latest research on the impact of the 30 hours offer

How providers’ current rate (including supplements) compares to the cost of delivering a place More than the hourly cost of delivering a place: 16.7% Less than the hourly cost of delivering a place: 63.5% The same as the hourly cost of delivering a place: 19.7%

How providers described their current financial position Operating at a loss: 24.1% Breaking even: 49.1% Making a profit: 26.9%

The percentage of parents who had experienced the following when accessing the 30 hours offer: 45% were charged additional fees or non-funded hours 41% were charged additional charges for goods and services 8% were not able to access their chosen sessions 23% had difficulty applying online 30% had difficulty renewing online

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A new dire

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arlier this year, the Department for Education (DfE) published a proposed new version of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which is now being piloted in a number of schools in this current academic year. The proposed update includes a revised set of Early Learning Goals, which detail the levels of attainment children are expected to reach by the time they leave Reception year, aged five.

In the last issue of Under 5, I analysed the changes proposed and will now consider their potential impact. These proposals are deeply concerning, as they threaten to undermine the principles of the EYFS.

A new approach The currently used phrase: “children develop and learn in at different rates and in different ways” has been updated to remove the reference to differing learning styles. This implies that children develop at their own rate but not in their own way, ignoring a wealth of academic and

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experiential evidence. This is reinforced by the movement of ‘characteristics of effective learning’ out of the core principles of the proposed EYFS and into the section on ‘learning and development considerations’.

Other proposed changes to the ELGs imply a change in the skills and abilities that the DfE considers desirable. For example, ‘understanding’ has been removed from the communication and language ELG and replaced with ‘comprehension’.

This suggests that children only need to understand what is read to them, rather than developing communication skills in general.

Similarly, the new ELG ‘performing’ listed under ‘Expressive Arts and Design’ has replaced ‘being imaginative’. The proposed new goal makes no mention of expression, representation of their own ideas, feelings and interpretation. Furthermore, the change suggests that these activities should be directed at an audience, rather than being just for the child’s own enjoyment.

Emphasis on literacy

The movement towards a more formal approach to teaching and learning in the proposed ELGs is reinforced by the repeated references to books and reading in the proposed new goals. While these references are understandable within the ELGs for literacy, listening, comprehension and speaking, books are also mentioned in most of the other areas of learning.

For example, within the ‘past and present’ ELG, children are expected to “know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class”.

They also should “recall some important narratives, characters and figures from the past encountered in books read in class”.

Similarly, the ‘people, culture and communities’ ELG proposes that children should be able to “describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps”. It says that they should

POLICY UPDATE

ection? “know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class”.

A broader approach This is not to suggest that young children’s engagement with books is not important, or that stories are not a vital part of early learning and development. But the implied message in these suggested goals is that books should be the central focus of children’s early learning.

This is wrong. Young children develop through being active agents in their learning. They should explore and experience the world for themselves and reflect on new these experiences with their peers and the adults important to them.

The movement towards a more formal early years curriculum is also evident in the changes to the mathematics goals. The category ‘shape, space and measures’ previously encouraged children to use everyday language about size, weight and distance, but has been removed completely from the proposed goals. Instead,

the new goals include requirements relating to number and numerical patterns. For example, in the proposed goals, children should: have an understanding of numbers of to 10, linking names of numbers, numerals, their values and their position in the counting order automatically recall doubles up to “five + five equals 10”

Ticking boxes Each aspect of the 17 ELGs in the proposed new EYFS is listed as a bullet point, which raises suspicions that these could be used to facilitate tick-box assessments of each child.

This would effectively introduce standardised baseline assessments via the backdoor.

The potential effects of these proposed ELGs, if eventually enacted, would be to skew the curriculum in ways that will not support and promote children’s effective early learning and development. The DfE’s proposal document indicates that a full consultation on the proposals will be undertaken once the initial pilot scheme has been completed. This will

Michael Freeston, director of quality improvement at the Alliance, considers the potential impact of the government’s proposed changes to the Early Learning Goals provide an opportunity for the early years sector to comment. The Alliance will encourage and support members wishing to make their views known to the DfE.

The next steps Please keep an eye out for further updates on this in future issues of Under 5, in our newsletter and through our social media channels.

Twitter @Pre_schoolLA Facebook www.facebook.com/ PreschoolLearningAlliance Sign up for the Under 5 newsletter at www.pre-school.org.uk/under-5 In the meantime, if you’d like to share your thoughts on the proposed changes with us, get in touch at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk

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LAW-CALL

Happy holidays The team behind the LawCall service, available to Alliance members, explains some common queries on holiday entitlement With many settings operating during term-time only and lots of early years staff opting to work part-time only, calculating holiday pay can become quite tricky, despite the relatively simple principles behind it.

The basics All workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year under the Working Time Regulation 1998. This is equivalent to 28 days a year for those who work a five-day week and includes both the statutory four weeks of annual leave and all UK public holidays.

This entitlement starts to accrue from the first day that employment commences and

continues during any maternity or paternity leave, sickness absence and any paid or unpaid leave or holidays.

Part-time and term-time Part-time workers will get fewer paid holidays than full-time workers. They are still entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days because they work fewer hours per week.

Care should be taken when calculating holidays for any term-time only workers. A recent case at an Employment Appeal Tribunal has determined (albeit submitted for appeal) that an employer cannot pro-rate holiday entitlement and pay for staff who only work part of the year – such as term-time only staff.

The judge accepted that those who work part of a week should receive a pro-rata holiday pay entitlement, but did not accept that those who work part of the year should have the same pro rating calculation applied to their holiday pay entitlement.

Holiday pay Employers may choose to provide their workers with additional contractual paid holiday, but they cannot word their contracts to avoid this minimum statutory entitlement of 5.6 weeks.

As an employer, you cannot offer your staff payment in lieu of this entitlement, with the exception of payments offered to staff who have handed in their notice but not used up all their accrued leave. In this case, the member of staff should not be asked to take the time off before they leave, but given payment instead.

Workers are entitled to be paid during their statutory annual leave at a rate of one week’s pay for each week of leave. Holiday pay is calculated in accordance with the complicated ‘week’s pay’ rules explained in the Employment Rights Act (ERA) 1996. The amount of holiday pay a worker is entitled to will depend on various circumstances including the worker’s salary and working pattern.

While holiday pay calculations should be relatively straight-forward for workers with normal working hours, the position can be more difficult in other cases. Section 224 of the ERA 1996 says that for employees without standard

working hours, a ‘week’s pay’ should be based on the average amount they were paid in the last 12 weeks they have worked. Any weeks that they didn’t work should be replaced with earlier paid weeks, so that unpaid weeks are not included in the calculation. A week’s pay should be calculated using gross figures.

Flexible hours A common approach towards employees with no formal working hours is to calculate holiday entitlement at a rate of 12.07% of the hours that they have worked. This is based on 5.6 weeks of leave being 12.07% of the standard working year at 46.4 weeks ( or 52 working weeks minus 5.6 weeks of leave).

However, this calculation may result in workers receiving less than their statutory entitlement under the ERA 1996 and should be used with caution. If you have been using this calculation, you may wish to consider whether this should be amended in the light of the recent court case – we will keep you posted with updates in Under 5.

It’s possible that employers could face claims of unlawful deductions from wages as a result of underpaying holiday pay. So it’s important to assess whether you need to change your approach here. If there appears to have already been an underpayment at some point, you should make provisions for this and budget accordingly.

For many early years settings, calculating holiday pay and entitlement can be difficult.

But if you are prepared to show staff your workings out, so they know that you’re trying to trick them out of any holidays, and always make sure to round up rather than down, you can’t go too far wrong.

More information If you are unsure about calculating holiday pay or entitlement, please contact Law-Call for more information. Alliance members can access this 24-hour legal helpline for advice on all legal matters concerning your early years business.

Contact details can be found on your membership card or in the member’s area of the Alliance website at: www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area.

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Fancy a trick or a threat?

As Halloween approaches, we look at how practitioners can help families avoid some of the potential safety hazards posed by children’s fancy dress costumes

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dress

BEST PRACTICE

Why should we be careful with fancy dress costumes?

In 1985, Nightwear Regulations were introduced to ensure the safety performance of children’s nightwear, following several accidents involving children’s pyjamas. This drastically reduced the number of fire-related accidents involving children’s clothing.

Unfortunately, these regulations do not apply to fancy dress costumes, which are classified as toys rather than clothing, and so are subject to the Toy Safety Directive instead.

This means that many fancy dress costumes are made with highly flammable polyester.

In 2014, this issue was bought into the public eye when TV presenter Claudia Winkleman’s eight-year-old daughter was seriously injured when her fancy dress costume caught fire as it brushed past a candle left on a doorstep. At the time, she said: “It was like those horrific birthday candles that you blow out and then they come back.” She has since campaigned in favour of stricter regulations and greater awareness of the potential dangers.

How have the rules changed since?

The British Retail Consortium is working with the British Standards Technical Committee review the existing regulations. Changing legislation takes time, so in the meantime they have invited retailers and manufacturers to sign up to two new voluntary codes of practice which go beyond the current testing standards for fancy dress costumes.

These codes are available on the Royal Society for the Protection of Accident’s website at bit.ly/2QuTHDX. You wish to share these with parents on add them to a display in your setting.

What should parents look out for in the shops?

All children’s toys should be labelled with the CE safety mark to show that it meets European safety standards. Parents should be

particularly careful with any costumes ordered online, especially if they came from overseas.

Many children’s fancy dress manufacturers are now selling costumes with additional labelling to show parents that the clothing has undergone extra safety testing. These tests have tougher requirements than the current regulations, which means that the fabric will burn more slowly. Parents can look out for items labelled: “This garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability.”

Costumes that have not been subject to the more stringent safety testing may be labelled with a warning such as: “Keep away from naked fire and flames.” Of course, parents should always ensure that children are closely supervised around naked flames, at any time of year, but they should be aware of the risks posed by these particular costumes.

What can practitioners do to help raise awareness?

Don’t assume that all parents know about the fire risks associated with dressing up clothes.

Make sure that parents know the risks and are aware of the new code of practice and know to look out for retailers that comply with the code – this information should be displayed in stores. You could display some guidelines ahead of this year’s Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations.

Early years settings can also lead by example. Make sure that your dressing-up box only contains clothing that has undergone additional safety testing. You should also avoid using wigs, as they are often not covered by any safety regulations.

Which costumes are the safest?

Aside from those made following the new code of practice, your could suggest to parents that they trying making their own costumes. Second-hand or old everyday children’s clothes can be reimagined into

many different fancy dress outfits. Regular clothing already has to meet stricter guidelines, so these materials will naturally be safer than many alternatives.

Alternatively, children could also be encouraged to wear their costumes over the top of regular clothes such as jeans and jumpers. This will add a layer of protection in case of any accidents, and will also help keep children warm in the autumn weather.

Costumes with trailing tassels and capes should be treated with caution, particularly at any events with bonfires and fireworks.

Parents should also make sure that costumes fit well so that children don’t trip and fall while wearing them. Masks that make it hard for children to see should also be avoided as these will increase the risk of accidents.

How can we help reduce the risk of accidents?

Regardless of what children are wearing, it’s always important to be careful when there are lit candles, lanterns and bonfires. Children should always be supervised carefully when there are naked flames and should not be allowed to carry lanterns containing lit candles or left to play near lit candles.

LED candles, marked with the kite safety standard, can offer a safer alternative to naked flames.

Practitioners can practice the ‘stop, drop and roll’ technique with children in the setting. This will ensure that they know what to do should any unfortunate accidents occur. The Manchester Fire Brigade has produced a short YouTube video explaining the technique – you can watch the clip at bit.ly/2wWWPBz.

More information Nobody wants to spoil children’s fun at this time of year, but with a little consideration we can help make sure that children are kept safe.

For further advice for keeping children safe, you can view the Alliance’s webinar: Supporting parents to keep children safe: preventing Halloween and Bonfire accidents online at bit.ly/2OldzIq. UNDER 5

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Ability groups: a Dr Guy Roberts-Holmes, senior lecturer in early education at UCL, explains how grouping by ability in the early years has the potential to damage children’s mental health and wellbeing

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arly childhood education is increasingly becoming a game of competition.

This is due to the reintroduction of the baseline test and phonics testing. Some policymakers have an almost evangelical belief that competitiveness, even in very young children, is an inherently good thing.

The problem with this thinking is that competition has reduced the purpose of early education into a game of winners and losers, which will reduce most people to the status of “failures” with only the faint hope of future successes to cling onto.

Pressure to perform In his 2015 book, The Happiness Industry, William Davies said that this leads to a ‘depressive-competitive syndrome’, as the relentless pressure to perform starts at such a young age despite it being developmentally inappropriate. This results in a tsunami of health and wellbeing problems.

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Researchers have found that early years ability groups can lead to anxiety and panic attacks and symptoms of emotional distress at an early age. One primary school headteacher commented: “The focus on IQ and academic achievement above emotional wellbeing… has eroded confidence and left our young children without the inner resources to cope.”

Children’s mental health These concerns arrive at time when children’s mental health has been the focus of attention in the press as well as in policy discussions.

In 2017, mental health charity YoungMinds estimated that three children in every classroom now have a diagnosable mental health problem. Recent research from UCL discovered that a quarter of girls (24%) and one in 10 boys (9%) are depressed at age 14.

Similar concerns are seen in younger children, with cases of self-harm even reported in children at primary school age. Data from

NHS digital, obtained by The Guardian, shows that 107 children aged three- to nine-yearsold were admitted to hospital for self-harm in 2016-17. A recent survey of primary school headteachers found that eight out of 10 had seen an increase in the number of children presenting with mental health issues due to assessments and curriculum changes.

Headteachers have also reported that cases of stress, anxiety and panic attacks had increased in more than three-quarters (78%) of primary schools in the past two years, while 76% said that they had seen an increase in the fear of academic failure and 55% had seen an increase in depression.

Ability groups A study conducted by the National Education Union last year found that 58% of nursery teachers group children for phonics and 35% group children for maths. 81% of teachers at reception level are grouping children for

BEST PRACTICE

a wellbeing crisis phonics. But teachers were concerned about the impact of these groups on children. 65% of teachers agreed that children are aware of which group they are in and 45% agreed that ability grouping damages children’s self-esteem.

YoungMinds has called on the government to rebalance the education system so that children’s wellbeing is given the same level of priority as their academic progress. This rebalancing needs to start in the early years.

Early years teachers responding to the National Education Union survey made the following comments: “Grouping in a data-driven world seems to be becoming the norm. This sadly takes away from child-led playtime as we are forced into writing and reading constantly rather than appreciating the real heart of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).”

themselves off before they’ve started, they see themselves as failing.”

“It’s pressure on teachers that becomes pressure on young children. I really worry about the mental health issues…There’s children’s lives at stake.”

All of the above point towards the recent concerns surrounding increasing poor mental health among children and the relentless pressure for early childhood settings to continuously improve academic attainment.

Listening and acting upon early childhood practitioner’s understanding of mental health and wellbeing would send a clear message, that, as YoungMinds argues, a “good education promotes health and happiness, not just good grades.

A child-centred approach “The realities of resource constraints, for example, a lack of support staff and the constant fixation on data results, means that grouping becomes necessary.”

“There’s so much pressure on children… we’re really worried that our children write

Given the current crisis in children’s mental health, as acknowledged by the Children’s Commissioner last year, a child-centred approach to early childhood education that prioritises wellbeing is ethically necessary.

We must move away from the constant comparison and competition of high-stakes

testing. We should move towards knowledge co-construction, learning complexity and the unexpected. We have reached a point where data and metrics are now sometimes more trusted than the professionalism of teachers and practitioners.

It is imperative that we do not lose sight of the holistic child in our increasingly datafied early education settings. Child-led play contains all the necessary qualities for wellbeing. As Leo Chivers said (2016): “Play is active, participatory and builds perseverance, cooperation and resilience…through their play children see themselves as successful, capable and competent learners all of which are key to wellbeing and mental health.”

Inspiring every learner Member price £13.65 Standard price £19.50 Pre-order by 30 October for 10% off – simply quote COEL Inspiring Every Learner demonstrates through practical examples, case studies and reflective questions how children learn when provided with rich and varied spaces that offer stimulating resources, engaging play-based learning opportunities and support for them to take risks and explore.

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Muscular dystrophy – Yvonne Julien, neuromuscular care advisor at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, explains how muscular dystrophy can affect children in your setting What is muscular dystrophy?

Muscular dystrophy is an inherited disease that affects the way a person’s muscles work. It cases the muscles to break down and stops them from building or repairing themselves. This causes the muscles to waste away and become weaker, before they slowly stop working.

There are several different forms of muscular dystrophy that affect the muscles in different parts of the body and the effects of each form can vary greatly between children. The forms that usually affect younger children are called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and Myotonic Dystrophy.

There is currently no cure for muscular dystrophy, although many of the symptoms can be managed with treatment.

What are the symptoms?

It can be heard to tell if a child has muscular dystrophy as there are different symptoms that are not always immediately obvious.

However, muscular weakness can affect a child’s motor skill development in several different ways. Certain types of muscular dystrophy can also affect learning and speech and language development.

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Delayed or unmet motor skill or developmental milestones head lag may be present after age three or four months. They may not began rolling, crawling, sitting or standing as soon as their peers inability, or difficulties with, hopping, running and standing on one leg delay in speech and language skill development swallowing and feeding difficulties caused by muscle weakness Motor skill difficulties A child may take stairs one step at a time or might need to pull up using the bannister.

A child may struggle getting up from the floor, out of a chair or up from toilet because of weak leg muscles. They may use ‘Gowers Manoeuvre’ from floor – turning on to all fours and using hands to walk up their legs to get up.

A child may find it difficult moving into and maintaining independent sitting, may struggle with floor time and have difficulty with sitting up straight, with a tendency to sit with a ‘curved back.

Balance and stability may also be difficult. They may falls with no

apparent trigger, bumping into things when moving about classroom, or when walking on uneven surfaces.

Upper limb weakness weak grip, poor fine motor skills, tool use, tendency to drop objects, because of weak muscles in the hands muscle stiffness in hands making it difficult to release objects from grasp weakness affecting the shoulder area may result in difficulties with: o reaching over head o holding arms outstretched, carrying heavy objects o raising hand for attention o reaching up to chalkboards Other signs large calves – because of changes in the muscles there walking on toes and ‘waddling gait’ – used to compensate for instability because of muscle weakness in the child’s legs fatigue – exercise intolerance, lack of endurance in comparison to peers lack of strength and in comparison to peers and a preference for sedentary activities

BEST PRACTICE

– signs and symptoms pain or muscle soreness – in limbs, following activity, neck, shoulders and lower back, feet decreased sensitivity to heat and cold lack of facial expression because of muscle weakness affecting the face A child’s muscles may feel less firm – you may notice a sensation of the child ‘slipping through your hands’ when trying to lift them up Some of these symptoms may be seem in many children who don’t have muscular dystrophy, but if you notice a collection of these symptoms and/or a delay in a child’s development compared to their peers, you should speak to their parents and recommend that they speak to their doctor.

Getting an early diagnosis Early years providers are in a good position to notice any delays in a child developing motor skills or reaching milestones associated with muscle wasting conditions.

Given the progressive nature of muscular dystrophy, and the fact that some muscle wasting conditions can affect the heart and breathing, it is important that a diagnosis is made early on.

As the condition is inherited, families may need access to genetic counselling and family planning services as well.

first in the usual way you deal with any developmental concern. The child’s parents/carers should then be encouraged to speak with their doctor.

How can we help?

Play and exercise are particularly important for children with muscular dystrophy. These activities can help keep them participating in activities with their peers and it may help to slow the progression of muscle weakness, although it won’t be able to prevent its progression.

Children with muscular dystrophy require specialist involvement from health care professionals. It’s important that they don’t get over-exerted or exhausted, as this can worsen their muscle damage and cause muscles to get weaker more quickly. Speak to a child’s parents about their treatment and ask if their health care professionals can share any advice about the best way to support them in your setting.

If you think that you have spotted a problem with the way in which any child’s muscles are working, you should highlight this to parents

Find out more For more information about muscular dystrophy, visit www.musculardystrophyuk.org If any children your setting have been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, or its associated variations, suggest they get in touch with Contact for online support groups – contact.org.uk

The Gowers manoeuvre, which children with muscular dystrophy may use to stand up.

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TRAINING

Employing an apprentice EduCare, the Alliance’s training partner, considers the potential benefits of employing an apprentice at your setting

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any early years settings have been wary of employing apprentices in the past. Originally, the training requirements were often confusing as apprentices had to undertake the full and relevant vocational qualifications to work in early years settings as well as a knowledgebased qualification. Both employers and learners seemed to think that this was an unnecessary duplication.

Additionally, some training providers offered apprenticeships as classroom-based courses rather than work-based learning. This lack of practical experience led some employers to worry that their apprentices had never seen a young child before. However, much has changed and you should now actively consider whether taking on an apprentice is appropriate and beneficial to your provision.

Today’s apprentices Now, apprentices have a genuine job role with an accompanying skills development programme. Through their training, apprentices gain the technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills they need for their immediate job and future career.

Your apprentice could be a new recruit to your setting, or an existing member of staff who requires wants to take on additional training for their role and progress in their career.

Employer support Offering an employment opportunity to an apprentice is a serious undertaking. You need to be confident that you can create an environment that ensures the apprentice’s success. This requires your existing team to support the individual and a member of the management team must take the lead coordinating their supervision, mentoring and training. A positive environment like this will reap tremendous

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rewards for both the apprentice and the setting.

The new funding arrangements for apprentices may mean that you are now able to take on an apprentice.

What are the benefits?

Recruitment is cost-effective as apprenticeships can be promoted and supported by the training provider and the National Apprenticeship Service You will be employing a motivated new member of staff at an affordable pay rate.

The scheme develops well-trained and highly motivated staff who work to the high standards that you expect.

Apprenticeship schemes help to structure the training of your new member of staff.

Training in this way can help support staff loyalty and improve your retention of staff as you demonstrate your commitment to staff development.

Apprentices can bring fresh input and new ideas as they gain up-to-date knowledge on best practice.

Things to consider: 1. Are you able to identify a role for a new apprentice to fill?

2. Can you offer a long enough training contract to ensure the apprentice can work and learn?

3. Have you researched your funding options and given some thought to their salary?

The legal minimum rate is £3.70 an hour, but some employers may find that offering a more attractive rate leads to better candidates applying and finding more successful members of staff.

4. Are you able to offer the apprentice sufficient time away from your setting? They should spend 20% of their contracted hours doing off-the-job studying.

5. Can you identify a member of staff who

will be available to act as a mentor for the apprentice?

6. Is your team committed to supporting the development of the skills and training of the new staff member?

7. Are you able to carry out regular one-to-one meetings, supporting the training team to ensure that the apprentice has a clear picture of their progress and achievements?

8. Are you able to support visiting assessors to carry out skills assessments in the workplace?

Afterwards When an apprentice has finished their training, they should be given an opportunity to remain employed at your setting, where an opportunity continues to exist. Where this is not possible, you will need to work with the training provider who has helped the apprentice through their learning programme to seek alternative opportunities.

Employing an apprentice is a big decision for any setting. There are responsibilities that need to be undertaken by the manager, governor and wider staff team. However, the rewards can be tremendous and, for a sector that justly prides itself on offering career and life-changing opportunities to people, apprentices should be embraces as a positive force for good.

Find out more This information is taken from ‘A Guide to Employing an Early Years Apprentice’ – an online training course developed in partnership between the Alliance and EduCare, the Alliance’s training partner. The course is included in the suite of safeguarding and duty of care courses that all Alliance members can access free, as part of their membership. To find out more, visit www.pre-school.org.uk/educare If you are interested in one of the Alliance’s apprenticeship training courses, please contact the training centre on 01732 363070 or training. centre@pre-school.org.uk

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How to marke If you’ve never thought about marketing your setting before, it can be difficult to know where to begin, here are some ideas to get you started

With a constantly changing environment, there is much uncertainty in the early years sector. Actively marketing your childcare business will enable you to predict and manage risks, create opportunities and deliver an improved service.

Fundamentally, this will help you support your future sustainability.

Market research

Customers

Every successful organisation puts the interests and needs of its customers first. Market research offers a better understanding of your customers – what they have in common, their preferences and what they want to buy. You can use this information to adapt your services to more closely meet these requirements.

This will encourage long-term loyalty in those who already use your service while also helping to attract new customers.

It’s important to find out more about your customers and to categorise them into customer groups. This will allow you to adapt and improve your service and respond to their very different needs. Your different groups might include: parents children staff volunteers or supporters partners and funders your local community

Why marketing matters In an increasingly competitive childcare environment, where and how you share information about your service is important.

Marketing will give you the tools to communicate more effectively according to your target audience.

These groups may be interested in different aspects of your service so your marketing activities should be tailored to each one to reflect or anticipate their needs. Research into each of these groups should give you the necessary insight in order to do this well.

Things to consider Regularly evaluate and review what your setting has to offer. What makes you different or better than others? What is your unique selling point (USP)? What do your parents think of your setting?

How do you involve them in the service?

Look up your nearest competition. What kind of service do they run? Do they offer more than you do? Find out how they charge. What are parents saying about them online?

Undertake regular surveys with parents using your service. What do they like/ dislike about your service? How can you improve their child’s experience?

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Making it happen Once you have undertaken your market research, use the findings to develop your marketing strategy.

Agree with your team a set of objectives – what outcome you would like, a budget (including team time needed). Then develop a practical and realistic plan that explains how you will achieve your goals.

For example, you may wish to raise awareness of your new breakfast and after-school club, or you may wish to attract more children to your setting.

1. Product – What are you offering? Does it meet your customers’ needs? How can your service be improved? Are you matching (or bettering) your competitor’s service?

2. Price – Are your rates competitive?

Can you make them more flexible or attractive?

3. Promotion – Are your promotional plans effective? Are you communicating the right message to each customer group?

4. Place – Is your service centrally located, in a secure and fully accessible environment? Do you have any outdoor play space?

5. Philosophy – What is your service’s ethos? What is your unique selling point?

What makes you special or distinctive locally? How do parents perceive you?

By addressing your plan in these areas, it will be easier to work out if you have the right ingredients to deliver a successful marketing plan.

Marketing activities It’s always best to cover as many key communication channels as you can when planning your activities: face-to-face promotion – open days, community events

SAFEGUARDING

et your setting digital marketing – your website, Facebook, daynurseries.co.uk, childcare.co.uk good news stories – a story in the local paper about your Outstanding Ofsted or an event celebration partnerships – work with other early years services in the area (other providers, local authorities, etc) to set-up a referral service You’ll need to constantly review and measure the success of these activities.

How many parents signed up for more information about places, at a festival or via an external childcare search engine?

How many committed to joining when you followed up a day or so later?

Marketing and attracting positive publicity is much more effective if you continually repeat or try out new promotional activities on a regular basis.

Getting regular feedback from customers

will help you to refine future marketing plans, discarding activities that do not produce a strong return and improve promotions that were successful.

Writing a press release A well-presented and informative press release can be a useful tool in generating publicity for your setting. Most journalists receive hundreds of press releases every week and not all will become stories.

Therefore, it’s crucial that your release stands out and gives the journalist everything they need to write the story – including any photographs that you want them to include.

A good press release should: contain a strong, newsworthy story with a punchy title to catch the reader’s interest target the right newspapers and magazines

be delivered on time – soon after the event took place be factual – write clearly and without jargon include a high-res picture, making sure you have all the parents’ permissions Make it clear in the title and first paragraph what the story is about, including what is happening, why, where and when it is taking place. A quote from the setting manager, or someone else directly involved in the event, can be used to emphasise your point and add to the story.

In the final paragraph, sum up your story.

Include a ‘notes for editors’ section at the end with a brief overview of your organisation and contact details for any further information needed about the story.

Special offer 20% off Effective Marketing and Publicity for Early Years Settings With settings struggling from time-to-time with low occupancy, difficulties recruiting staff and with raising their profile locally, this publication provides useful and informed advice on how to improve the long-term success and sustainability of your service.

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ACTIVITY CORNER

Autumn’s bounty Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares ideas for getting out and about this autumn

W

ithout a doubt, autumn is a plentiful season. It has its own unique, earthy smell from freshly dug gardens and ploughed fields for the long winter months ahead. Hedgerows will be dressed in the jewelled coloured of ripened berries and trees will be laden with fruit, nuts and leaves in every shade of red, yellow and brown.

The nights will start getting longer, the mornings mistier and the days cooler. Many cultures and communities will also enjoy festivals and celebrations at this time of year.

The bounty of autumn offers a rich and varied curriculum full of learning opportunities that tap into children’s innate curiosity and fascination for the world around them. Practitioners will inevitably have many activities and themes planned for the coming weeks, no doubt incorporating key events such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali.

Children’s interests Most importantly, your activities at this time of year should follow the children’s lead because that is what makes any event a relevant learning experience. Children should be able to play, explore and investigate things that have piqued their interest, rather than being presented with a ‘take it or leave it’ situation with adultdetermined outcomes.

Of course, practitioner-initiated activities do have their value. But these should be seen as the spark that ignites the characteristics of effective learning, supporting a child to become a confident and competent learner for life.

Being instructed to colour in a cut-out pumpkin shape has little relevance to a young child who is desperate to plunge his hands into the squidgy flesh of a real pumpkin and, in doing so, discovers how it feels and smells.

Here are a few seasonal activities that practitioners can introduce that make good starting points for play and discovery, who knows where the children will take them next…

trees and hedgerows, give children time to look closely at the colours and patterns in nature.

This ‘mindful’ activity encourages children to touch, smell and listen, using all of their senses to begin to make sense of what they are seeing.

If you don’t have a garden, take children on a walk up to your nearest park. Provide paper and mixed paints in seasonal colours. Better still, let the children crush fruits and berries to create the colours they will need.

If it’s not practical to stay outdoors while creating your artwork, take pictures or record short films of what you are seeing and hearing with the children. Gather samples and take the art activity back indoors. Children like to watch an adult draw or paint, so be prepared to demonstrate alongside them as you create your own picture, providing a commentary on what you are doing. Remember that it is the process and not the end result that is important as the children take over and create their own interpretations.

Transient art This activity only needs the equipment that nature provides, but a few old picture frames of various sizes, laid out on the grass or bare dirt, may give children all the encouragement they will need to create their own masterpiece. Make sure they are dressed for the weather and let them gather twigs, conkers, leaves, pinecones and berries. To get them started, you might want to have some resources that you have already found in your outdoor area, then let the children find their own as needed.

Smaller empty frames can also be used to encourage children to frame their own views, holding a frame up and angling it until it contains a view that pleases them. Use a camera to record and show the child the results – it should be a picture within a picture. This is a great way to introduce the more complex ideas of perspective and distance as they come to realise that they can fit a whole tree into a frame by moving further away.

Creating pictures with nature Observational art

Fantastic beasts

With so many colours, smells and textures to explore why not wrap up warm and take your art activity outdoors? If you have a garden with

Older children will relish the opportunity to create their own fantastic beast outdoors. The story that builds as their creation takes shape is drawn

straight from their imaginations and will no doubt be surprising and, most importantly, unique.

You may need to plant the initial seed of an idea – for example: “I think that log looks like a bear, I can see a nose and ears.” Of course the children will have their own opinions and can then be encouraged to find sticks, leaves and pebbles to enhance features, or create new ones. Additional resources such as garden twine, scissors, clay, a pot and wooden spoons will also be helpful. A pair of secateurs, kept safely in a practitioner’s pocket, may also prove useful for any sticks presented to you as being too long for the beast’s leg – it’s always good to be prepared.

Pumpkins, squash and marrows Whether you are celebrating with a harvest festival, have grown your own or purchased from the supermarket, a pumpkin really is an extraordinary fruit. Scooping out a pumpkin and discovering the pulpy flesh and smooth seeds inside before carving a pattern into the hard skin is certainly a sensory experience. But it does not appeal to every child and it can be frustratingly hard work for them, and practitioners.

Babies and toddlers will want to explore a pumpkin with their hands and mouths, as they hit, push and attempt to roll it. The cool touch of the outer skin and the bumpy texture offers more challenge than a smooth round plastic ball, even if those are easier to pick up and roll.

Scooped out pumpkins, squash and marrows make excellent treasure baskets that can be filled with autumn goodies, such as crisp leaves, knobbly pine cones and spongy green moss.

They are brilliant studies for observational art too, with so many shapes, colours, patterns and sizes to be considered.

Observe the children as they play together or alone. On any of these activities, who are the problem solvers, the risk takers, the experimenters? How can you promote their learning with new challenges? What skills are they on the cusp of mastering? What has captured their imaginations and held their attention? This is the essence of ‘child led’ learning where practitioners are responsive to children, and the emphasis is on planning with them, and not for them.

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NUTRITION

Creating balanced meals The Infant & Toddler Forum provides information and advice on dealing with allergies in the early years setting

A

varied and nutritious diet, and good eating habits, are essential for toddlers’ health, growth and development. But it can be hard for early years professionals and parents to keep track of what comprises a nutritious diet for toddlers, particularly when their nutritional requirements are quite different to those of older children and adults.

Rapidly growing toddlers require more nutrients in each mouthful of food than adults, with a toddler’s daily energy requirement around twice that of an adult.

A toddler requires around 72 calories per kilogramme of body weight, compared to 30-35 calories per kilogramme of bodyweight for adults.

Little and often Due to these high-energy needs, snacks are an important part of a toddler’s day-to-day diet. To ensure that they consume a sufficient amount of calories, they should be given two to three nutritional snacks in additional to their three meals.

By giving toddlers meals and snacks made with nutritious foods, from all five food groups (see above), these high nutrient needs can easily be met.

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The five food groups 1. bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and other starchy foods 2. fruit and vegetables 3. milk, cheese and yoghurt 4. meat, fish, eggs, nuts and pulses 5. oils, butter and fats Eating a healthy diet and limiting the amount of foods high in fat and sugar is the aim for toddlers. However, while there is no need to cut out all foods which contain sugar, some foods are so high in sugar and fat that they should be limited to either once per day or per week (see below).

Limit to once a day cakes biscuits puddings ice cream sorbet sweet spreads including jam and honey

Limit to one item a week sweet drinks such as fruit juices, smoothies, squashes and fizzy drinks sweets, chocolates and other confectionery crisps and other packet snacks Ideally, any foods containing sugar, such as breakfast cereals, scones, pancakes or waffles, should be limited to the three meals and no more than one snack per day.

There are some other foods that should be avoided including large quantities of

salty foods, sugary and acidic drinks, drinks with sweeteners, raw eggs that do not have the red lion brand, raw shellfish, some large fish (including marlin or swordfish) and whole nuts.

Positive habits As well as what toddlers eat, it is important to consider the eating environment too. This will help develop positive eating behaviours and can be achieved ny following these tips: Where possible, ensure that mealtimes are happy, relaxed occasions.

Make food easy to eat – finger foods are great for toddlers. Praise children when they eat well or try something new. It takes time for toddlers to learn to like new foods.

Let the toddler decide how much to eat.

Never insist that they eat everything on their plates.

Respect toddler’s tastes and preferences – don’t force feed them. Some children will eat almost everything, while others can be much pickier. Some children will like foods to be kept separately on the plate, while others will be happy for foods to be mixed together.

Reward the toddler with your attention – never give food or drink as a reward, treat or for comfort.

To find out more about healthy eating for toddlers, read out 10 steps for healthy toddlers at bit.ly/2N9k7xa

The Infant & Toddler Forum is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition. The views and outputs of the group, however, remain independent of Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition and its commercial interests.

COMPETITION

WIN

A rockyroad tunnel from Designs for Education, worth £109 The rockyroad tunnel from Designs for Education has an integral soft flooring to encourage crawling through and hiding inside. The tunnel is perfect for playing peek-a-boo as children discover who is hiding inside.

The tunnel can also be turned upside down to create a see-saw rocker, which helps children develop balance as they rock side-to-side.

The tunnel is part of the Baby Moves range available on the Designs for Education website.

The views expressed in Under 5 are not necessarily those of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The editor reserves the right to shorten submitted material and to reprint copy from newsletters. No responsibility can be accepted for loss of MSS, photographs or artwork. Unused material will be returned if submitted with a stamped, addressed envelope.

The editor is unable to enter into correspondence about unsolicited copy.

Unless copyright is indicated, material from Under 5 may be reproduced without charge, for non-commercial purposes only, on condition that the source is acknowledged.

Acceptance of advertisements for Under 5 does not constitute endorsement by the charity of the advertisers’ products.

For your chance to win, simply email your answer to the following question, along with your full name and postal address to: Under5.Competitions@pre-school.org.uk by 20 October 2018 What is the current minimum wage for apprentices? (hint – see page 26) a) £3.70 b) £3.50 c) £3.40

UNDER 5 MAGAZINE ISSN 0969-9481 EDITOR: Rachel Lawler DESIGN: room111.co.uk

Under 5 Magazine 50 Featherstone street London, EC1Y 8RT T: 020 7697 2521 E: editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk Please quote your membership number on all correspondence.

ADVERTISING Jacob Holmes Fellows Media The Gallery, Manor Farm, Southam, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PB T: 01242 259249 E: jacob.holmes@fellowsmedia.com

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INFORMATION LINE T: 020 7697 2595 E: info@pre-school.org.uk NATIONAL CENTRE T: 020 7697 2500 F: 020 7700 0319 E: info@pre-school.org.uk 50 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8RT TRAINING CENTRE T: 01732 363070 E: training.centre@pre-school.org.uk 1st Floor, Bridge House, 97-101 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1DP

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT 50 Featherstone Street London, EC1Y 8RT T: 0207 697 2599 E: southdivision@pre-school.org.uk PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE SHOP 50 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8RT T: 0300 330 0996 E: shop@pre-school.org.uk W: www.pre-school.org.uk/shop

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