Under 5 February 2019

Under 5 WIN

Magazine of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

February 2019

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Ditching plastic

Reducing single-use waste

Going green

Meat-free settings share their tips

Take a deep breath‌ Mindfulness for the early years

Over 1,000,000 parents have used our service to find childcare.

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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

14

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

10 Letters to the editor

Under 5 readers share their views on the early years sector

12 Tell us what you think

Take part in the Alliance’s annual member survey

14 Plastic not so fantastic

How to reduce the amount of plastic waste in your setting

19 A legal guide to safeguarding A look at the current rules regarding safeguarding in early years settings

20 Say “cheese!”

How to take great pictures in your setting

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22 Should you go meat-free?

How some settings are embracing a vegetarian diet

24 Take a deep breath…

Could mindfulness sessions benefit children in your setting?

26 Behind the behaviour

A free extract from new EduCare course Understanding and Addressing Behaviour

28 Inspiring future readers and writers

30

A mini-guide for getting children ready to start reading and writing

30 The heart of the matter

Ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day with children this year

31 Managing fussy eating

The ITF shares information on dealing with fussy eaters in your setting

33 Competition

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome Welcome to Under 5 This issue of Under 5 comes at an exciting time for the Alliance. As we mentioned last year, the Pre-school Learning Alliance is rebranding and from 18 February onwards will be known as the Early Years Alliance. The change is intended to better reflect our commitment to providing a united voice for the whole sector and the best services for all our members.

As part of this, we’re keen to hear what you think about the Alliance and our current membership offer, including Under 5. We’ve got details about our latest survey (page 12) but, as ever, please feel free to get in touch to share your thoughts on the magazine with us at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk. We’ve also got some more details about this year’s revamped annual conference and the Lifetime Achievement Awards (page 21).

If you’re looking to make some changes in your setting in 2019, this issue also has lots of ideas for changing things up. Last year’s BBC series Planet Earth raised awareness of the growing problem of plastic waste. You may have already switched to reusable water bottles and coffee cups, but have you considered how your setting could be contributing to unnecessary plastic waste? Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher has some suggestions (page 14).

The start of this year has also seen a growing trend for vegetarianism. According to a recent survey by Waitrose, almost 13% of the UK population – or one in eight people – is now vegetarian. Whether you’re looking to go fully vegetarian, or just want some fresh recipes for your menu, we’ve spoken to chefs from two settings who are both offering a meat-free menu and have shared some great ideas. (page 22).

If you’re looking to change up your routine, we’ve spoken to Early Bird Pre-school about the mindfulness sessions they have added to their daily routine after the launch of the 30-hours offer (page 24). We’ve also got a free extract from the updated EduCare course Understanding and Addressing Behaviour in the Early Years (page 28).

With Valentines Day, Chinese New Year and Pancake Day all just around the corner, the next few weeks are sure to include lots of exciting events in your settings – please do keep sharing your stories with us at editor.u5@pre-school. org.uk for our My Under 5 section.

Remember to keep an eye on our website and social media accounts as the Alliance rebrands in the next few weeks. I look forward to sharing the next issue of Under 5 with you all as members of the Early Years Alliance.

Rachel Lawler, editor

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in brief...

BREXIT: Some DfE staff could be diverted into other departments to help deal with pressing concerns such as food and medicine in the event of a “no deal” Brexit, according to education secretary Damian Hinds.

Ofsted confirms delay to childminder registrations

round-up Proposed Ofsted framework focuses on “substance and integrity” Ofsted has opened a consultation on proposals for changes to the education inspection framework, due to come into effect from September 2019. The proposed inspection framework is said to focus on what children learn, rather than “performance data”.

Ofsted said this is in response to its research, which found that early years staff feel under pressure to spend time on paperwork, rather than focusing on spending time “reading to children or playing with them”. It says that the new framework will aim to address this problem, with a new focus on whether children are being offered a “rich curriculum” and how well it is taught.

Ofsted says it spent more than a year researching for the proposed framework, hosting engagement events and speaking with stakeholders. It has also been tested in a number of pilot inspections. More events

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and pilot inspections are planned throughout the consultation, which is open until 5 April 2019. The new inspection handbooks and final framework are due to be published in summer 2019.

Key changes in the proposed framework include:

a new “quality of education” judgement looking at children’s outcomes in context, and whether or not they are the result of a welldelivered, coherently-planned curriculum separate judgements about children’s “personal development” and “behaviour and attitudes” no longer using internal performance data as inspection evidence, to ensure inspection does not create “unnecessary work”

Speaking at a launch event at the Sixth Form College Association, Amanda Spielman, chief

Ofsted has confirmed that its process for registering as a childminder has been affected by delays. Ofsted moved its early years inspection and regulatory activity onto a new IT system in July last year, leaving them unable to process new applications for two weeks.

A spokesperson from Ofsted told Under 5 that the new system then experienced “challenges” shortly after going live, but that these have since been resolved. They are, however, still working through the backlog caused by these delays. The spokesperson said: “We acknowledge that this has meant a delay for childminder applicants and we are working hard to get back to normal timeframes as soon as possible.”

Ofsted was unable to give an update on how long applications are now expected to take to complete and it is unclear how many potential new childminders have been affected by this delay since July 2018.

This update comes as numbers of registered childminders in England continue to decline, dropping from 57,400 in 2012 to 40,800 in 2018.

inspector at Ofsted, said: “The new quality of education judgement will look at how providers are deciding what to teach and why, how well they are doing it and whether it is leading to strong outcomes for young people. This will reward those who are ambitious and make sure that young people accumulate rich, wellconnected knowledge and develop strong skills using this knowledge.”

Spielman added: “Two words sum up my ambition for the framework: substance and integrity. Ofsted is committed to making sure that any changes to the inspection framework and approach are fair, reliable and valid.”

Michael Freeston, director of quality improvement at the Alliance, commented: “We welcome the proposed early years inspection framework, which is a real positive step in the right direction.” However, he added: “Unfortunately, with the review of the Early Learning Goals and the proposed re-introduction the baseline assessment, it’s clear current government policy is at odds with this position. Our concern is that, until those differences are reconciled, there’s a real danger that providers will be caught between being inspected on how their children learn and delivering against an increasingly narrow understanding of what should be taught.”

UNIVERSAL CREDIT: Plans to extend rules that put a cap on payments for families with more than two children have been scrapped, benefitting around 15,000 families.

RED BOOKS: Children’s ‘red books’ detailing their medical records will be made available to parents online as part of plans to improve care for babies.

Early years staff face “increasing financial pressures,” report claims Early years staff have seen a 5% reduction in their pay, in real terms, since 2013, according to a new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) thinktank. The report also found that 44.5% of workers in the childcare industry are claiming state benefits.

This is despite most early years staff being more qualified than those in competing industries, that it says are often considered career alternatives, such as hairdressing. The EPI says that the average salary for a childcare worker is just £8.20 – which is 40% less than the average pay for a female worker. This is also a 5% reduction, in real terms, since 2013 while the average female worker has seen an overall rise of 2.5%.

The EPI noted that the number of male workers in the sector remains low, at just 7.4% – lower than other femaledominated sectors such as hairdressing.

Dr Sara Bonetti, associate director of early years at the EPI, said: “This report should therefore concern parents who use childcare services, and the government, which regards high quality

early years education as crucial to social mobility. We find that the childcare workforce is poorly qualified, and faces a number of recruitment problems – with many workers experiencing serious financial hardship. Childcare workers are now paid similarly to hairdressers and beauticians, with pay falling since 2013.

“While the government has rightly recognised the importance of education in the early years, it must offer far more support to the three-quarters of a million workers in England who play an indispensable role in the care and development of our young children.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “EPI is right to highlight these worrying trends and to call on the government to offer

childcare practitioners more support, but it is disappointing that this report fails to explicit identify the reason for its concerning findings: wholly inadequate government funding.

“With early years funding levels failing to meet the rising cost of delivering childcare in many areas across the country, it is inevitable that early years practitioners will continue to suffer real term wage losses – and without government action, the current trends are only likely to worsen in the years to come.

“If the government truly wants to support the sector, it must commit to investing what is needed to ensure that the hard-working professionals who make up the early years workforce day are paid a fair wage for what is unquestionably a vital job.”

“While the government has rightly recognised the importance of the early years, it must offer far more support to workers.”

First UK guidelines for screen time announced The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published guidelines to help parents manage children’s screen time. In the first ever screen time guidance published in the UK, the RCPCH suggests that parents adjust their child’s use of screens based on their developmental age and individual needs.

The guidance says that, while there is not enough evidence to confirm that screens are harmful to child health, screen time should not interrupt positive activities for children such as socialising, exercise and sleep.

Dr Max Davie, officer for health promotion at the RCPCH, said: “When it comes to screen time I think it is important to encourage parents to do what is right by their family. However, we know this is a grey area and parents want support and that’s why we have produced this guide. We suggest

that age appropriate boundaries are established, negotiated by parent and child that everyone in the family understands.”

The guidelines include four key questions for families to help examine their use of technology:

Is screen time controlled?

Does screen use interfere with what your family want to do?

Does screen use interfere with sleep?

Are you able to control snacking during screen time?

The RCPCH says that if a family are satisfied with their answers to these questions, then they are likely to be handling screen time well. For those looking to reduce their families use of screen, the RCPCH also offers practical advice. This includes asking parents to set an example with their own use

of screens and making sure that they prioritise face-to-face interactions with their children Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, said: “This research is just the latest to show that there appears to be few negative effectives from children’s use of tablets and similar devices.

Screen time with a purpose can be a useful part of early learning because it provides children with another means of exploring and interacting with the world around them.

“Having said that, it’s clear that technology can never replace social interaction or physical experience.

These are vital skills and, while today’s research should put parents’ minds at ease with regards to the safety of screen time, it’s important that the message of managing this time is taken on board too.”

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Report calls for more intergenerational care Universal Credit childcare policy “hurts the poorest” Childcare support for parents claiming Universal Credit “directly conflicts” with the government’s aim of making it easier for parents to return to employment, according to a new report from the Work and Pensions Committee.

The report says: “Universal Credit claimants must pay for childcare upfront and claim reimbursement from the Department after the childcare has been provided.” This, it argues, leaves many families with a choice: “turn down a job offer, or get themselves into debt in order to pay for childcare”.

The committee says that this is particularly unfair at a time when families on higher incomes, earning up to £200,000 a year, are supported with the Tax-Free Childcare and 30-hours schemes. “The government should divert funding from those schemes towards improving universal credit childcare support,” the report says.

One in five parents struggles with the cost of childcare 19% of parents struggle with the cost of childcare, according to a new parent survey conducted by the Department for Education (DfE). The Childcare and Early Years survey of parents spoke to 5,922 parents of children aged 0-14 between January and August 2018. 89% of parents of three-year-olds said they had used formal childcare, compared to 40% of parents of children under the age of two.

Most parents of pre-school-aged children were using childcare for “economic” reasons – enabling them to work (66%), with educational development cited as the next most-common reason (58%). 78% of parents of children aged under four were aware of the 30-hours offer, but awareness was higher amongst those on higher incomes. 68% of those earning under £10,000 were aware of the offer, compared to 89% of those earning £45,000 or more.

Three out of every four parents of eligible children are said to have taken up some of their additional 30-hours. Most parents said that the 30-hours offer had benefits for both their finances and family, with 84% believing that the offer was helping prepare their child for school and 83% saying their child was now getting on

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The committee also noted that many childcare providers are charging parents for additional services or consumables, as a result of underfunding for the 30-hours offer. Some providers charge these to make up for the shortfall between their usual fees and their funding rate.

According to the report, these additional fees cannot be reimbursed under Universal Credit. It questioned whether the Department for Work and Pensions should “pick up costs resulting from the Department for Education’s policy”.

While early years providers can charge for meals and other consumables, or additional activities, the Department for Education’s operational guidance makes it clear that parents must be given an alternative option of supplying their own consumables. It says that “all parents should have the same rights to access a free entitlement place, regardless of whether they choose to pay for additional hours of provision, additional activities or meals”.

The committee said that it would look to take further evidence on this issue.

better with other children. However, almost one in five parents (19%) said that it was difficult, or very difficult, to meet their childcare costs.

This increased for parents on lower salaries, with 32% of parents earning under £10,000 finding it difficult and 35% of those earning £10,000–£20,000.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We know that the cost of childcare presents a significant financial challenge to many families, and so it is positive to see that parental awareness of the funded entitlement schemes is growing. That said, given studies have shown that current government childcare policies tend to benefit wealthier families over and above those more in need of support, it is worrying to see that only 66% of parents in the most deprived areas of the country are aware of the 30-hour offer, compared to 84% of those in the least deprived.

“What’s more, while the so-called ‘free entitlement’ offers are – understandably – generally popular among parents, this alone cannot and should not be a measure of how successful these policies are.

Simply arguing that these schemes are popular with parents isn’t good enough – the government must ensure that those providers delivering funded places are adequately supported to do so.”

Every early years setting should partner with a local older people’s care home or housing scheme, according to a new report from United for Ages. The next generation argues that intergenerational projects can “raise educational attainment, change attitudes, solve tough issues and shape the future”.

The report makes eight key recommendations for early years practitioners and policy makers, including the suggesting that every nursery, childminder, children’s centre and baby and toddler group partners with a local older people’s care home, and vice versa.

The report also argues that children involved in intergenerational projects “have better reading and communication skills” and are more “school ready” than others.

Intergenerational projects may also help to “solve some of the tough issues facing the next generation,” according to the report.

It says this includes reducing crime and promoting social mobility.

The report also calls for schools to engage with older people in their communities and asks local authorities to work to build communities for people across all age groups.

Stephen Burke, director of United for All Ages, commented: “Research shows that there are lasting benefits to getting a good start in life. Given the concerns around social mobility, closing the attainment gap, improving school readiness and developing young children’s language and literacy skills, intergenerational action could, and must, make a much bigger contribution to this agenda.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “So far, the majority of the discussion around intergenerational projects has focused on what it means for the older people involved and that has meant the impact on child participants is sometimes over looked. Interacting with older people provides children with unique learning opportunities; that could mean the chance to take on the responsibility of ‘looking after’ an older person or to learn from someone who has experienced and overcome challenges.

“We should always be looking for opportunities to learn through play, experience and sharing stories should be prized, however, it comes about – but there’s something particularly worth cherishing when it comes to two generations at different stages of life.”

Fundraising

fun

Boys & Girls Nursery, a ch ain of settings base d in Watford , Stanmore Rickmanswor th and Croxl ey Green, managed to raise a total of £2,728 for Playskill – its chosen ch arity for 2018. The ch arity runs grou ps for pre-school ch ildren with sp ecial educational needs in Wat ford and Hemel Hemps tead and relie s on grants and do nations to m aintain its service. Boy s & Girls Nur sery raised money with a series of ba ke sales, pyjama days and raffles.

Baby ballet

Children at Pl ay Days grou p in St Stephe have been en ns Church, Re joying an intro dnall, duction to ba preparation fo lle t and dance as r further classe s when they ar part in baby ba e older. They llet and moder took n dance at Vi of Dance, prac ct oria’s School tising arm mov ements, poin balance and ted toes, good concentratio n.

Th ey also used and collected tried using rib stickers to fill bons up their certific ates.

Christmas care Hopscotch Outdoor Day Nursery, which has been visiting residents at nearby Brentwood Care Centre, celebrated Christmas with special gifts for residents.

Children at the setting collected presents and helped to wrap them up.

They also sang Christmas carols and shared lunch before presenting each resident with a box of presents to unwrap.

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nes’ to ‘story sto een using b s a h a stone e k tr ic hildren p ren’s Cen C ild . h e C m ti eir e rp at story to start th Mabletho agination on them im d te ’s n in a ry, re p to ild pictures rt of the s inspire ch d use the e next pa n a th t e e ir e k p s th s a b cator at cted to in from the years edu ne is sele y to rl s a e r e y, th a o es silly, ie Linds story. An d sometim ed. Frank are finish ifferent an y d e s y th a lping to l e ti lw h n a u great for e story is re h a “T s : fun.” e n id a . The sto story time setting, s much fun d making o n s a it n o s ti e a k , imagin which ma , listening language promote

es Story ston

Community links Children at Park Hill Nursery in Tiverton have been paying regular visits to The Larches, a nearby care home. Their monthly visits have included a ‘teddy bear’s picnic’ (picture d), with children bringing their favourite soft toys to show the residents. At Christmas, some of the residents also joined the setting for its Christmas sing-along event.

In remembrance

in Rednall Last year, Jellybabies Nursery and Pre-school with the e servic Day ce took part in a short Remembran of part As h.

Churc children at Longbridge Methodist giant and peace of doves the project, the children made e and silenc long inute poppies. They also joined a one-m da.

Siban as Cleop end Rever met with the church’s minister,

Community

defibrillator

PreUFA Charity Children at W ve ha ck dsto school in Woo ndraising important fu an ed et compl stallation lting in the in project, resu r ity defibrillato of a commun ill w ng tti se . The at the setting ity un m m co e ing fre now be host e at K . ar ye ts this training even ng, er at the setti ag an m Bailey, wn up oject has thro said: “This pr way es along the some challeng ren, all of our child but thanks to ck ds, Woodsto parents, frien lming he w er ov and Freemasons ve done pport, we ha community su d we e is too big an it. No challeng ngs read at other setti really hope th inspired!” this and feel

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’.

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Reach for the stars On Sunday evenings last year, I enjoyed watching the new series of Doctor Who on the BBC. For those who don’t already know, the Doctor is a character who travels in time and space, exploring planets and helping anyone who is in trouble. I watched Jodie Whittaker, the latest actor to take on the role and the first female Doctor, as she jumped off a crane, climbed over cars and ran to help her friends.

Then, when I went to work on Monday mornings, I watched the little girls at my playgroup attempt to run and climb and jump on our play equipment. Some play confidently, while others lack confidence and need encouragement.

However, some use physical skills with confidence only to fall or stumble, not because of their skills but because of the clothes or shoes they are wearing.

Many parents send their girls to playgroup in dresses and shoes that make climbing, running, balancing and jumping more difficult. These girls are being inhibited by these clothing choices. They start choosing not to tackle physical tasks, begin to lose confidence and stop joining in with physical play. Some girls will try but fall and believe themselves not to be good at climbing, when it is in fact their clothing that has caused the fall.

Retailers are marketing clothes for girls in a way that encourages them to be princesses. The clothes aimed at them are less practical than those aimed at boys. This encourages girls to stand back from the action. Girls shoes are often jellies or slip-ons and these make running harder.

Floaty dresses get caught on climbing equipment and can make girls trip when running.

According to the BBC, the costume designer at Doctor Who purposefully chose boots that were soft but also tough and practical. The Doctor also wears cut off trousers and a coat with many pockets. I would like to see girls in my playgroup reach their potential physically and practical clothes are vital to this. I’d like to see more trainers and jeans, cut-offs and boots.

I feel that it is time that we not only have high expectations of our little girls, but that we also give them what they need to develop confident physical skills, without being inhibited by their clothing and shoes. Let’s see them reach for the stars and beyond, starting at the top of the climbing frame.

Helen Mann-Ray, deputy manager, Bilbrook Playgroup Tough times We are a small nursery offering full-time provision for up to 30 children and have been open for 11 years. We have never been full to capacity as we care for children who cannot use the local school nurseries due to a lack of available spaces.

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We have a high percentage of children and families working with other agencies, such as the local mast team or social care. Our families rely on our support – which we offer to the best of our abilities or will direct them on to somewhere else who can help.

We have three Level 3-qualified nursery workers, an assistant and myself on the staff. I work between 40 and 50 hours a week. As we are based in a deprived area, children only require our service term-time. Staff have come and gone due to this. Other staff have left because some of the families we work with can be volatile – I have on quite a few occasions needed to contact the police.

As a setting, we have been rated good by Ofsted and the current staff have been with me for more than a year. We are challenged on a regular basis and this has set us up to engage in a positive way with parents and agencies with positive outcomes.

I have personally not received a wage since November, as the numbers are low. I thankfully have paid my staff and the overheads. I have never been in this role to make money as the overheads are far greater than the outcome. But I enjoy working with the children, watching them grow in confidence, developing their knowledge, interacting with adults and their peers, being individuals, the list is endless. It is so rewarding for both practitioners and their parents But I honestly believe that a small business like ours cannot survive another tax year, which is sad as some children thrive better in small settings.

Name supplied Provider pay As a provider, you want to provide the best early years education and invest in a highly skilled staff team. However, when you are facing a huge amount of increased costs, unfortunately it is the staff that will suffer, as they are not being paid the salaries that they really deserve.

I think that the providers who have not already closed down are cutting costs in every area possible. The government is responsible for what this is doing to the early years sector. This will eventually not only reduce the number of providers but it will also affect the quality of the early education that we can provide.

We are forced to make cuts upon cuts, which results in making decisions against our own will. We as individuals have to invest into our businesses, but we are controlled by the government when it comes to how we run our settings.

First, nursery practitioners and support staff will suffer pay cuts, then the quality of childcare will suffer as a result.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Finally, despite everything we do we will end up closing our businesses down. It’s quite simple! And it’s the government which is causing this, more than anything else.

Shazia Begum, via Pre-school Learning 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’.

This month’s star letter writer wins a selection of early years books, including a copy of Animals Around the World by Stefan Lofar from My Big Wimmelbooks – the hugely successful series of books from Germany.

Designed for children aged two- to five-yearsold, these books include detailed panoramic scenes teeming with life, but very few words.

Children will enjoy finding familiar objects such as cars, dogs or balloons and, as they get older, start making up stories based on the scenes and characters featured throughout. They all feature objects and scenes that will already be familiar to young children.

At £9.99 each, they offer a virtually instruction-free way to get children using their imaginations and an effortless introduction to literacy for children under five. Visit www.MyBigWimmelBooks.com or search for them on www.amazon.co.uk to order copies for your own setting.

Stay in touch Make sure you stay in touch as we get ready to rebrand as the Early Years Alliance later this month on 18 February. We’ll share all our new contact details in the next issue, as well as online. In the meantime, keep up-to-date with all the latest early years news by following us on social media:

WWW

www.facebook.com/PreschoolLearningAlliance

@Under5mag @Pre_schoolLA pre-school.org.uk

Make sure you are also signed up to receive the bi-weekly Under 5 newsletter for even more news and updates at www.pre-school.org.uk/under5

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SURVEY

Tell us what you think Take part in the Alliance’s annual member satisfaction survey 2019

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very year we like to review all of our membership offers to you. This helps us to constantly improve our member services and do the very best we can to meet your needs and expectations.

Your feedback will be used to develop new benefits, publications and services for you. We will also use our findings to improve Under 5 magazine, insurance packages, our 24-hour legal advice line, professional development and early years training and qualifications.

It will also influence how we campaign on your behalf – ensuring that we focus on policy areas which affect and concern you the most.

Previous feedback has helped us to develop exciting new resources and services, including adding to our free CPD-approved online course list. Members can now explore how to better understand and address behaviour, prevent and control infection, review key development theories that inform the EYFS and reinforce the importance of self-evaluation.

We know how much you value the different membership services we offer. Since we launched our free online training offer, Alliance members and their teams have completed more than 200,000 online courses. But we still want to do even better!

Complete the survey Complete the quick and simple online survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/members2019 The short survey is mostly multiple-choice questions, with opportunities for you to add any comments or suggestions. It should only take around five to 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with any external organisations or companies.

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The Early Years Alliance The Alliance is committed to supporting an ever-widening range of early years providers. But our recent research has found that many in the sector, including current Alliance members, don’t feel that our current brand reflects this fact.

For this reason, we will be updating the organisation’s name from the Pre-school Learning Alliance to the Early Years Alliance on 18 February 2019.

Please keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks. You can keep in touch by checking the Under 5 newsletter, following the Alliance on Twitter and Facebook and by keeping an eye on our website at www.pre-school.org.uk.

The deadline to complete the survey is 26 February 2019.

Free prize draw As a thank you for taking the time to complete this short survey, we are offering a chance for all respondents to win a selection of Alliance publications worth £50.

Simply provide your email address at the bottom of the survey to enter. Your email address will not be shared and will not be stored after the competition has ended on 26 February 2019.

For any queries about the survey, including any requests for print versions, please contact us on 020 7697 2595 or info@pre-school.org.uk.

Run a

to teach road safety and save lives Wednesday

1 7 20 0 2

y Wednesda

MARCH 2019

JULY 2019

Wedn esday

NOV EMB ER 2

019

Every year thousands of tots and infants aged 2-7 take part in a special Beep Beep! Day • A great way to engage children with road safety basics.

• Raise awareness among parents and the wider community.

• Brand new free and low-cost resources for each event.

• A fun and easy way to raise valuable funds for Brake.

Register now and receive a free e-resource pack • Bumper packs available for just £10.50+VAT. These include: stickers, certificates, posters and lots of road safety activities to run with up to 50 children!

Register now at Brake.org.uk/beepbeepday email Beepbeep@brake.org.uk or call the team on 01484 550061

““Brake’s Br Beep Beep! Days are a great way for children to start understanding the importance of road safety from a young age and are an excellent addition you to oour pre-school safety education programme delivered alongside our pro Neighbourhood Policing partners.”

Nei Suzanne Preston, Corby Borough Council

Organised by

Brake

the road safety charity Registered charity No. 1093244

Sponsored by

Plastic not so fantastic Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, considers how early years settings can reduce the amount of plastic waste they produce

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ENVIRONMENT

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obody can fail to have noticed the damage that waste, and plastic waste in particular, is doing to the environment. Plastic debris finds its way into oceans across the world, it harms sea life and has already created vast islands of floating waste, miles wide and far too big to ever be removed. It is a problem that we must face up to now, before it is too late.

There has already been some action taken to mitigate this problem in recent years. Microbeads, which are used in cosmetic products, are now banned after a growing amount of evidence suggested that they were finding their way into the food chain.

A 5p levy on plastic carrier bags in shops and supermarkets resulted in an 85% reduction in their use within one year. The government has also pledged to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2024, where it is “technologically, environmentally and economically practical to do so”.

Wasteful packaging on toys and other goods is equally culpable. Many toys and games that have little actual play and learning value are packaged in such a way that they sell a promise that even a young child’s vivid imagination cannot possibly recreate. No wonder then that so many parents say that their child had more fun playing with the box that a toy came in!

As early years practitioners, we have an important role to play in fighting back against unnecessary plastics. Leading by example, we can help children to make better choices that they will use throughout their lives. The influence we have on the environment now will have a significant and lasting impact.

In December 2018, education secretary Damian Hinds told schools that they should eliminate use of all single use plastics by 2022, highlighting the work of some schools who are already meeting this target. He said: “It’s not always easy, but we all have a role to play in driving out avoidable plastic waste.”

“The important thing is to do something - even just making one small change.”

A long way to go Even so, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

For decades, plastic in its various forms has been seen as a relatively cheap and convenient way to package and display food products and other goods. It helps to keep food fresh, hygienic and displayed in such a way that it entices the consumer.

Plastic bags have become a marketing staple, ensuring that big brands have their logos and contact details displayed in every home and on every high street, reinforcing their message at every opportunity and hardwiring young brains to be customers for life.

Small steps So what can early years settings do? A good place to start is with an audit of your current use of plastic. Ask yourself the following questions: How many single use items do we use?

Do we really need all of these?

What can we re-use or recycle?

How much plastic do we throw away each week? Ask children and their families to set themselves a challenge to reduce waste.

Can we replace plastic bags with fabric

ones, for example when children bring in their wellies for outdoor play?

How is our weekly food shop delivered?

Can we bulk buy rather than having lots of smaller packets/cartons?

Do we use any disposable cutlery, plates or cups?

Do we really need all this glitter?

Above all, the important thing is to do something – even just making one change.

Every small change you make now and every single attitude towards waste that you can influence will go some way towards making a difference. It isn’t too late yet, but it soon will be.

Single-use gloves for nappy changing and Ofsted The average setting gets through approximately 12-15,000 single-use gloves each year. This is a huge amount of waste that could easily be reduced.

It is a myth that wearing gloves for nappy changing is an Ofsted requirement – it isn’t. At a conference in Birmingham last year, a regional director stated that Ofsted “doesn’t care” whether or not practitioners are using these gloves and many settings have since stopped using them as a consequence.

However, it is a requirement of the EYFS that “providers take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection” and Ofsted would expect to see that this is still happening. Clinical guidance clearly states that single-use gloves must be worn when dealing with bodily fluids that may pose a risk of cross-infection. This includes faeces and diarrhoea; however, a wet nappy does not usually pose a risk as urine is actually sterile.

Therefore, single-use gloves are not necessary when dealing with a wet nappy under normal circumstances, but they should remain available to all staff for dealng with other bodily fluids or in case there is an outbreak of an infection.

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The small amount of plastic waste created every day can soon add up.

How it adds up The small amounts of plastic waste created every day can soon add up. Here is what an average 52-place early years setting would create each year, if open for 50 weeks:

Plastic item

Per year (or 50 weeks)

Opportunities to reduce or replace plastics

Nappies

12,500

This is generally down to each parent’s choice but nappies still generate a significant amount of waste each year. There are some more eco-friendly options available that can be suggested to parents – such as biodegradable or resuable nappies.

Nappy sacks

5,000

Is it really necessary to put every nappy in a nappy sack? A tightly-wrapped wet nappy is usually sufficiently watertight. Of course, a soiled nappy may require a nappy sack, to minimise odour or prevent the spread of infection.

Wipes for nappy changing

37,500

There are biodegradable wipes available, although they do tend to cost more. Ask staff to consider how many wipes they use for each nappy change, whilst of course maintaining the priority of ensuring that every child is cleaned thoroughly.

Wipes for hands and faces

7,800

Often used for convenience when soap and water would suffice, or for wiping runny noses instead of using a tissue, wet wipes for hands and faces could be phased out.

Single use plastic aprons

5,000

A single use apron is of course essential for any activity where there is a risk of crossinfection, such as during an outbreak of illness. But these are not always required for every wet nappy change, as has become standard practice in some settings. Consider using a reusable alternative or looking for biodegradable options.

Milk in plastic bottles

2,000 bottles

Some early years settings have negotiated with their milk supplier to use re-usable milk bottles – ask if yours is able to do so or consider switching supplier, if possible.

Polythene pockets/plastic wallets

650

Is a plastic wallet always necessary for documents? They are cheap, readily available and useful for filing, but once the paperwork itself is no longer required they are often thrown away instead of being used again. Review how these are used in your filing systems.

150

Many staff will carry mini hand sanitisers with them at work. But these products do not replace the need for good hand hygiene and are not really necessary unless there is an outbreak of an infection. Suggest staff opt to wash their hands with soap and water instead.

6kg

Glitter is a micro-plastic that can eventually enter the food chain. It has a negative impact on the environment and there are now some plastic-free alternatives available.

200

Often used in settings to prolong the life of paper templates, displays and other paperwork, but paper is recyclable – plastic pouches are not. Consider removing this from your usual practice.

Hand sanitisers

Glitter

Laminating pouches

Share your stories

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How have you been helping? Let us know what you have been doing to reduce single use plastic waste at your setting – we’d love to share your stories and pictures in a future issue of Under 5!

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WHERE EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY EDUCATION MEET

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LAW-CALL

A legal guide to safeguarding The legal team behind Law-Call, a 24-hour helpline available to Alliance members, explains the current laws on safeguarding Safeguarding children should form the foundation of every early years setting. Practitioners are duty-bound to protect the wellbeing of children in their care. Safeguarding is not just ensuring that a child is protected from maltreatment and abuse, but also preventing the impairment of a child’s health and development.

Child protection law is predominantly covered by the Children Act 1989. Other legislation has been introduced over the years to elaborate upon these principles, including the Adoption and Childcare Act 2002, which expanded the definition of “harm” to include a child seeing and hearing the ill treatment of another person.

Safeguarding is a complex quilt of legislation and statutory guidelines. Early years providers need to ensure that they can navigate the numerous steps expected of them. This means ensuring that staff are, and remain, up-to-date with government guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Practitioners will also need a solid understanding of children’s development to enable them to recognise any cause for concern.

A framework of support and information is appropriate. This should begin with a solid induction programme for all new staff to ensure that they can recognise the key safeguarding concerns. The statutory framework has 10 key areas: 1. Child protection As well as the obvious, this should also include practical measures such as the prohibition of mobile phones and cameras on the setting premises.

2. Suitability of people This includes the disqualification guidance, staff on medication, ensuring that the single central

record is kept up-to-date at all times and that a robust recruitment and vetting process has been followed for staff and volunteers.

3. Staff qualifications As well as the initial assessment of skills in the recruitment process, you should also consider continual training, support and assessment for all existing staff members.

4. Establishing a key person for each child.

5. Health This includes the physical health of the staff and children, as well as the food and drink served at your setting. It also covers accident reporting.

6. Ensuring that staff-to-child ratios are always maintained.

7. Managing children’s behaviour.

8. Safety and suitability of premises This covers the equipment you use, as well as the environment and health and safety assessments of any activities you do.

9. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities This includes appointing an appropriately-trained Special Educational Needs Coordinator and ensuring that appropriate support frameworks are in place for each individual child.

10. Information and records This includes record-keeping about each child, information for parents and carers, information about the setting as a provider and knowledge of what information needs to be communicated to Ofsted or the relevant childcare agency.

Keeping children safe Safeguarding should be a constant assessment. We recommend that all early years providers ensure that they consider the following practical measures: Have a clear policy Your setting’s safeguarding policy should be clear and coherent. You should apply it consistently and take routine checks to ensure that it is properly applied and understood by staff.

Check your paperwork Ensure that a sufficient number of staff members have been trained to undertake regular checks of paperwork. This will allow for work to be undertaken in the event of unexpected absences.

Check for new risks Regular assessment and identification of potential risks is recommended. We suggest that this is undertaken on an at least termly basis, rather than yearly. Risk assessments should include a review of the single central record, consideration of any areas of risk to child protection and a review of all your existing safeguarding policies and procedures.

Leadership New entrants at leadership level – including owners, committee-members, directors – should be given robust induction training. This is particularly relevant where a committee of changing members manages a setting. For more experienced leaders, it is important that they have the knowledge, skills and understanding to be able to consider if the existing policies are relevant and up-to-date.

Physical intervention It is extremely rare that there is a need for this in early years settings. However, if a situation arises and appropriately trained staff do have to intervene, the incident should be documented carefully. The setting leaders should assess whether the intervention was appropriate and if the right approach was taken.

More information If you need specific legal advice, please contact the Law-Call helpline. The contact details are available on your membership card, or in the members’ area of the Alliance website at www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area

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BUSINESS

Say cheese!

Photographs are key for keeping your website and other marketing materials looking fresh and eye-catching. Here’s how you can get the most out of your setting’s snaps

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e all know that a picture can tell a thousand words, so it’s crucial that all the images used in your marketing are saying the right things about your setting or childcare business. Your website and social media profiles are likely to already be a key part of your marketing strategy and eyecatching images are crucial for making these stand out to parents.

Photographs or short videos can offer a visual demonstration of how you are encouraging learning through play and using your environment to promote development.

It’s also a chance to show your friendly team in action. These images will also be an effective way of engaging with visitors on your website or Facebook page. They could also be useful for logging activities in children’s learning journeys or sharing updates with parents. You may also wish to take pictures to share alongside a press release or news story.

Data and safeguarding Before you consider taking any photographs – whatever you intend to use them for – make sure you check through your setting’s policies on photography first. You’ll need to make sure you are complying with all relevant GDPR and safeguarding rules and have permission from the parents/carers of all the children concerned before you start using their pictures.

While it might be tempting to use images without any children in at all, and to just photograph an empty setting, these pictures won’t help to demonstrate how your space is being used and enjoyed. Pictures of empty rooms can be off-putting or confusing to

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parents as they expect to see children enjoying your setting space and taking part in activities.

Taking great pictures Great photos will show children interacting with each other, focusing on a specific activity and maybe include a practitioner encouraging the children as well. These could be taken indoors or outdoors and will give real life and colour to your site.

It’s not always necessary to show children’s faces or identify them in the images, if you’d prefer not to, or your setting’s policy makes it difficult to. Non-identifiable shots can work really well if children are busy at an event or focused on play activities so that they are not aware of the camera or facing towards it.

You might need to be a little creative in the way you take these pictures. You could try taking these pictures from behind or from a different angle. Cropping the photo so it only includes children’s hands or feet as they enjoy messy play works really well. Rather than zooming in to get close-up shots, try moving yourself and the camera closer towards the action to get a better quality picture.

Action shots When taking pictures, try to bend down so you’re getting a child’s-eye view of the action. If any staff members are included in the shots, ask them to crouch down so that they’re at a similar height to the children to create a friendlier look and avoid the need for big empty spaces between the two heights in your images.

Try not to use the flash on your camera, as this can make images look a little ‘flat’ or

washed out. Look to use natural light wherever possible. If you’re taking pictures outside, try not to stand directly in the sun to avoid getting glare in the pictures. When indoors, use the light from your windows, making sure that it is behind you, the photographer, rather than behind whatever you are photographing.

Meet the team Adding pictures of your team is another great way to bring some images onto your website, with a picture of everyone alongside a bit of information about them and their work. Some members of your team might prefer not to have their pictures online, so make sure you ask if everyone is comfortable with this before you start on this project.

An alternative idea is to take an informal group photograph without any members of staff who would prefer not to be included for a more general “meet the team” section on your website. Another option is to ask children at your setting to draw pictures of each member of your team and to scan or photograph these for your website instead.

Images for print If you’re taking images to be used alongside a press release or news story that you are sending to your local newspaper – or for My Under 5 – you’ll want a high-resolution image suitable for printing. This is also true if you are taking photographs for any printed leaflets or information sheets. Most smartphones have good quality cameras; just make sure you check the settings are set to high-definition or high-quality pictures before you start.

ALLIANCE EVENT

EARLY BIRD or f T N U O C DIS bers mem 35 per only £ et! tick

Be the best: sharing early years excellence The Alliance’s annual conference will take place on 31 May 2019 at Hilton Bankside in Southwark, London SE1 OUG Want practical advice and information that will support your professional development and help you deliver outstanding care and education? Make sure you attend the Alliance’s annual conference, Be the best: sharing early years excellence.

We’ve given our usual agenda an overhaul, focusing on more of the issues you told us were important to you. The day will cover implications of GDPR on safeguarding, business sustainability and how to achieve an ‘outstanding’ in your next Ofsted inspection outcome.

You will enjoy: valuable insight, advice and practical tools from leading experts in the sector opportunities to discuss and share best practice and views with others practical in-depth focus on important areas of early years business from exploring planned changes to the Ofsted framework, the implications of GDPR for safeguarding and ways to improve your sustainability Attendees will also enjoy networking opportunities throughout the day, a specialist exhibition and the new Alliance Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration.

Book your place To find out more about the conference and book your place visit www.pre-school.org. uk/conference2019

Alliance Lifetime Achievement Member Awards This year’s awards will also include the Alliance’s new Lifetime Achievement Member Awards 2019, celebrating the extraordinary contribution made by special individuals who have devoted themselves to making a real difference to young children’s care and learning.

This is your opportunity to formally acknowledge the incredible support made by one individual to your service – whether pre-school, nursery, baby and toddler group or childminding service.

Who can nominate?

Anyone can nominate a special person – you can be a parent, practitioner or professional.

Who can I nominate?

Your nominee should have been involved with the sector for a minimum of 10 years.

Any parent, volunteer or practitioner who works in a member childcare setting is eligible.

Anyone showing incredible commitment, dedication and expertise with children.

T rustees, directors, owners, volunteers and other unpaid roles are eligible too.

Families are encouraged to get involved and can provide positive testimonials or personal feedback to support the nomination.

Please note: Alliance-managed provision and Alliance employees are not eligible to be nominated.

To nominate someone for this award, simply complete the online form at www.preschool.org.uk/awards2019. Alternatively, you can call our Information Services team to request a nomination form.

The closing date for entries is 11 March 2019.

Nominees shortlisted for the Awards will be invited to a special awards celebration at the Alliance Annual Conference on 31 May 2019. Travel and expenses will be covered for all those shortlisted.

The Awards will highlight the outstanding contribution made by every committed Alliance member or volunteer. We look forward to receiving your nominations!

More information For more information about the Awards, please contact our friendly Information Services team on info@pre-school.org.uk or call 020 7697 2595

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NUTRITION

Should you go meat-free?

With a growing number of families cutting down on meat, or ditching it altogether, editor Rachel Lawler finds out how some settings are making a vegetarian menu work

A

growing number of families are reducing the amount of meat in their diets. According to a recent survey

by Waitrose, almost 13% of the UK population – or one in eight people – is now vegetarian. A further 21% of people say they are cutting down on the amount of meat they eat – sometimes called “flexitarian”. This means that a third of the population is now completely avoiding meat or reducing the amount that they eat. This flexible approach is spreading into the early years sector, as some settings cater to parents’ changing attitudes towards their family diet.

Harman Mohal, a registered nutrition professional for the Early Years Nutrition Partnership (EYNP), explains: “The addition of vegetarian menus in early years settings can help make meals more varied and gives vegetarian children a chance to eat the same as everyone else.” Meat-free meals can also bring additional benefits for children. “A balanced diet is key for good health and including vegetarian meals can be a good way of getting extra vegetables and pulses into the menu,” Harman adds. “Settings should always have vegetarian options available where needed, and at EYNP we suggest that once a week the protein sources offered at lunch and tea should all be plant-based.”

Happy children Crossley Mill Nursery, a small charity-run setting based in Hebden Bridge, offers an organic vegetarian menu across three meals a day, with snacks in between. Georgina, nursery cook at the setting, says that the menu has helped them stand out in the local area. “A lot of people seek us out because we are a vegetarian nursery,” she says. This is despite most of their families eating meat. Georgina explains: “They like the fact that their children will be getting lots of veg while they are with us each day.”

While Crossley Mill has its fair share of fussy eaters, the setting finds that children generally respond really well to its healthy menu, with lots

of parents asking for a cookbook of Georgina’s recipes. “You can see right into my kitchen from the nursery, so I’m not hidden away and the children can see what I’m cooking and know who I am,” Georgina says. She makes sure that children are getting all the nutrients they need, following guidelines from the Soil Association’s Food for Life Early Years Award. The children have also helped growing vegetables in the garden and cooking activities, recently making pizzas as part of a “p” themed series.

Georgina says that the biggest challenge for them is managing allergies, but its experience catering for vegan families has really helped them here. If something needs to be replaced for child’s allergy, she tries to replace ‘like for like’ so that everyone is eating the same. “It encourages them to eat more when they’re all eating together,” she says.

The meat-free approach has helped children embrace vegetables more easily. “I see a lot of recipes involving ‘hidden veg’ but we don’t do that here – they know what they’re eating and have a really good relationship with food,” she explains. With so much of their menu based on vegetables, Georgina says that it’s important to source quality items in order to get the tastiest meals. “You want to make sure you’re getting the very best ingredients for children, so look for good suppliers in your area,” she says.

setting opted for the meat-free menu as a way of bringing everyone’s lunchtime together.

The setting offers a healthy menu, using the government’s Better Start guidelines. Zeby hosts regular ‘cooking clubs’ with the children each week. They get a chance to make a dish ready to take home with them at the end of the day, while learning about healthy recipes. “I find that if they know what is in their food, then they are more happy to eat it afterwards,” he says. All of the setting’s meals are available for parents as recipe cards both in reception and online. “We get a lot of people asking us for the recipes of the dishes that their child really liked.”

Inclusive menus

Meat free ideas

A meat-free menu is also working for Clowns Nursery in Golders Green, London. The setting provides full-time care for up to 170 children across eight different classes, offering up to three meals a day and two snacks, depending on how long the children spend there. The setting has a fully pescetarian menu, serving fish but no meat. Zeby Cole, head chef at Clowns, explains: “We have children from so many different backgrounds here but we wanted everyone to feel like they were eating the same dish as their friends.” Rather than serving a selection of halal, kosher and other meals, the

Harman Mohal’s vegetarian recipe ideas: Bolognese-style sauces made with lentils or meat-free mince and pasta lentil soup cucumber and bean mini wraps houmous (or other bean-based dips) served with vegetable sticks and pitta bread

Fresh takes The biggest challenge for Zeby’s team is keeping the menu exciting for children. “Create a seasonal menu so it’s always different,” he suggests. “Look for different herbs and spices, which can really change the whole dish.”

However, he still thinks that removing meat from a setting’s menu can be really beneficial.

“Not only for humane reasons, but also for their health,” he says. “My advice for other settings is to not be scared of vegetarian meals. There are thousands of meat-free recipes on the internet,” he suggests. “People used to think that you always need meat-and-two-veg with each meal but that’s now that’s quite old fashioned.”

Find out more To find out how the Early Years Nutrition Partnership could help your setting, visit www.eynpartnership.org or email hello@eynpartnership.org

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BEST PRACTICE

Take a deep breath…

Mindfulness is a growing trend in wellness for adults, but could the concept benefit your setting as well? Earlybird Pre-school shares its experience

E

arly Bird Pre-school in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, has been working to improve transition periods at the setting. The setting has space for up to 24 children in each session across term-times and welcomes children from age two up to age five with a flexible schedule. Melanie Gobey, business manager at the setting, explains: “We have been using ‘in the moment’ planning for four years.” This means that the staff follow children’s interests, rather than a set schedule.

Instead, the children are free to move between activities, with a short “tidy up time” period before lunch and the end of the day – staff use stickers and an egg cup to encourage children to join in and signal the start and end of each session with a bell or music. The setting also uses songs and stories at the beginning and end of sessions to ease children in to the start and end of the day.

Longer days Last year, the setting decided to change its session times in order to allow flexible pick-up and drop-off times for those accessing the 30-hours funding. They also wanted to improve transitions for those leaving after lunch and those arriving for the afternoon session. Natasha Elliott, leader at the setting, says: “It was becoming a little congested with children leaving and arriving at the same time and we felt that the quality of the hand over to the parents/carers was not as thorough and personal as it could be,” she explains.

Staff had also received feedback from parents about communication with parents and they felt that this could be improved.

The setting separated the times for pick-up and drop-off so that they were no longer doing the two at once. “This allowed for a safe, less hectic transition of children leaving and a 15 minute break before the afternoon children arrived,” Melanie says. It also gives practitioners a chance to meet with parents and/or carers when necessary.

Now, the only children still at the setting in this transition period between the morning and afternoons, are those staying for the full day – but the number of these has increased significantly since the introduction of the 30-hour offer. The setting has also seen the number of children accessing the 30-hours offer increase since 2017 and now has a number of children at the setting from 8am until 3.30pm. “We felt that these children, and our staff, would benefit from a mindfulness session,” Nastasha says.

Mindful moments Each of Early Bird’s mindfulness sessions starts with a song, to get the children’s attention and ease them in. Then, they play a game or join in with a simple activity, such as: pretending to be an animal, or superhero with mindful movements boxing, to let off a bit of steam playing with scented playdough – lavender is a popular choice After this, the group practice relaxation and breathing techniques. Melanie says: “This helps the children learn to recognise and manage their own feelings, behaviour and emotions.” A large box of resources is also made available to children during these sessions including: a breathing ball that demonstrates the inhale and exhale of breath crystals and feathers for a sensory experience vibration bells and sound bells to touch and listen to Children and staff are given time to relax, close their eyes, rest and listen to some relaxing music playing in the background. The staff always use a bell to signal the end of the session.

“The aim of the mindfulness sessions is to give children a chance to regulate their emotions, be in the moment and notice how they are feeling, to think about their breathing and, most importantly, to relax,” Natasha says.

The techniques children learn in these sessions

have proved helpful for children during testing times in the setting. She explains: “If a child is cross, we remind them about a breathing activity which will help them to self-regulate and think clearer, giving them a chance to solve their own problem.”

Positive feedback Since introducing these sessions, the setting staff say they have noticed a positive impact on the children’s moods and behaviour. This was also highlighted in the setting’s most recent Ofsted inspection, which resulted in an “outstanding” rating. The inspector said: “Children demonstrate exceptionally positive behaviour. They show a high level of co-operation and respect for one another and are emotionally secure.” Staff are also said to enjoy the mindfulness activities, which offer a chance to restore their energy levels ahead of the afternoon session.

Melanie, Natasha and the rest of the team think that all settings could benefit from addding mindfulness to their routine. They suggest introducing a short session of breathing and being in the moment. “These are techniques that they can carry on throughout their lives.”

Moving On Up! Member price £14 Non-member price £20 Moving On Up! is an Alliance SMARTpd resource pack providing online resources to help managers or team leaders to deliver an in-house training session on managing transitions in your setting. Containing a PowerPoint presentation, with facilitator notes, it will support the host to deliver the session at staff meetings or on training days.

Visit shop.pre-school.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@pre-school.org.uk to order your copy.

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e

Behind the behaviour In this extract from Understanding and Addressing Behaviour, a training course developed in partnership between the Alliance and EduCare, we explore some of the causes behind children’s behaviour

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here are a number of influences on children’s behaviour, which may have a short or long-term impact. These include: the child’s level of development their early experiences and relationships genetics transitions environments the behaviour of adults around them attachments safeguarding issues SEN, disability and other additional needs

Children’s brains grow rapidly in the first few years of their life, as their nerve cells make crucial connections, which support healthy social and emotional development. These pathways are influenced by the repeated social interactions and experiences (positive and negative) of the young child.

There are common factors that can also impact on a child’s behaviour such as: tiredness, hunger, a new sibling, starting at an early years setting or moving home.

Most behaviour exhibited by children forms part of their normal patterns of development as they master complex skills such as communication, problem-solving and social

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interaction. Early years providers may also adversely influence children’s behaviour if they fail to provide: an appropriate curriculum positive practice and support clear structure and routines appropriate choices and resources clear rules and boundaries an appropriate environment – i.e. insufficient space, outdoor play and quiet areas The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supports children’s personal, social and emotional skills in an age-appropriate way so that by the end of the EYFS, most children have developed the relevant skills to be able to communicate effectively, know right from wrong, make and maintain friendships, follow rules, play cooperatively, regulate their behaviour and be considerate to others.

Adult influences One of the other major influences on children’s behaviour is that of their main carers. If parents have lives which are adversely affected by social, economic and health difficulties, then this can impact on their ability to provide consistent and stable care for their children.

Forming a strong partnership between the home and the setting is vital in ensuring that concerns relating to a child’s behaviour are identified and addressed early on. A child’s key person has a particular role to play in securing that relationship.

Secure attachments A strong bond between a child and a caring familiar adult helps formulate a secure relationship for the child and provides a ‘secure attachment’ which is critical to personal, social and emotional development and supports children to form positive relationships with others and cope with a range of challenges.

Children who do not develop secure attachments are more likely to exhibit behaviours that are fearful, angry, excessively clingy, anxious or detached. They are also more likely to develop behavioural and emotional difficulties and some may go on to develop mental health difficulties later on in their lives.

Emotional intelligence To provide secure attachments, adults need to be able to recognise and manage their own emotions and those of other people.

This is described as emotional intelligence.

TRAINING

Psychologist John Gottman identified the process of successful adult/child interactions as: awareness of the child’s emotions recognising the emotion as an opportunity for intimacy and learning listening empathetically and validating the child’s feelings helping the child to find the right words to label their emotion setting limits while exploring strategies to solve any problems they’re having

Parenting Parenting styles can have a significant influence on a child’s behaviour. Understanding different dimensions of parenting and possible impact on children’s behaviour is important because it can help settings offer appropriate support and guidance to families. Four identified styles may impact children as follows:

Authoritarian: Dictatorial, controlling, and strict, with high expectations. This style tends to lead children to be obedient and proficient, but possibly unsociable, unhappy and lacking self-esteem.

Authoritative: Facilitating, shared control, enabling and democratic; more likely to lead to

happy children who are independent, capable and successful.

Permissive: Indifferent, low expectations and little guidance; may lead to unhappy children unable to self-regulate. These children are more likely to have poorer academic outcomes and may have problems with authority

Uninvolved: Detached, little control and uncommunicative. Children with uninvolved parents are more likely to struggle with confidence and self-esteem, tend not to do well in education, may seem unhappy and exhibit behaviour issues.

their needs and wishes. Attempts to stop this behaviour or failing to respond with appropriate support may result in an increase in the frequency, especially if a child is experiencing emotional pain or discomfort. However, if these or any other behaviours start to impact negatively on the child or it is harmful to themselves or others, the child will need to be assessed to minimise or replace the behaviours with more productive ones.

In these instances, settings are always advised to make referrals to specialist services via their local Special Educational Needs Coordinator.

Special needs and/or disabilities

Safeguarding children

Children with special educational needs (SEND) will not necessarily have social and emotional behaviour difficulties. However, if a child with SEN does start to exhibit behaviour issues then these can usually be addressed through a targeted plan called a SEN support plan as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice (2015).

Some children with more complex SEND may exhibit behaviours which, although disconcerting, may help to calm or self-stimulate the child, such as rocking or flapping. As with any other behaviour, this has a function and may be the only way that they are able to communicate

Sometimes a child’s behaviour is a sign that they are suffering the effects abuse or neglect. If not recognised and addressed quickly enough, this can place the child at risk and impact on their health, safety and wellbeing.

If a setting suspects or identifies that a child needs protection, then they must follow their safeguarding policy and procedures to identify and respond appropriately to indicative signs and behaviours.

New EduCare course Understanding and Addressing Behaviour is an updated course, available free to Alliance members through our partnership with EduCare.

Please visit www.pre-school.org.uk/educare to find out more.

Inspiring future re In this extract from one of the Alliance’s free mini-guides, we consider some ideas for inspiring future readers, writers and storytellers To encourage and inspire future readers, writers and storytellers, practitioners and children need to think creatively together about the stories they read, the knowledge they discover and the resources used in the setting.

Get children involved Supporting the children at your setting to take a deeper interest in reading is important. Explore a book together so they can decide what it is about. Draw attention to the illustrations and think about the events that are happening.

Would the children feel or do something differently if it were them? Wonder how

the story might end then see if the children can think up another ending, for example, one that is funnier.

Acting out the story together is an enjoyable way of involving children in storytelling. Encourage them to take on different roles and join in with repeated words or sentences. Can they act out the different ending they have imagined?

With information books, involve the children by considering whether and how the subject is familiar to them. A book on aeroplanes, for example, could inspire them to think about when they went on a plane on holiday or when they saw one on the television. Can they fly about like the aeroplanes you are describing, pretend to be in one, or create one from the building bricks? Can they spot any planes and their trails in the sky outside?

Reading places An attractive, safe and comfortable area in the setting, complete with cushions or seating, is key to enticing children in to

relax and look at the reading resources alone or together with friends or an adult.

Make sure the area is fully accessible and that books are available for different ages and abilities, including material, board, noisy, pop-up, and dual-language books. Support children to continue their independent learning and engagement with a book you have shared by having role-play resources available too, such as masks, soft toys, puppets, related non-fiction books and objects from the book. Have additional copies of the book to send home so they can discuss and explore it further.

You can also provide a variety of other written materials of relevance or interest to the children, like a handwritten shopping list generated together, a nature magazine, local park or event leaflet, or shop catalogue. If you go on a special outing or have an interesting visitor, consider making a scrapbook of the event together, including photographs.

Reading does not need to just be confined to a specific area. For any activity, consider whether books or printed materials would be useful for the children to interact with too. For instance, if the children are choosing to play with the rocket toys outside, provide a spaceship information book as well as words with pictures on for them to look at alongside the toys. You can also support your children to enjoy interactive e-books shared on the setting’s digital devices wherever they are. On outings too, think about spotting and reading any interesting notices, street or shop signs you come across along the way.

Motivating mark making With mark making, being imaginative and creative with resources is key in enthusing children to have a go. Follow their interests and desires to provide

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eaders and writers opportunities for marks to be made both large and small, indoors and out.

Give the children at your setting a chance to experiment with different media, such as ink, paint, mud, water, pastels and different thickness and size of pens, pencils, felt tips, and chalk. Explore using different types, sizes and colours of paper and also textured surfaces, such as sand, earth, porridge and rice. Support them to employ different mark making implements including their own hands and feet, feathers, straws, string, sticks, leaves, brushes, and even fruit and vegetables.

Give children the chance to choose the mark making resources themselves and provide opportunities for problem solving,

for example, which tools can they choose from the setting to best make a picture in the sand? Include the use of digital devices in the mark making process with paint and word processing programmes and apps on the computer or tablets available to the children.

Getting parents involved Helping parents understand the value of the literacy learning that is taking place at your setting and how to support it further is crucial. To promote them reading with their children, encourage parents to get involved in local library or national reading events. Hold family story-telling sessions at the setting where you model reading using

different voices for different characters and asking thoughtful questions to discuss and understand the story further. Invite parents and family members to read their own favourite stories.

More than just a scribble, support your parents to understand that their child’s mark making is an achievement. Highlight the detail, creativity and perseverance shown in their children’s learning. Show them the range of mark making and reading opportunities and experiences available at your setting, explaining how these further the child’s development and how this can be continued at home.

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The heart of Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares some ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day in your setting

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f the matter V

alentine’s Day is a very old tradition that has its origins in a Roman festival called Lupercalia, which took place in the middle of February. Over time, the church adopted the festival as a Christian celebration in remembrance of Saint Valentine on 14 February. Gradually, this event became synonymous with people expressing their feelings to those they love.

As with many ancient festivals and traditions, the original intent has been overtaken by the commercial opportunity to sell cards, flowers and chocolates to the masses. In the early years, we have an opportunity to take aspects of what children are seeing and hearing in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day to support some meaningful learning opportunities.

Expressing love As part of their personal, social and emotional development, children learn to express their feelings and emotions, recognising that there are significant people in their lives that care for them in a warm and respectful way. These are the people who show them how important they are, the people they trust, the people who make them feel safe and cared for, and the people who they can always depend upon.

While a very young child will not understand the meaning of love as a complex and powerful emotion, they quickly learn that the words “I love you” have significance. Through interactions with their care-givers and their peers, children see themselves and others as worthy of love. They remember and build upon the affection that is shown to them as they form relationships with others throughout their lives.

The grand gestures that often take place on Valentine’s Day can appear superficial when we all know that it is really the simple things that mean the most. When a child is given the opportunity to create something that replicates an image of or a message that they are constantly seeing – such as Valentine’s Day cards in the shops – they will benefit from the processes involved in making their unique gift or card and will delight in the response it receives when it is handed over to their loved one.

A simple heart shape Believed to be the centre of all emotions in the body, the heart is the definitive symbol of love and is a really useful shape to create and experiment with. The mathematic term for a heart shape is a cardiod – if you want to use some mathematical language with your older children – and it is of course symmetrical.

Provide paper and scissors to let children explore where to fold and how to cut heart shapes. Extend the learning opportunities by looking at other shapes that have two mirror images when a line is drawn through the centre.

At snack time, help children to cut fruit in half, looking carefully at the symmetry of an apple or strawberry, which when cut through the centre lengthways is also a heart-shape. This also introduces the concept of fractions - with quarters and halves.

Make something beautiful Now that you have your heart shapes, remember that you will have many unique variations. Think about the ways in which they could be used by the children to create their own picture or design. The emphasis should always be on letting children choose how they want to use their shapes – whether it is a card, collage or hanging decoration. Every heart will be unique to the individual child and the imperfections will add to the overall charm of the finished product.

If you are running short on ideas to prompt the children’s imagination, there are hundreds available online through sites such as Pinterest.

Younger children can be encouraged to fill a heart shape using collage materials, or can try finger paints to follow the outline of the heart shape. This can then be cut out and threaded with ribbon to make a simple heart decoration.

Add a photograph or message placed in the centre or on the back of the shape.

Saying thank you The overarching message on Valentine’s Day is to show someone special that you care. The sentiment that accompanies a child’s handmade gift or card is just as important as the gift itself.

Practitioners can transcribe a message on behalf

of a child or record a brief greeting that could be sent electronically to a parent or carer to accompany their gift.

Once a child has decided who they want to send their message to, prompt them by asking them to tell you: “I love my daddy/mummy/sister/ brother/nanna/etc because...” Their replies will always be endearing. Whether is is: “I love my mummy because she makes my tea”, or: “I love my grandpa because he smells of strawberry jam”, these unique gems will mean far more than any pre-printed generic verse or rhyme.

Have a focus on emotions in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day in your circle time activities. Play games that help children to help children to recognise facial expressions such as ‘happy, sad or frightened’. Extend the learning by prompting discussion about what makes the children smile or laugh. There are many excellent children’s books that reinforce the idea of love. Practitioners and children will no doubt already have their own favourites that can become the focus of story-time during Valentine’s week.

Happy, healthy hearts On a more practical level, think about the physical function of the heart as an essential organ. The building blocks for a healthy heart are laid in childhood so any activity that encourages a positive attitude towards healthy lifestyles can only be a good thing. Children can be taught that their heart does a lot of work and that it needs good food, rest and exercise to keep it working really well.

Children will delight in hearing their own heart beat using stethoscopes or placing their own hands on their chest to feel it beating after running and jumping. Many practitioners may be wearing electronic devices to monitor their heart rate and daily step counts. Involve the children in checking the read-out. Challenge them to decide whether your heart will be beating faster or slower at different times of the day and during different activities. Draw the whole theme together by creating a display with the children that will prompt them to identify foods and activities that are good for their hearts.

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Managing fussy eating The Infant & Toddler Forum shares helpful information on managing fussy eating in toddlers

R

efusing food is a normal phase that most toddlers pass through. From around the age of 20 months, most toddlers will suddenly refuse new foods on sight and even push away food that they used to eat beforehand if it looks slightly different. This is a normal stage of development called food neophobia. Luckily, most toddlers start to move out of this phase by age three or four.

Even though this behaviour is normal in toddlers, there are some approaches and methods that can help parents make mealtimes easier during this phase. Always make sure that a regular pattern of meal and snack times is in place. Don’t be tempted to allow toddlers to graze all day in the hope that they will eat. Meals and snacks should be scheduled around sleep times and naps, as a tired toddler will not be interested in eating.

Here are some do’s and don’t’s for parents and practitioners during this fussy-eating phase: 1 Do allow children to eat the foods that they like, while gradually getting them to accept other, healthier foods. Parents and practitioners shouldn’t withhold favourite foods in an attempt to get toddlers to eat more desirable foods as this won’t work. It is essential that toddlers take in the calories they need to grow. Appropriate growth is more important in the early years than dietary range.

2 Do try and eat alongside toddlers as often as possible. Eating with others allows toddlers to learn by copying their parents and other children, and they will eventually find the courage to try new foods if they see others eat them.

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3 Do eat in a calm, relaxed environment without distractions. Toddlers concentrate on one thing at a time so TVs, games and toys can be a distraction. Talking and engaging with them, however, will help make mealtimes more pleasant and interesting for them.

4 Do encourage toddlers to interact with food away from mealtimes. a) Plan activities handling fruit or vegetables – make pictures, shapes or faces. b) Look, find and name foods in the shops and supermarket. c) Grow your own food – even if it’s in a plant pot on the window sill. d) Try cooking together, rolling dough and mixing sauces, even if the toddler won’t eat what they are making.

5 Don’t force feed, coax, prompt or get irritable. Although understandable, this can increase anxiety levels at mealtimes, which can lead to a loss of appetite. Anxious toddlers are less likely to eat the things that parents and practitioners want them to eat.

6 Don’t let mealtimes drag. If a toddler really isn’t interested in the food in front of them, then stop the meal. You can offer them something else at the next snack time.

7 Don’t bribe or reward at mealtimes. “Eat up your broccoli and then you can have a fromage frais,” won’t work. You’ll just make the yoghurt more desirable and the broccoli even less so.

8 Don’t put disliked foods on the plate next to liked foods. Even children as young as two will find the foods they don’t like disgusting. Anything touched by the disliked food may also be refused.

Fussy eating will usually resolve itself in time. However, a minority of toddlers may persist in eating very little or a limited range of foods, potentially affecting their growth and development. There may be medical reasons why a toddler is not eating, with the most common of these being constipation and anaemia. It is always advisable to suggest parents speak to a doctor to check there is no physical cause for their poor appetite.

If a child is growing well on a limited range diet, then it is likely that the toddler has genetically determined traits which makes them strongly neophobic about food. Such children usually have extreme sensory hypersensitivity – they react strongly to smell, tastes and, importantly, the feel of food on their hands and in their mouths.

Under these circumstances, it may be appropriate the refer the child to a specialist feeding team if one is available. A dietician can also assess a toddler’s diet and recommend any supplements, if necessary, to provide additional nutrients if their overall diet is not nutritionally balanced.

Find out more For more information and advice on the management of fussy eating in toddlers, download our How to Manage Simple Fussy Eating in Toddlers Factsheet at www.infantandtoddlerforum.org

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.

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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.

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