Under 5 January 2020

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance

WINstom-

January 2020

10 cu A set of -shirts or 20 T printed sweatshirts d e t in ety pr road saf 0 2 s lu p rs with reflecto f Norfolk o Samuels

Prioritising the planet Teaching sustainability

Take care of yourself Prioritising wellbeing in 2020

A moment of Zen Yoga for very young children

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contents 4

News round up

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

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My Under 5

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Letters to the editor

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A fresh start?

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Together we can

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The Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award 2020

A chance for Alliance members to share news of recent events and projects Under 5 readers share their views on the early years sector

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We hear from settings who have been inspected under Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework about their experience Save the date for the Alliance’s annual conference this year

All the details for nominating inspirational practitioners for the 2020 award

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Reviewing the EYFS changes

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Caring for school-age children

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A look at the government’s consultation on proposed changes to the EYFS Clarity from Ofsted on the rules on after school care in your early years setting

Dealing with drugs and alcohol

Information on forming a drugs and alcohol policy for your setting

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20 Finding a balance

How we can address the gender gap in the ealry years

22 Taking care of yourselves

How you can take care of your team’s wellbeing at work

24 What to do when children bite

Tips for dealing with biting in your setting

26 Strike a pose

How to introduce yoga activities to young children

WELCOME & CONTENTS

welcome

Welcome to Under 5 Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2020 issue of Under 5! This issue brings with it several fresh starts for the early years sector – not only a new year, but a new decade too, bringing with it plenty of cause for reflection. If you’re looking to make some changes in your provision, we’ve got lots of ideas and inspiration in this issue to help get you started.

If you are looking to start exploring concerns about the environment and sustainability, we’ve got some fun ideas to try with the children (page 30). We’ve also shared some delicious recipes using lentils to try with children this year – which will be particularly helpful for any settings looking to introduce some more meat-free dishes (page 32).

This issue also sees the early days of a new government as the end of last year saw the election of a new Conservative majority. We know that many of our readers will have been hoping for a review of early years funding rates this year and share your disappointment that the issue was not addressed in the party’s manifesto last year. However, we are ready to keep fighting for fair funding rates whatever the new year and new government brings. Watch this space for all the details on our next campaign work.

One area the Alliance is keen to get the sector’s voice heard on is the proposed changes to the EYFS, introduced last year. We’ve heard from Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher about why the consultation process so far has been flawed (page 18). For more information on the consultation – including what the proposed changes are and how you can respond, please visit the Alliance website at www.eyalliance.org.uk/changes-eyfs-2021.

With so much change afoot and lots of pressure on practitioners, we’ve spoken to the Mental Health Foundation and shared some tips for making sure your setting is supportive of staff wellbeing (page 22). If you’re looking for some new activities to help children relax and unwind, we’ve got a short extract from new Alliance EduCare course ‘Yoga activities for very young children’ to help you get started (page 26).

As ever, please do keep in touch and keep sharing your good news stories with us for My Under 5 and your views for our letters to the editor page. You can reach us at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk.

29 Emotion coaching

How to support children as they learn to deal with their feelings

Rachel Lawler, editor

30 Making a difference

Introducing sustainability to children in your setting

32 Learning to love lentils

Delicious recipe ideas for introducing children to lentils

33 Competition UNDER 5

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in brief...

TAX-FREE CHILDCARE: Just 172,000 families are currently using the government’s Tax-Free childcare scheme – despite 1.1 million families being eligible for the scheme in 2019/20.

10 early years settings in Norfolk and Suffolk close

round-up Alliance calls for urgent funding review after election The Alliance has called on the new government to commit to a review of funding rates for the early years, after the Conservative party won a majority of 78 in the election late last year.

Ahead of the election, independent experts Ceeda estimated that the Conservative party’s existing childcare offers and manifesto pledge to increase the National Living Wage would leave the early years sector with an annual deficit of £824 million by the end of the new parliament.

The Conservative party manifesto promised £250 million a year for “at least three years” and a £250 million “capital spending boost” for wraparound childcare – which is believed to be a reference to after school and holiday care.

The party also previously pledged to increase the National Living Wage to

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£10.50 an hour by 2024.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “Childcare providers may have been hoping for a change of direction for the sector as a result of this election. Sadly, with the Conservatives failing to commit to any further funding for the early years, many will still be concerned about the future and longterm viability of their businesses after this election result.

“This government could leave the sector facing an £800 million funding shortfall by the end of this parliament that will further increase parent fees and force more providers to close. We can’t go on like this – we urgently need funding levels to cover the true cost of delivering childcare and a firm commitment for them to be reviewed annually.”

A group of 10 early years settings has closed, affecting up to 450 families and 136 members of staff across Norfolk and Suffolk. Great Yarmouth Community Trust closed on Wednesday 27 November 2019 following “serious financial difficulties,” according to the trust’s website.

Norfolk and Suffolk county councils are working to reopen the settings, or to provide families with alternative provision elsewhere. Andrew Forest, executive director at the trust, told the BBC: “In recent years we have been experiencing financial difficulties and it has now become clear that our business is no longer viable. We have been working with insolvency experts and Norfolk County Council to do all we can to minimise the impact for those who use or visit our services.”

“We’ve warned ministers about the impact underfunding is having on providers.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “This hasn’t happened in a vacuum. We’ve warned and warned ministers about the impact underfunding is having on providers – and each of these warnings has been backed up by statistics: it’s a matter of record that fewer than half of parents accessing funded places get them genuinely ‘free’ and thousands of providers, particularly in poorer areas, are closing at an unprecedented rate.

“We simply can’t go on like this and it’s high time we had an honest conversation about the true cost of delivering childcare the real impact of ever more generous ‘free’ hours on both parents and providers.”

TWO-TIER: Children in England’s poorest regions lose out as their parents cannot afford to make up their school’s funding shortfall, according to BBC News analysis.

KEEPING ACTIVE: Only 42% of children from low-income households get the recommended amount of exercise each day, according to Sport England.

Ofsted clarifies ‘out-of-school care’ inspection rules The Alliance has welcomed clarity from Ofsted on the rules surrounding inspections for childminders and other providers who deliver a mixture of both early years care and out-of-hours care for school-aged children.

Earlier this year, the Alliance heard from a number of childminders concerned by rumours that they could be expected to demonstrate how they plan for, assess and track the learning and development of school-aged children as part of their early years inspection. Ofsted has confirmed that this is not the case.

The Alliance has since worked in partnership with Ofsted to produce a brief Q&A worksheet on the topic, which you can read on page 18.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We know that confusion

over this issue has been a real source of concern for our childminder members and others in the sector, and so we hope that our factsheet will provide some much-needed reassurance. At a time of increased focus on early years workload concerns, and mental health and wellbeing in the sector, the last thing we want to see is hardworking practitioners worrying unnecessarily about questions they might face in an inspection. As such, we are grateful to Ofsted for working with us to provide clarity on this matter.”

Gill Jones, early education deputy director at Ofsted, added: “Our new approach to early years inspections has been warmly welcomed by childminders and childcare providers more generally.

They appreciate that inspectors are

spending much more time observing practice and speaking with staff, rather than looking at paperwork.

“But I am keen to stress that we inspect early years provision – not individual children. So, inspectors will want to see how childminders are meeting the needs of all children, including those they care for after a school day. This has not changed.

For childminders who only care for children after school, we will not make a judgement about the quality of education, but we will say if they are providing an effective or ineffective service. I hope this sets minds at rest and stops any unnecessary work. If childminders are uncertain about our new inspection approach then they can talk to us at one of regional Ofsted Big Conversation events, or take part in one of our webinars.”

Quality of childcare more important than number of hours attended Researchers at the London School of Economics have warned that only “high-quality” early years provision has a measurable effect on children’s outcomes. In a background briefing, produced as part of a series exploring various election issues, the researchers stated: “To date, expansions of early years provision have not been very successful in improving child development.”

The briefing notes that many children were already attending early years settings before the roll-out of funded hours in the early 2000s. It also explains

that only “high quality provision has a measurable effect on outcomes”.

However, it also noted that achieving high quality provision is “not easy” and stated that “putting more graduatetrained workers into nursery has very little effect on children’s outcomes”.

In order to improve child development, the briefing argues that policies should focus on the “quality of provision” and says that this will require “substantial investment”. The paper says: “There needs to be a debate on whether universal coverage or targeted spending on quality provision is a better use of

public funds. Much depends on the primary objective of the policy.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “The early years sector boasts a professional and dedicated workforce that’s equipped with world-leading curriculum in the EYFS. If the new government is serious about child development, then they need to think beyond what works at the ballot box and start putting our youngest children first.

That doesn’t just mean increasing funding levels, it also means being certain about the support they’re offering and how it targets those who need it most.”

Childminder numbers fall by a fifth since 2015 New figures from Ofsted have revealed that the number of childminders registered with the inspectorate has fallen by a fifth since 2015. The data shows there were 38,500 childminders registered with Ofsted on 31 August 2019 — 500 fewer than there were in March of the same year.

Reflecting on the latest figures, Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch warned that political parties were not

taking the situation seriously, despite childcare becoming a central issue during last year’s general election. Neil warned: “An early years sector without childminders seemed unthinkable a few years ago but that is what these statistics show we are facing. Anyone following the childcare funding crisis in recent years will have no problem identifying the culprit. The pressure has been huge, and it has been particularly hard for those

smaller providers who offer fewer places with higher overheads.

“No one thinks this is a sustainable situation, but we did not have a serious conversation about it during the election.

Instead, each party tried to outdo the other with ever more generous offers of ‘free childcare’. That’s not good enough.

If we want flexible, high-quality childcare that puts the child’s interests first then we need think about how we get there.”

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“Tread carefully” on minimum wage increases, IFS warns Proposals to raise the minimum wage to more than £10 an hour could “end up hurting the very people they hope to benefit,” according to a new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

The Conservative party promised to increase the National Living Wage to £10.50 an hour by 2024 in last month’s election.

Currently, the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wages are set based on recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. The IFS noted that the proposed minimum wage increases would

“most likely” benefit middle- and higherincome families, as many low-income households will see a reduction in their benefits, including universal credit, if their wages increase.

Women and part-time workers would be the most affected by the increased wages, with a third of women aged 21 and above and nearly half of all part-time employees expected to be affected. Under the Conservative party’s plans, 20% of all staff in the private sector would be on the national living or national minimum wage from 2024 onwards.

The IFS warned ahead of the election: “If parties engage in a bidding war over minimum wages, they may end up hurting the very people they hope to benefit.”

“They may end up hurting the very people they hope to benefit.”

38% of providers in deprived areas are making a loss 38% of childcare providers operating in deprived areas are making a loss, according to the latest annual report from independent researcher Ceeda. The About Early Years report also revealed that childcare settings in affluent areas are also struggling, with 23% of these providers also making a loss.

Single-site settings are also struggling, with just 55% of these providers currently making a profit, compared to 72% of settings with six or more settings. The report also found that total spend on the Early Years Pupil Premium is falling, with the overall amount spent by the government

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down 40% since 2015/16.

For early years practitioners, average hourly pay remains low, with the average hourly rate of £8.74 per hour. This compares with average salaries of £8.91 per hour for cleaning and bar staff, £9.61 for sales staff and £11.86 for administrative and secretarial roles.

In more positive news, the report also found an increase in the number of Level 3 qualified staff following the reinstatement of functional skills as an alternative to GCSEs. Current rates are just 5% below the same period in 2012.

DfE refuses to release childcare funding information after ICO ruling The Department for Education (DfE) has lodged an appeal against the Information Commissioner Office’s (ICO) ruling that it must publish the information it holds on how current early years funding rates were calculated.

The Alliance called the government’s decision to appeal “shameful”, as the DfE confirmed that it had lodged an appeal with the First Tier Tribunal, which deals with appeals against ICO decisions. The DfE was told that it must publish the information last year, following a Freedom of Information request from the Alliance originally filed in December 2018.

The Alliance had asked the DfE to share: the calculations or broader thinking underpinning the current early years funding rates

proof that the national early years funding rates set by government in 2015 – which came into effect in 2017 and were frozen until 2020 – were calculated as enough to cover rising business costs over that time period.

The DfE initially refused to share the information, arguing that the information formed part of its policy development and that the need to keep it private outweighed any public interest in releasing it. The ICO ruled against the DfE and it was told to publish the data before 14 November – the DfE’s appeal meant that this deadline was missed.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “The DfE has always flatly rejected concerns that childcare funding levels have failed to keep up with rising costs, and continues to claim that it is investing more than enough into the early years sector. All we have asked for is proof that this is indeed the case. The fact that the DfE is going to such extreme lengths not to release this information surely begs the question: what have they got to hide?

“The DfE clearly has some serious questions to answer about its childcare policy – but rather than taking this as an opportunity to prove once and for all that its approach to early years funding has been fair and adequate, it’s wasting taxpayers’ money trying to hide information that should be available to all. This is a shameful decision by the government, and one we urge them to reconsider.”

Communication Skills and Attachment Play: Essential DVD for early years professionals A wealth of practical ideas for groups, one-to-one sessions and parenting classes

By Dr Margot Sunderland Author of The Science of Parenting, Director of Education and Training Centre for Child Mental Health, and Co-Director Trauma Informed Schools UK

All regions. Available on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk £16.99 (Including PP) Prime.

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Reuse and re

cycle

Kingsway Pr e-school in So uthend-on-Se amount of w a has been lo aste it produc oking into th es and is trying e more items. to reduce, re The children use or recycl m ad e e a display abou the ocean us t plastic pollu ing milk bottl tio e n lid in s.

Th ey have also and biscuit w been saving rappers to m crisp ake into ecob recycled else ricks as thes where – the e cannot be se tti ng pl ans to make garden with a stool for th the bricks. C eir hildren have recycle at th also collected eir local Rym dried up pens an s st to or e and have be their outdoo en out litter pi r space and surrounding cking in area.

ity award

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chool Tree Pre-s Learning The Little as been ge Wells h in in Tunbrid mended’ m ‘highly co ct’ je awarded ro munity p llent com g the ‘Exce t Housin in the Ken 019. category Awards 2 e xcellenc ved ri p Group’s E e in a d g is based nd a The settin re time ca ring term e is n area, offe g s reco The Award t a learning. th ations d organis rk people an live or wo h eople w o ng, si support p u o ugh h t area thro in the Ken s. ip ersh and partn social care

Children in Need

Staff and children at Hinckley Roa d in Coventry took part in a sponsore d wellie walk to raise money for Children in Need.

The group walked around their loca l school field, splashing in puddles along the way. The children were then joined by their parents who helped them deco rate a Pudsey bear. Lorraine Weaver-E nnis, manager at the setting, said: “It was such a fun day lots of laughs, plen ty of exercise and we raised an ama zing £481.75. I am so grateful to all the parents who helped us raise mon ey for such a worth while cause.”

Children at Poulton Penguins Nurs eries in Wirral were paid a visit by Pudsey bear as part of their Children in Need activ ities. The setting handed the bear the money they had helped raise for the charity and were rewarded with high-fives. The child ren also followed the charity’s Rickshaw Chal lenge as it made its way across the UK on a map and enjoyed learning about children with different needs and challenges.

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Happy retire

ment

Russell Nurse ry School in Birmingham retired last ye said a fond fa ar after 18 ye rewell to staf ars at the se f member Daw for her storyt tti ng. Staff and n, who elling skills, children say nursery rhym she will be re e singing an m embered d endless en ergy.

Grandparents day

50th birthday celebr

ations

50th birthday with ld has celebrated its fie ers dd Hu in l oo More Emley Playsc mbers of the team. staff and previous me , with ng a party for children, so d an ke thday ca ed the group for a bir current a d than 70 people join an s 70 19 ng pictures from the ari sh ers mb me ff previous sta Rachael, manager years at the setting.

10 ing rat leb ce er team memb ng and we received busy but lovely morni a s wa “It d: sai g, had a at the settin e members who all ts from ex-committe .” en some lovely commen ildr ch ir the ff and me of the original sta catch up and met so

Children at Allexton Day Nursery in Leicester have celebrated Grandparents Day by welcoming their grandparents into the setting for a tea party. The children helped prepare fresh orange and lemon tea and handmade cakes for their visitors.

After tea, the grandparents joined them in a playdough disco.

The day was organised as part of a wider project working on promoting intergenerational relationships.

What’s been happening in your setting?

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

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Recruitment concerns As manager of a private day nursery, it’s my duty to recruit and retain staff members. Having been in childcare for nearly 15 years now, I really have to stop and ask myself what is happening to the sector?

Recruitment has become a frightening task. No only are we up against supermarkets, who offer higher wages and take qualified people away from a career in the early years sector, but we are also concerned about the people entering the sector. Sadly, it sometimes feels as though a lot of those people qualifying into the sector are just not ready to enter the real world of the early years.

When I was training it was mandatory to attend a “professional practice” session as part of the course. This looked at me as a practitioner and how I should present myself – from the very start when I was offered an interview up to when I was working in the role itself. This training taught me that I was look after children, not ‘kids’. It taught me to take responsibility for my own role.

I did not let my parents ring in sick for me or even let them apply for jobs on my behalf – but this is becoming something of a regular occurrence. It concerns me deeply.

Don’t get me wrong, there are always exceptions and I do sometimes find the odd hidden gem in the pile of CVs on my desk. But sadly, these candidates are becoming fewer and farther between.

Even once we get past this stage, when it comes to interviews no end of people just fail to turn up these days. This is without a courtesy call or email and shows a complete disregard for our wasted time and effort.

I genuinely sit and wonder sometimes where children will be in five years’ time or so. Will it still be sustainable to employ people to care for the next generation? Only time will tell.

Debbie Hughes, Squeaky B’s Nursery General election woes So many promises have been made, but nothing that will really make a difference to children, families and childcare settings. All parties seem to think they are pledging sufficient additional funding which just demonstrates their lack of understanding.

Costs are rising – some of which are a direct result of government policies and updates, such as pension contributions and the National Minimum and Living Wages.

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There is little point offering the early years sector any additional funding if it is then taken away through rising additional costs.

Penny Webb, via Alliance Facebook page MP visit Kevin Foster, the MP for Torbay, visited our nursery in December to discuss funding rates and the implications of them for the sector. Torbay currently has one of the lowest funding rates in England at just £3.82 an hour for three- and four-year-old funded places.

Kevin told us that he had spoken to our local authority, Torbay Council, about the funding but had not yet received a response due to the election in December. However, he did say that in April 2020 our funding rate is due to increase to more than £4 an hour. He said he would get in touch with them again to confirm and let us know the outcome.

We also spoke with Kevin about the impact of costs such as utilities and our rent. We currently pay Torbay Council around £10,000 a year in rent and must pay for a proportion of the utility bills for the building, which we share with Action for Children. He said that some private settings are also struggling with rising costs, including business rates.

I shared with him the names of a number of setting that I am aware have already closed due to funding issues. We spoke about the increase in minimum wage and pension contributions and how this is having a detriment effect on the sector.

Kevin asked if we charge families for food and we discussed the importance of a nutritional meal for the children. We charge a minimal fee and provide snacks at no extra cost.

I explained to him about the area we are based in – we are in an area of high deprivation and have the highest percentage of lone parents in Torbay. We spoke about ‘narrowing the gap’ and I said that I had recently read an article about private and voluntary sector settings being better able to achieve this than those based on school sites.

I also showed him the garden and talked about our summer initiatives, growing vegetables and salads with families. Kevin suggested that we get in touch with local initiatives that may be able to help support us with garden equipment made by people recovering from drug and alcohol misuse. He knew a lot about the local area and

shared some history about nearby buildings.

Overall, it felt like a very positive meeting and he posted about his visit on his Facebook and Twitter pages.

Sascha Burton, Manager at Little Palms “Free” childcare It is all very well promising all this ‘free’ childcare but where are the spaces going to come from? With the number of childminders leaving the profession running at around 6,000 plus per year, coupled with the number of nurseries closing, there will not be enough childcare spaces available.

It was bad enough when the 30 hours started. My wife is a childminder and the number of parents she is having to turn away – as she is full – is at an all-time high. A lot of parents will struggle to find childcare.

The other question is, with all these spending plans, where is the money coming from? And will it lead to the country going bust as has happened several times in the past?

Amanda Hubbert, via Alliance Facebook page DfE challenge on ICO ruling It is really disappointing and down right wrong [that the DfE has challenged the ICO’s ruling that it must release the data it holds on how funding rates were calculated – see page five for full details].

It seems like there is something to hide and the sooner it is exposed the better. In the meantime, back in the real working world, early years settings are closing and there is a demoralised and under-appreciated work force.

Recruitment is in crisis.

To rectify this situation, we’ve had more politicians promising more ‘free’ childcare hours.

Kate Bailey, via Alliance Facebook page

Stay in touch Make sure you keep up-to-date in between issues of Under 5. You can reach us at Under 5 magazine at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk or at: www.facebook.com/EYAlliance @Under5mag @EYAlliance

www

eyalliance.org.uk

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

This issue’s star letter writer wins a bundle of books including a copy of the Alliance’s new publication, Emotion Coaching in the Early Years. This book explains how attachment styles influence responses to the emotions of children and other adults and how you can learn to both parent and care for young children as a practitioner. It also explains how these techniques can be used to support one another and deal with staff conflicts or unhappiness, disciplinary matters and difficult interactions with parents.

To order your own copy, visit shop.eyalliance. org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@ eyalliance.org.uk.

A fresh start?

Editor Rachel Lawler speaks to three settings about their experiences with Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework

O

fsted’s new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) came into force in September 2019, promising a greater emphasis on the needs of children.

The new framework includes two new judgements: ‘behaviours and attitudes’ and ‘quality of education’ and replaces the ‘quality of teaching, learning and assessment’ judgement with the new: ‘quality of education’ judgement. This new judgement considers settings’ practice of: Intent – what you want the children to learn Implementation – how you will help them to progress Impact – how you know that you have helped the child to learn and what have they learned?

The new EIF also introduces the concept of ‘cultural capital’, which Ofsted defines as “the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success”.

The new framework promises less focus on data and paperwork, instead looking at what providers offer children. But how is this new framework working in practice? We spoke to three early years providers who have been inspected under the new EIF about their experience….

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Rob Allman, business and operations manager at Manor Lodge Nursery “I have had experience with a number of inspections under the previous framework, having managed a multi-site setting for a considerable length of time. This latest inspection was excellent compared to other previous ones, mainly because there was less emphasis on data and paperwork. It was great to see an inspector looking forward to the plans we had made to improve the setting in the future and taking into account our ambition and strategy when making judgements.

The full inspection lasted around six hours – the final half hour or so was feedback.

The inspector spent a good amount of time undertaking a learning walk with the manager to get a feel for the whole site and to learn more about how the nursery operates.

The inspector then spent time observing

general practice, such as the arrival of children at breakfast time, talking with staff and children and undertaking a joint observation. She also spent time talking with our SENCO about the support we provide to children with SEN. The inspector spent less time speaking with the manager and looking over paperwork than we have seen in previous inspections. The focus was more on what children were doing now rather than going back through historic data in learning journeys. The amount of time spent in the office with the manager was minimal.

My advice to settings waiting to have their first inspection under this new framework would be: don’t panic! The new framework means that if you have a truly ‘Outstanding’ team, who know their children well and are planning for their next steps individually and appropriately, then you will do very well.”

OFSTED

Claire Ideson, manager at Haddenham Pre-school “The inspector arrived about 10 minutes before our session started and stayed around seven hours in total. She spoke to

parents about what they thought of the preschool and did question them a bit, asking them ‘Why?’ in response to their comments.

Next, the inspector did a learning walk, taking a tour of the setting. She looked at

Louise Burdall, owner at Nether Green Nursery “The inspector arrived at 8.30 in the morning and stayed until around 4pm. He started with a learning walk around the setting with the manager before speaking to any parents who wanted to share their views and feedback. There was quite a queue of people who wanted to speak to the inspector!

The rest of the inspection included observations of all staff within the setting both indoors and outdoors, as well as a thorough audit of paperwork and policies and procedures. He took comprehensive notes and got as much evidence as possible. Myself and the other owner met with him during the morning and again later in the afternoon, ahead of the feedback session, to answer any further questions he had.

This was the first inspection we have had at Nether Green Nursery, having only been open for two years. So we were delighted to be awarded an ‘outstanding’ outcome.

The inspector said that it was quite rare, in his experience, to achieve such an

outcome in a first inspection. He also commented on how engaged all our staff were with the children.

Our advice to other settings is to not be nervous about the visit itself and to think of the inspection as an opportunity to showcase the good work that is being done in your setting all year round, not just on that one day!”

what we were focusing on and asked what we could do better. Most of the day was spent watching us as we worked with the children and jointly observing with us.

The inspector spoke to staff about safeguarding, including our awareness of FGM and our Prevent duties and if we had any children with SEND or English as an additional language. She spent quite a bit of time with our newest member of staff, asking them about their induction process and how they were settling in.

In terms of paperwork, the inspector asked to see staff DBS checks and wanted to know when they were due for review. She also asked us about GDPR. We were last inspected in 2014 and we were very nervous as this inspection took place in the second week of September – just after the new EIF launched. I feel that this inspection had much more focus on how much fun the children were having and what they were learning, which took the pressure off paperwork. The inspector was much more interested in interactions between staff and children than any admin.”

Find out more The Alliance has a range of resources to help you navigate the new framework, including the new book Exploring the Education Inspection Framework.

Visit www.eyalliance.org.uk/EIF to find out more.

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DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Together we can: giving children the future they deserve

Friday 12 June 2020 Hilton Bankside, Southwark, London SE1 0UG With so much social, political and climate change happening across the world, it can be difficult for adults to make sense of current events. For our youngest children, it must be overwhelming.

As early years practitioners, we want every child to handle these changes confidently and be able to develop and grow despite the challenges of the modern world.

The sector, working in partnership with parents, is already playing a significant role in helping young children become more

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Early super -bird dis for me count mbers – only £45 pe r ticket

caring towards the people around them.

The Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Learning Goals – particularly understanding the world – give children some perspective.

Our annual conference 2020, Together we can, explores ways we can create a better, kinder and happier world for future generations.

As providers, what does social responsibility look like in practice? How can children and their families take the lead and feel more involved? What best practice can inspire us to make positive changes?

The full day’s programme includes: a though-provoking opening conference with an inspirational keynote speaker line-up practical workshops with leading early years experts sharing best practice and the latest research plenty of opportunities to network with early years peers throughout the day specialist exhibition with sector market leaders and suppliers Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award celebration PLUS much more....

Find out more Visit the Alliance website to find out more www.eyalliance.org.uk/conference2020.

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EVENT

The Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award 2020

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nce again, we are on the lookout for outstanding individuals who have devoted themselves, over the years, to making a real difference to young children’s care and learning.

The Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award gives you a chance to formally acknowledge the incredible support made by one special individual to your early years service – whether pre-school, nursery, baby and toddler, creche or childminding.

This important award also offers a broader opportunity to highlight the incredible passion which exists across the wider sector.

Together, let’s celebrate these extraordinary individuals and be inspired by their unique stories.

Who can nominate?

Anyone can nominate this special person – you can be a parent, practitioner or professional – your nominee simply needs to support or have been actively involved with an Alliance member early years service.

The Award The Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award recognises unique individuals who have made a significant positive contribution to the life of an Alliance member early years service.

Who can I nominate?

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

Anyone showing incredible commitment, dedication and expertise with others.

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

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

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

Please note: Previous nominees may also be put forward into this year’s awards.

Next steps It’s easy to nominate – simply complete an online form at www.eyalliance.org. uk/Award2020. You can also call our Membership and Information Service team on 020 7697 2595 to request a nomination form.

Nominat

nominee the chance of being shortlisted, it always helps to provide examples, photos or feedback from children or parents which shows how special this individual is to your service or project.

now!

Don’t forget!

Please complete and return your nomination form to us by Friday 6 March 2020.

You can submit your nomination online or by post to: Membership and Information Services team, Early Years Alliance, 50 Featherstone Street, London EC1Y 8RT. To assist you, the following criteria can be The winner of the Award will be invited to addressed in your short submission: a special awards celebration at the Alliance’s a high level of personal commitment annual conference. It takes place in central positive contribution London on Friday or benefit to the wider “The Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement 12 June 2020. Travel community Award gives us all a chance to celebrate and expenses will overcame particular the outstanding commitment shown be covered for the difficulties or obstacles to by many involved in the early years winner, as well deliver their role for a significant period. These special as two free guest benefited children, parents individuals have shown real dedication places to join them. and setting or project in a to making a positive difference to young We look forward significant or unique way children and their families. to receiving your a high level of growth and nominations! development “It’s important that we never lose sight huge enthusiasm, Any queries of their unique contribution. I’m always expertise and If you have further amazed by the unique and compelling commitment questions, please stories for every nominee.

Please note: You need contact our friendly only provide 600 words or Membership and “I encourage all Alliance members who around one-side of A4 paper Information Services know or work with someone whose to support your submission, team on info@ dedication to the early years deserves see above guidelines. eyalliance.org.uk or greater recognition to put them forward.

In addition, to give your call 020 7697 2595.

I look forward to reading through your The closing date for entries is Friday 6 March 2020.

nominations.”

Neil Leitch, Alliance chief executive UNDER 5

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Reviewing the proposed changes to the EYFS Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, considers the impact of the government’s EYFS consultation

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he Department for Education (DfE) is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with a focus on the proposed new early learning goals.

The revised EYFS is due to be rolled out nationwide in September 2021 but the DfE plans to allow schools to adopt the new framework from September 2020 onwards on a voluntary basis.

It sounds like everything is ready to go, but this process sits in stark contrast to the one used to develop the original EYFS and its subsequent revisions.

The last major overhaul of the EYFS took place in 2012, when the learning, development and welfare requirements were reformed, as recommended by Dame Clare Tickell’s review the previous year.

The reforms aimed to radically slim down the EYFS to make it easier to understand, less burdensome and more focused on making sure that children start school ready to learn. At the time, Tickell commented on the reforms: “My terms of reference were clear that I should ensure that my review was evidence-led, building on what works well in

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the current EYFS and improving those areas that are causing problems.”

The Tickell reforms were generally well received by the sector, which was reassured that the changes made were informed by a rigorous process and a strong evidence base.

This is all very different from the current state of play. Early years experts are now rallying together to defend what the sector values dearly in the current EYFS and to produce evidence, which is sadly lacking in the current proposals to revise the early learning goals.

The stated aims of the revisions are to: make all 17 early learning goals (ELGs) clearer, more specific and easier for teachers to make accurate judgements focus on strengthening language and vocabulary development to particularly support disadvantaged children strengthen literacy and numeracy outcomes to ensure that all children have a good grasp of these areas of learning in preparation for year 1 ensure the ELGs are based on the latest evidence in childhood development

and ensure they reflect the strongest predictors of future attainment Few in the sector would disagree with these aims but there are genuine concerns about whether the proposed ELGs can possibly succeed in achieving any of them. Early years experts have identified flaws in each of the proposed new goals and this can be directly attributed to the lack of input and feedback from the sector.

A prime concern is that the review starts at the wrong end of the process – starting by revising the early learning goals rather than the curriculum. Surely the curriculum should be the main driving force for assessment, not the other way around? Starting with the early learning goals was never a logical path to take. The draft statutory framework reworked the areas of learning and development, combining them with the early learning goals.

This turns the goals into bullet-pointed lists that do little to address the worrying trend for tick-box assessment.

There are further concerns about the independent survey on the early learning goals pilot run by the Education Endowment

POLICY

Foundation in 2018. The survey found that on the whole, teachers viewed the changes positively. However, there are mixed views on whether children would be better prepared for KS1 as a result of the changes and whether they are actually more or less challenging than the current goals.

Other concerns raised in the survey include teachers’ concerns about the accuracy of assessments using the revised goals, particularly for children with special needs, summer-born children and those who are shy, lack confidence or are not naturally forthcoming.

There have been some further adjustments to the early learning goals that were used in the pilot. The new version released in October 2019 as part of the consultation ignores the issues raised by the evaluation. The new version includes new aspects added without any justification, particularly in the area of mathematics. This has led to further concerns, most notably raised by the Early Childhood Mathematics Group, which claims that there is a lack of evidence behind the goals and questions whether the proposals can possibly provide a sound mathematical foundation for children at the end of the EYFS.

A timeline of the latest changes to the EYFS In 2018 advisory and expert panels were established by the DfE to advise on changes to the early learning goals, with limited input from early years sector representatives.

During 2018-19 a pilot of the draft early learning goals was carried out in 24 schools. Again, this was with limited input from the early years sector demonstrating a lack of understanding that the revised early learning goals would impact the whole sector, not just reception year.

In September 2019 Ofsted launched a new Education Inspection Framework setting out how Ofsted inspects maintained schools, academies, non-association independent schools, further education and skills provision and registered early years settings. The school inspection handbook appears to reflect the trajectory of the early learning goals, introducing a new inspection framework prior to such a

radical overhaul of the ELGs being finalised first, suggests a lack of joined up thinking.

Consultation launched in October 2019, which will close on 31 January 2020.

A coalition of organisations representing the early years sector, including the Alliance, has been working to increase the level of sector involvement in discussions about the proposed changes. We want to ensure that there is a strong evidence base to explain and underpin any change to the EYFS. We will continue to work constructively with the DfE to consider whether the proposed goals can meet their aims.

The Alliance will be submitting a response to the consultation, but it is vital that the wider sector takes this opportunity to have its say too. Every early years provider will be affected by what happens next. And, most importantly, every child’s future learning is in our hands.

Find out more For more information about how you can respond to the consultation, including a guide to the changes and how to respond, visit the Alliance website at www.eyalliance. org.uk/changes-eyfs-2021.

OFSTED

Caring for school-age children What are the rules for taking care of both early years children and school-age children within the same setting? We have worked with Ofsted to offer some clarity on the topic

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ast year, the Alliance received a number of emails from childminders confused about the rules around providing care for both early years children and school-age children. Many expressed concerns that an early years inspector may judge them on how they plan, assess, and track the learning and development of any school-age children they care for during holidays and after school hours.

Ofsted have worked with us to create the following guidance – we hope it makes things clearer and eases your concerns. However, if you have any further queries, please do contact us on feedback@eyalliance.org.uk.

I provide both early years and out-ofschool care, and have heard that I have to demonstrate planning, assessing and tracking for school-age children as part of an early years inspection. Is this true?

No, this is not the case. When an inspector carries out an early years inspection and older children are present, they will take a holistic look at the care being provided, and this may include observing how the childminder (or other early years provider) manages the care of older children alongside the early years children, where relevant and appropriate – for example, if the care being provided to older children has either a positive or negative impact on the early years aged children.

However, it is not true that providers have to demonstrate how they are meeting learning and development requirements for school-aged children as part of an early years inspection. During an early years inspection, a provider is being inspected against the

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principles and requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and what is being provided for the early years children in their care. In terms of the learning and development requirements of the EYFS, these only refer to children in the early years age range.

I provide out-of-school care for a child in reception. Would this form part of an early years inspection?

‘Early years children’ means children from birth to 31 August after the child’s fifth birthday (i.e. the end of reception year).

If a child is attending reception, they are still within the EYFS. This means that if a childminder or another provider is delivering out-of-hours care for a child who attends reception, this care will still form part of an early years inspection.

However, it is important to note that Ofsted inspects provision as a whole, not individual children. This means that an inspector will take an overall look at what a provider is doing to meet the needs of all the early yearsaged children in their care and specifically, to “create high quality settings which are welcoming, safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning and grow in confidence” (3.1, EYFS).

This might involve, for example, planning specific activities, or it might involve giving a child space to relax and rest. The approach a childminder takes to caring for, for example, a three-year-old is likely to be different to the approach they take to caring for a receptionage child who attends their setting before and/ or after school.

Point 133 of the Early Years Inspection Handbook states that “inspectors must use their professional judgement to interpret and apply the grade descriptors to the setting they are inspecting” and that in doing so, they should consider, among a number of factors, “settings that have children who receive their main EYFS experience elsewhere”.

I provide care for both early years and schoolaged children. Does Annex A of the Early Years Inspection Handbook apply to me?

Annex A states that: “Providers (including childminders) registered on the Early Years Register but that only provide care exclusively for children at the beginning and end of the school day or in holiday periods will be inspected without receiving grades against the four judgements (‘Quality of education’, ‘Behaviour and attitudes’, ‘Personal development’ and ‘Leadership and management’) of the inspection framework.

These providers do not need to meet the learning and development requirements of the EYFS. They do have to meet in full the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which are designed to help providers create highquality settings which are welcoming, safe and stimulating, and where children are able to grow in confidence.”

This particular piece of guidance only applies to childminders and other providers who solely deliver out-of-school care, not those who provide a mixed of out-of-school and early years care.

LAW-CALL

After the party...

The legal team behind Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline available to all Alliance members, explains how settings can deal with drugs or alcohol issues

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t the start of a New Year, many people choose to step away from alcohol and partying for a few weeks after the excesses of the Christmas season. While most of your staff’s evening and weekend habits will not cause your setting any concern, how would you deal with someone turning up for work under the influence?

Your first consideration should be health and safety. The Health and Safety Executive advises: “If you knowingly allow an employee under the influence of excess alcohol to continue working and this places the employee or others at risk, you could be prosecuted.” It is worth noting that both employer and employee have health and safety obligations.

Health and Safety Act As an employer, you have a common law duty to take reasonable care for the safety of your employees and a statutory duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Employees too have a statutory duty to take responsible care of themselves and others under the same Act. If you spot obvious signs that an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may need to take immediate action which would usually mean sending the employee home. Discreetly speak with them to confirm your suspicions and see if they can give you any explanation.

Conduct or capability You need to know when to approach the matter as one of conduct and when to treat

it as a matter of capability. There is a clear difference between someone who comes to work hungover and someone who may have a problem with alcohol dependence.

Understanding the difference between the two and acting accordingly will be crucial when it comes to staying on the right side of the law. Here, a clear staff policy will be crucial. It should be kept up-to-date and staff should be made aware of their duties and the setting’s expectations and standards.

Ultimately you may have to consider taking action against an employee for substancerelated issues, including even possible dismissal for gross misconduct where appropriate. One-off incidents are more likely to attract disciplinary procedures. A pattern of behaviours over a period of time such as poor attendance, decline in performance, deterioration in relationships with colleagues, or neglecting personal appearance are more likely to be indicators of dependence and may direct you towards action for capability.

You should consider the possibility that the signs you are seeing could also point in the direction of another condition or underlying condition, such as depression or someone struggling with problems at home.

Where the matter is one of conduct, you must be reasonable in considering whether this is a sufficient reason to dismiss an employee under the Employment Rights Act. When dealing with an employee with a problem with alcohol dependency, you may be considering dismissal for for capability which is assessed by reference to the

employee’s “skills, aptitude, health or other physical or mental quality”. However, in order to establish this you are likely to be expected to offer support to the employee first. This could include referring them to alcohol support services, encouraging them to see their GP or requesting access to a medical report or occupational health assessment.

In all circumstances, you will be expected to follow a fair procedure and use your drug and alcohol policy throughout.

Equality Act It is important to note that while you may be treating an employee with a dependency issue with a medical aspect, alcohol and drug dependency are expressly excluded as disabilities under the Equality Act 2010.

However, be mindful that drug and alcohol dependency go hand in hand with other medical conditions that could attract the protection of the Equality Act. Whichever route the circumstances call for, it is crucial to act without delay if you have concerns about an employee and substance abuse. Failure to deal with a situation may expose the setting to legal risks for failing to protect staff or children in your care or reputational damage. A well-drafted policy will give both the employer and employee a framework to guide them through a potentially delicate situation.

More information For further help and advice on this topic, Alliance members can access the Law-Call helpline. The details can be found on your membership card or in the Members’ Area of the Alliance website at www.eyalliance.org. uk/Members-Area.

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Finding a balance Dr Jeremy Davies, Project lead, at the MITEY campaign, shares his thoughts on the gender gap in the early years and what can be done to address it

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atest figures show that in England & Wales only 3% of staff working in early years education are male. In Scotland it’s 4%. In more than three-quarters of early years settings, there is not a single male employee.

This is not a phenomenon unique to the UK: it is global.

We know that countries which invest in more coordinated gender equality policies are doing better at encouraging greater male participation.

The proportion of male early years educators is more like 10% in Norway, for example; Germany, after concerted investment and effort through its government-funded Men in Kitas campaign over the last decade, has broken the 6% barrier. The UK’s figures have barely improved over the last 20 years.

The lack of gender diversity is not unique to early years education. There are other ‘caring’ workforces where men are under-represented.

But it is extreme – men make up 15% of the primary school workforce, 14% of social workers and 11% of nurses, for example. So something is going badly wrong.

Often the blame for all this is laid at men’s door: we hear that men aren’t interested in this kind of work, that it would threaten their

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masculinity, that the pay is not good enough. Tell that to the man who makes your cappuccino, stacks the shelves in your local supermarket or delivers your Amazon packages!

Less attention tends to be paid to thinking strategically about how to attract men into the workforce and look after them once they’ve joined it. And even where settings recognise the lack of men and see it as a problem, all too often their rationale is that having more men would be helpful in creating a better ‘gender balance’ – effectively strengthening gender inequalities by suggesting that men and women are fundamentally different, with women being cast as more ‘natural’ at caregiving, like mothers are, while men offer some not-very-clearly-definedbut-highly-heteronormative male ingredient.

The latter usually translates as “men are better at rough and tumble with the boys”, “men like doing outdoor play, also with the boys” and “we need men to act as role models for the children, or boys who don’t have fathers at home,”…or a mixture of these.

This is problematic in several ways. Firstly, there is no evidence that women are ‘naturally’ any better at the caregiving elements of early education than men are – and to suggest so,

or build a workforce on the basis of such an idea, is to ‘box in’ female staff to a stereotype that overlooks the possibility of their excelling in other skills and areas such as outdoor play, for example, and do the converse to men.

Second, beliefs about the number of absent fathers are wildly exaggerated. For example, in a major study of highly disadvantaged families using children’s centres, 22% of mothers said their child’s father looked after the child every day, a further 53% said he did so on a minimum of 3 days per week, only 3% answered ‘never’, and 70% went on to say they could ‘always’ rely on him to look after the child if needed.

Third, in the tiny minority of families where fathers are truly ‘absent’, what difference might the presence of a male early years practitioner, per se, make on the children affected? An interesting question, but we are not aware of any studies that furnish us with an answer. This is not to minimise the enormously positive impact that early years practitioners can have on children’s outcomes – but evidence suggests that this holds regardless of gender, and that in terms of ‘role modelling’, children draw on all the adults around them as they look for people to confide in, learn from and emulate.

EQUALITY

So why should we care about the lack of gender diversity in early years education, then?

There’s a pragmatic reason: in the context of an early years recruitment crisis, we make our lives doubly difficult by excluding men, and therefore halving the potential talent pool from which we could be recruiting.

But there are social reasons too. Here, at MITEY HQ we believe that recruiting more men is a question of building a representative workforce. Just as we should care about whether the early years workforce draws its staff from minoritized ethnic groups, we should care about whether it is open to, and inclusive of, men as well as women.

Further, we believe that early years providers have a duty to show children from the earliest point possible, that men and women are equally capable of, and responsible for, looking after and

teaching them. In that respect, recruiting more men is a stepping-stone towards a more genderequal future for our children and grandchildren.

Evidence shows that children’s career aspirations are restricted by gender stereotypes at a very young age. By the time they are seven, girls are nine times more likely than boys to say they’d like to be a teacher. Looked at this way, it is easy to see the long-term benefits that could arise from bringing more men into the field.

Our free 20-page Guide to Recruiting Men into Early Years Education offers suggestions for practical ways to make your setting more inclusive of potential male recruits. These include: Replacing ‘feminised’ job titles like ‘nursery nurse’ with more gender-neutral terms like ‘early years practitioner’.

Keeping a check on sexist ‘workplace banter’.

Including ‘positive action’ statements, images of men and male case studies in job advertisements, to clarify that male applicants are welcome.

Holding open days targeted at attracting male recruits.

Promoting early years and other caring jobs to boys of all ages.

Working with Job Centres to promote early years careers to men.

Promoting vacancies via fathers who use early years provision, as well as mothers.

The Guide is available as a free download to members of the MITEY network, which is also free to join. Register for your copy at bit.ly/2S8k4mm.

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Taking care of yourselves The start of a new year is a great time to consider how you can better support your team, and your own, mental health and wellbeing. Here, we share some ideas from the Mental Health Foundation

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WELLBEING

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e can all take some steps to improve our own mental health, and build our resilience – our ability to cope with adversity. Self-care is a skill that needs to be practised. It isn’t always easy, especially if we feel anxious, depressed or low in self-esteem.

Here are some evidenced-based ways to improve your mental health at work:

Talk about your feelings It can be hard to talk about your feelings at work. If you have colleagues you can talk to, or a manager who asks how you are at supervisions sessions, it can really help.

Find someone you feel comfortable with and who will be supportive. If you are open about how you feel at work, especially if you are a team leader, it might encourage others to do the same.

If you feel able to talk about your feelings at work, make sure there is someone you can discuss work pressures with elsewhere – partners, friends and family can all be a sounding board.

Keep active Regular exercise can boost your selfesteem and help you concentrate, sleep and look and feel better. Exercising doesn’t have to mean doing sport or going to the gym – find an activity that you enjoy and make it part of your day. Experts recommend 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. It can make a huge difference if you can get out for a walk or attend a class before or after work or even during a lunchbreak.

Eat well What we eat can affect how we feel both immediately and in the longer term. A diet that is good for your physical health is also good for your mental health but it can be hard to keep up a pattern of healthy eating when busy at work. Regular meals, plus plenty of water are ideal.

Try and plan for mealtimes, either by bringing healthy food from home or choosing healthier options when buying lunch. Make sure you have a steady supply of fruit and vegetables or snacks like nuts and trail mix on hand.

Employers should be aware that some people find eating in public at work very

stressful because of eating disorders. If someone doesn’t want to come to group meals or makes different food choices, don’t pass comment or put pressure on them to join in.

Keep in touch Relationships are key to our mental health.

Working in a supportive team is hugely important for our mental wellbeing at work.

We don’t always have a choice about who we work with, and if we don’t get on with managers, colleagues or clients, it can quickly create tension.

Work politics can be a real challenge.

It can be helpful to find a mentor or small group of colleagues to talk through your feelings with. Try and maintain friendships and family relationships even when work is intense. Work-life balance is important and experts now believe that loneliness may be as bad for our health as smoking or obesity.

Ask for help None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things aren’t going to plan.

Speak to your line manager or HR contact about what support they can offer you. Your GP can also suggest ways that you can get specialist help or refer you to a counsellor.

If you think a colleague or employee is struggling, encourage them to speak with their doctor or talk to a close friend.

Take a break A change of scene or pace is good for your mental health. It could be as simple as a five-minute pause from what you are doing, a book or podcast during your journey to work, or a weekend spent doing something new. A few minutes rest can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself regular “me time”. Sleep is also essential for our mental wellbeing so listen to your body.

It can be hard to take holidays and time off work. When we are stressed, it can get even harder. Try and plan periods of leave throughout the year so you always have a break to look forward to. Resist the temptation to check your work emails or phone when you are on leave or at home. If you find that you can’t break away, it could be a sign that you need to re-examine your workload to manage stress.

Do something you are good at It’s okay to be good at your job. When you feel stressed it can be easy to forget your talents or fall foul of ‘imposter syndrome’.

If possible, plan your workload to include tasks that you know you are good at. If you have a hobby or passion outside of work, try and share it with your colleagues. You could start a book group, crafting session or cycling club with your team.

Care for others In most jobs you can choose to be there for colleagues – either as a team mate or as a line manager. Strategies like coaching and training are good ways to support others.

Helping others can make us feel needed and that boosts our self-esteem.

Employer checklist for creating mentally-healthy workplaces Commit to developing an approach to mental health at work that protects and improves mental health for everyone.

Designate team ‘champions’ and ensure managers and leaders are ready to implement your mental health strategies.

Commit to reviewing the way you do business and ensure that your everyday working culture is as mentally healthy as possible. Make evidence-based mental health tools such as mindfulness and exercise available to all staff.

Conduct regular staff surveys and other research to build data on staff mental health. Use your findings to plan and inform new policies. Recognise and celebrate the impact of existing benefits on the mental health and wellbeing of staff.

More information For further information on how you can improve staff mental health and wellbeing in your setting, including short, evidence-based guides to sleep, exercise, mindfulness, stress management and anxiety, visit the Mental Health Foundation website at www.mentalhealth.org.uk/howto.

You can also visit the NHS Choices site for its advice on dealing with stress at bit.ly/2RrAupW.

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What to do when children bite Nicola Gibson, inclusion manager at the Alliance, explains how to deal with children who bite practitioners or their peers

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BEST PRACTICE

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t isn’t unusual for a baby to gently nip a parent’s nose during a playful exchange.

But biting can quickly become a bigger issue if an older child bites another during sessions at your early years setting. If biting occurs on a regular basis it can present a real challenge and unless addressed can risk hurting children and generating complaints from parents.

But why do children bite? And how can we address this common concern?

Babies and very young children In the first few years of a child’s life, children use their bodies to learn about the world around them. Their mouths form an integral part of this process to help them: discover their immediate environment strengthen facial muscles develop oral motor skills for eating, drinking and speaking explore the taste and feel of objects soothe discomfort by biting down on objects communicate and express themselves understand cause and effect.

The first three years of a child’s life are a time of intense development change and transition – such as starting at a new setting, or having a new baby join their family. All these factors can impact on a child’s ability to deal with everyday challenges and can result in children biting other children and adults.

Like all behaviours, biting has a function and broadly speaking it is a way of either obtaining or avoiding someone/something.

It can also be a way of communicating and self-stimulating. It shouldn’t be surprising that for some very young children biting is a quick and effective way of expressing strong desires and emotions, especially when they are hungry, tired or teething.

Three- and four-year-olds By the age of three, most children will have moved on from the biting stage. By this age, children are much more able to express themselves without resorting to biting. However, it is also a time when children are learning a multitude of interconnected skills such as effective

communication, negotiation, problemsolving, self-regulation and sharing.

These are complex skills to acquire and need regular practise and ‘fine-tuning’ throughout childhood. It is inevitable that during this time some children will occasionally resort to biting, particularly during heated ownership disputes.

It isn’t until the age of four that children really start to empathise and understand the impact of their actions on others. By then, it is easier to rationalise with a child that has bitten and guide their use of more productive behaviours that will give them the same result – such as asking to play with a toy, instead of snatching it.

than guiding children to intrinsically change their behaviours.

There is often no clear reason why children under two bite, so if all likely causes have been ruled out, you should assume that if a child has bitten they may bite again. Be proactive and anticipate scenarios in which the child is likely to bite to limit their opportunities. Some children give clear warning signs when they are about the bite, such as agitation, lunging and mouthing. However, there may be no telltale signs. If a child is known to bite, then staff members should place themselves between the child and other children so that they are close enough to intervene, protect and distract as necessary.

Finding solutions

Next steps

If biting becomes a regular occurrence, it is advisable to collate information on when and where most incidents happen, which children were involved and what action was taken. Once the information has been collected it can be analysed to help identify and address causative factors. Common causes can be communication barriers – particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities or those using English as an additional language.

Introducing key word signs to aid communication could provide one solution. If teething is a factor, discuss options with the child’s parents such as pain relief or teething toys. Ownership is another common feature. Older children can be taught to use a sand-timer to take turns, but for very young children it may be easier to just remove a solitary ‘trigger’ toy or get a second one. An ineffective early years environment can also cause issues, particularly in certain ‘flashpoint’ zones such as a busy construction area or home corner. You could relocate or extend these areas if possible.

If biting also occurs at home, settings should work closely with parents to agree a shared approach. Without support, parents may turn to unorthodox methods to solve the issue. There are plenty of gimmicky approaches available, which draw parents in and gain media attention.

However, these may only provide a quick fix and are often dependent on provision of rewards or for fear of a sanction, rather

Even with all the best preparations, biting incidents may still occur. If a child does bite another child, their key person should use agreed guidelines for intervention. For example: Respond to the situation quickly and calmly to immediately stop the biting.

Ensure that the child who has been bitten is attended to by another adult.

Use distraction to change focus and the trajectory of what could happen next.

Speak to the child using clear, simple language – e.g. “No biting.”

Be vigilant – a child that has bitten is more likely to bite again.

Be mindful that the child that has been bitten may be targeted again by the same child.

Record the incident and speak with both sets of parents.

If relevant, help the children involved to reflect and guide them to use more acceptable and productive behaviours.

If a child continues to bite despite intervention and without any obvious causes, further investigation will be required. You will need to identify if there are any unidentified causes such as a special educational need, disability or safeguarding concern. Relevant action should then be taken to refer the child for further assessment by specialist services such as a clinical psychology, speech and language therapy or the local authority designated officer (LADO).

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Strike a In this free extract from Alliance EduCare course, Yoga activities for very young children, we look at some of the benefits of introducing yoga to your setting for both children and practitioners

S

tudies have shown that young children who regularly practice yoga experience a decrease in stress levels and have fewer behavioural issues than those that don’t practice yoga. Other benefits include better overall learning and development outcomes and increased strength and flexibility in the body.

Yet many early years settings do not provide opportunities for yoga due to the lack of access to qualified children’s yoga teachers.

Consequently, children are missing out on many of the benefits that come from practising yoga and mindfulness, such as improved personal, social and emotional wellbeing.

There are an increasing number of school children being diagnosed with mental health problems and an alarming number of young children self-harming. One in 10 children and young people in the UK aged between five and 16 years old are said to suffer from a mental health disorder. That’s around three in every school class.

Healthy and strong One of the many positive benefits of children’s yoga is that it helps to keep both the mind and body healthy and strong. Reports suggest

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that children who do yoga are able to learn more, are better able to ‘self-regulate’ and are more sociable and able to share, as well as being physically stronger than children who don’t do any yoga.

Yoga also offers benefits to practitioners themselves. Those working in a setting, who are modelling the techniques for the children, also benefit from the exercise and relaxation.

to expand their mind and body.

Many circle time activities are structured around giving children time to unwind and relax or a chance to bring them together at the start or end of the day. Bearing in mind that some experts believe that 15 minutes of yoga has the same benefits of playing sport for one hour, it could be argued that a yoga session would be a good use of circle time.

Having fun

Deep breathing

As well as all these benefits, yoga also offers a fun activity to enjoy with the children and offers opportunities for learning through play, supporting all areas of development. As adults, we often think that fun is something that happens outside of more ‘important’ work. However, several studies of positive thinking methods suggest that if we are happy, we are more likely to be successful. It’s as simple as that.

Yoga and meditation techniques can also be replicated in the home learning environment. This will strengthen practitioner partnerships with parents who will benefit from understanding how yoga can support their child’s development and can help them

This simple breathing technique helps get oxygen flowing to the brain and can help children and practitioners feel more active at the start of the day. Try including this in your morning routine to get ready for the day ahead: Sitting down, with legs crossed and a nice, straight back, interlace your fingers together and put them under your chin. Take a deep breath in through the nose. As you do so, lift your elbows up and tilt your head back.

As you breathe out through the mouth, we slowly bring our elbows back down. Repeat from the start three to five times.

Connecting the body movements with the breath helps to keep children focused and prevents their mind from wandering.

TRAINING

a pose Case study – Jaime

Find out more

Jamie is in pre-school and gets very angry, especially with her peers. This often leads to issues as the other children are not yet socially and emotionally aware of how their actions impact on Jamie’s behaviour. It has consequently caused some challenges for practitioners.

As well as 15-minute yoga sessions with the whole group, a practitioner has created a safe space for Jaime to go when she is feeling angry and frustrated. Jamie now goes to her safe space and says out loud: “I am calm, I am calm, I am calm.” She is then able to return to the group much calmer and able to interact.

This has empowered Jaime to take control of her emotions and remove herself from a situation that is causing her distress.

Alliance members can access Yoga activities for very young children for FREE as part of their membership package, along with more than 20 other early years courses through our partnership with EduCare.

This course covers: why children’s yoga is important and how it can improve a child’s mental & physical health explanations of the benefits of introducing yoga in an early years setting exercises you can use to create a tailored programme the importance of having fun and praising childrens’ efforts at each stage

the positive impact meditation sessions can have on a child’s personal development. a summary of key points in the course.

To find out more about this, and the rest of the Alliance’s EduCare training offer, visit www. eyalliance.org.uk/EduCare.

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Previously known as

childcare expo

NEW FOR 2020

Childcare Expo is growing up!

We're rebranding to include more Primary Education suppliers & speakers as well as the same great Early Years products, seminars & workshops

childcare & education

EXPO

WHERE EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY EDUCATION MEET

OLYMPIA LONDON

20TH - 21ST MARCH 2020

Save the dates

EVENTCITY MANCHESTER

19TH - 20TH JUNE 2020

RICOH ARENA MIDLANDS

25TH - 26TH SEPTEMBER 2020

What to expect...

• • • • • •

Source innovative new products Top up your CPD Discover exclusive show offers Meet special guests Get new ideas & feel inspired Have a fun day out!

FREE TICKETS

CPD SEMINARS

HANDS ON WORKSHOPS

NETWORK WITH PEERS

www.childcareeducationexpo.co.uk

or 01425 838393

WELLBEING

Emotion coaching Emotions are an important part of being human and need to be acknowledged and nurtured as much as any other human faculties, such as cognitive or physical abilities.

Psychologist John Gottman spent years studying parents and their children, following them as they developed. What emerged from his research was that some parents were raising children who were more ‘emotionally competent’, who could regulate their feelings, soothe themselves when upset and calm down faster. This correlated with wider advantages, such as having better focused attention, relating well with and understanding others, being healthier and achieving well at school. What stood out and was common across the parents of these children, were five key strategies or steps in a certain order, that they used with their children when they were emotional: 1. Awareness of the child’s emotion – cueing into what they are feeling.

2. Recognising this as an opportunity to be close and to teach.

3. Listening empathically and validating the child’s feelings.

4. Helping the child to find the words to label the emotion they are feeling.

5. Setting limits while exploring ways to solve the presenting problem.

Gottman identified that parents were ‘coaching’ their children, helping them to be at ease with their emotions and to become more emotionally healthy and resilient in coping with life’s stresses. Gottman called this parenting style ‘Emotion Coaching’ – it builds trust and closeness between the child and parent, thereby fostering respect and compliance. In this way, the home is a safe place for the child, making them less likely to engage in negative behaviours as a result of them experiencing emotional pain that they are unable to manage. Emotion Coaching is based on relating and communicating, which requires consideration in how to relate, care and respond to children as individuals.

The techniques can be successfully used by early years practitioners, by creating an environment which supports learning and promotes listening and talking together. These are some points to consider: A space to be – an area of the room where children can spend time with their key person where the space is smaller, less intimidating and more secure.

Relaxing and calming spaces – somewhere to sit for a cuddle after a tantrum or to talk about how the child is feeling, promoting those vital conversations that support emotional literacy.

Book corner – with a supply of books that promote empathy, with characters wondering how they are feeling and exploring how they address the feeling states and situations that create them.

Imaginary role play areas – these offer opportunities for children to enact the roles and explore feeling states of others, particularly in domestic role play.

Representation and sensory play – sand, water, clay, mud and dough enable children to connect to and express feelings, whilst paint or mark making materials allow for children to make representations of their thoughts and feelings.

Displays – feeling boards where children can identify how they feel today help children articulate their feelings.

Space indoor and outdoor – where children can express feelings such as joy, exuberance, silliness and humour.

Babies and young children develop through relationships with a small number of close connected, loving, caring adults who are consistently there for them. Understanding the science behind emotional resilience gives helpful tools to guide you as a practitioner to respond to children in a way that meets their needs and helps them grow to fullness as human beings.

20% OFF EMOTION COACHING IN THE EARLY YEARS Early Years Alliance (Ref: A115) £14.95 members, £22.95 non-members Emotion Coaching in the Early Years explains how attachment styles influence responses to the emotions of children and other adults, and how you can learn to both parent and care for young children as a practitioner. Fundamentally, developing Emotion Coaching techniques can lead you to having an awareness as to what is happening in our brains when we interact with children, and how to learn to become a responsive ‘Emotion Coach’.

It also explains how Emotion Coaching techniques can be used to support one another as well as to deal with staff conflicts or unhappiness, disciplinary matters or difficult interactions with parents.

Order by 31 January, quoting EC120 to receive this offer.

Interested in buying?

Please visit shop.eyalliance.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email shop@eyalliance.org.uk. shop.eyalliance.org.uk

n i g k a a M eren f c f e i d Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares some ideas for introducing environmental awareness

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ACTIVITY CORNER

W

hat better way to begin a new

decade than by making a commitment to protect the earth?

By introducing the ideas of climate change and how we can tackle it, we can help protect the “awe and wonder of the world” that we are tasked with introducing children to.

While many adults struggle to make the lifestyle changes that are needed to save the planet, environmental awareness and sustainability should already be the norm for our youngest children. Everyone in your setting, and your wider community, will benefit from activities that promote sustainability.

Most importantly you will be establishing behaviour and attitudes that will stay with children for life. What we do now will have a lasting impact on our children’s future and the world they will inherit.

Here are 10 ideas for helping children become actively involved in environmental responsibility: 1. Recycle together Have recycling bins available in every area of your setting. Talk to children about what items can be recycled, which symbols they need to look for on packaging and which bin they should use for each item. Play a game using a range of items, such as food, paper, plastic and other materials. Ask children to determine what goes in the green bag, black bag, compost bin etc. Discuss how every item thrown in the black bag ends up in landfill and work with the children to find ways to reduce black bin waste.

2. Create a broken toy repair shop Far too many toys and games are discarded when a piece is lost or broken.

Make use of the skills of parents and family members who may be able to help you repair items. Compile an audit of skills: Can anyone sew or knit? Is anyone a carpenter, mechanic or electrician?

If any toy is no longer wanted, you could consider selling it to raise funds for spare parts or tools for your repairs. Of course, there are safety standards that must be maintained, so there will need to be some quality assurance and safety checks, with a disclaimer if required.

3. Reuse materials and resources Think about some of the items in your recycling bin. Can they be repurposed?

Plastic bottles can be used to create a durable greenhouse or wall. Yoghurt pots make great plant pots or paint pots. There is no need to buy some of these items from your art suppliers.

Don’t throw away any leaking wellington boots. These can be used to plant salad vegetables. Many of the plastic resources purchased for sand and water play can be replicated with plastic food containers.

Encourage children to draw on both sides of paper and where possible keep thin cardboard packaging or wrapping paper for painting and drawing on.

Children will benefit from a wider range of textures, shapes and colours when you use recycled paper.

4. Create homemade resources Playdough is often sold in small plastic containers, but if you make your own you won’t generate any of this additional waste. Dough is easy to make and offers sensory possibilities when you add extras to your handmade mix. Try adding essential oils, herbs or spices. Create templates for children to draw around from cardboard packaging.

5. Work with local community projects Track the journey of one disposable item – for example, a plastic bottle – with the children. Create a display to show the journey from indoor bin to rubbish sack, to bin lorry to landfill. Compare this with the journey of recycled plastic by linking in with local community recycling initiatives. You could even organise a visit to a recycling plant.

6. Grow your own You don’t need much space to grow a small fruit tree in your garden. Children will learn so much from tending to a sapling as it grows to maturity and eventually fruits for the first time.

Picking and eating your own apples, pears or plums is a real treat. Even more importantly, trees are described as earth’s lungs, as they contribute to the air we breathe and filter pollution.

7. Look after nature in your garden Use old bamboo canes and drainpipes to create a bug hotel which can be housed within a biscuit tin or weatherproofed cardboard box with the top and bottom cut out. Make birdfeeders from recycled materials such as plastic bottles or chipped cups and saucers that can be strung up safely, providing a perch and food container. Create a compost heap using wooden pallets or decking planks and encourage children to compost any food leftover from mealtimes.

8. Investigate, explore and problem solve Children are naturally curious, so let them come up with solutions. Watching a group of children as they play with and explore clean, safe waste materials such as boxes and packaging is a real eye-opener.

Inevitably, children will find an alternative use for almost any item.

9. Ban shop-bought costumes and dressing up clothes Shop bought costumes and role-play items are not only expensive, but they can also limit children’s imagination and as they are classed as toys, they don’t have to meet the same fire safety regulations as normal children’s clothes. It is much more fun to create your own costumes with the children using second-hand clothes. Set a rule that costumes must be homemade and offer to help any parents that do not have the time to make something themselves.

10. Visit a nature reserve or conservation area Nothing is better than first-hand experiences for children’s learning and understanding. Organising an outing can be a challenge so see what is available in your area. Even the busiest towns and cities will have something to offer. Whether it’s a patch of ground or grass verge left to grow wild, or even a bug house in a shopping centre, find it, explore it and talk about it with the children.

Whatever you decide to do make it meaningful and make it achievable. Sustainability should not be a one-off event. It should become a way of life for all the children we are working with.

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NUTRITION

Learning to love lentils As many people try to move towards a better diet at this time of year, we look at some healthy recipes to introduce lentils to your setting’s menu

I

t’s that time of year when many families and practitioners are trying to eat a bit more healthily, maybe cut back on meat or even try being vegan as part of ‘Veganuary’. One popular meat-free source of protein is lentils. These delicious and nutritious legumes can be used to make lots of healthy meals such as soups or meat-free versions of Bolognese sauce, stews or even meat-free chilli.

Why choose lentils?

What’s not to love about lentils? With several different varieties, this versatile food is high in protein, rich in calcium and low in fat. Lentils can help provide a boost of energy, improve immunity and promote bone health – perfect for active and growing children!

Lentils are also a source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and B vitamins and can either be bought dried in bags or ready prepared in a tin, making them really easy and cheap to make into a quick, delicious and nutritious meal.

Yvonne and Gill, both registered nutrition professionals at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership, share their favourite recipes to get your children and staff team loving lentils this year.

Yvonne’s Lentil Bolognese

Gill’s Lentil Lasagne

Serves 6-8

Serves 4

Yvonne says: “This is a really good recipe for batch cooking! It uses cheap store cupboard ingredients and is a good way of using up any fresh vegetables. Obviously, the recipe can also be easily halved if you just want to cook enough for dinner time.”

Gill says: “This dish tastes great, and the family love it! It’s fairly easy to make, especially as you don’t have to make the traditional cheese/white sauce as you just mix the yoghurt, eggs and a little cheese. It contains a good amount of vegetarian protein with the lentils and the egg which is important for growing children.”

Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 2 medium carrots 2 celery sticks 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tins green lentils 2 tins chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 courgette chopped, handful of mushrooms and/or any other vegetables (optional) Method: 1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, celery and carrot, then add to a large pan with the oil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.

2. Add the oregano, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce and stir through.

3. Drain the lentils and add to the pan with the tomatoes.

4. Stir well, add the veggies suggested above or any other chopped vegetables you wish, and simmer for 20-40 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

5. Add pepper to taste.

6. Serve with spaghetti and a good sprinkling of cheese.

Ingredients: 1 medium onion, diced 1 green pepper, diced 175g red lentils 400g tinned tomatoes 300ml stock 300ml milk (2 x 150ml) 2 tbsp tomato puree 1 tsp mixed herbs A pinch of ground pepper 8 sheets lasagne 2 eggs 225g natural yoghurt 100g grated cheddar Method: 1. Place a little oil in a pan, add the onion and pepper, and cook until soft.

2. Add the lentils, tomatoes, stock, herbs and pepper and 150ml milk, cook for 15-20 minutes until lentils have softened.

3. In a bowl mix together the eggs, yoghurt, 150ml milk and half of the cheese.

4. Place half the lentil mix in an ovenproof dish, cover with half the lasagne sheets, and a layer of the egg/yoghurt/cheese mix. Repeat this, again topping with the remaining egg/ yoghurt mix. Top with the grated cheese.

5. Bake for 35-40 mins at 180°C.

What are lentils?

More information

Lentils are in the same group of foods as beans and peas – the legume family. They are a good source of protein and carbohydrate as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron and B vitamins. The most commonly found varieties are brown, red and green lentils.

For practical support with food and nutrition in your setting from an expert nutritionist or dietitian, contact the Early Years Nutrition Partnership at www.eynpartnership.org.

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COMPETITION

WIN

SC RE E N PR I NT I N G & E M B RO I DE R Y

10 custom-printed T-shirts or 20 printed sweatshirts plus 20 road safety reflectors from Samuels of Norfolk, worth £100 Samuels of Norfolk has another very practical prize this issue. The winner can choose to either have their own printed T-shirts or sweatshirts as well as 20 road safety reflectors.

Samuels has been producing printed and embroidered clothing since 1984.

They can provide early years settings with a full range of quality items including book bags, baseball caps, sweatshirts and printed polo shirts.

The views expressed in Under 5 are not necessarily those of the Early Years Alliance. The editor reserves the right to shorten submitted material and to reprint copy from newsletters.

No responsibility can be accepted for loss of MSS, photographs or artwork. Unused material will be returned if submitted with a stamped, addressed envelope. The editor is unable to enter into correspondence about unsolicited copy.

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

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

For your chance to win, send your answer to the following question, along with your name and address, to: under5.competitions@ eyalliance.org.uk before 20 January 2020.

What is the deadline for responding to the government’s consultation on changes to the EYFS? (hint: see page 16) a) 31 January b) 1 February c) 28 January

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

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