Under Jul/Aug 2019

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance

WlIe N of Play

July/August 2019

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Cultural capital

What does it mean for the early years?

Back to basics A new way of working

Hay fever Managing symptoms in your setting

&

contents

WELCOME & CONTENTS

welcome

Welcome to Under 5 4

News round up

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My Under 5

10

Letters to the editor

12

Making ends meet

14

TUPE: what you need to know

16

Being the best

18

Getting your voice heard

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

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A chance for Alliance member settings to share news of recent events and projects Under 5 readers share their views on the early years sector How the number of families in need is putting pressure on the early years sector Part II of our guide to TUPE rules for your early years settting A summary of all the action from this year’s Alliance annual conference What happened when one setting ditched their tablets for three weeks

22 Cultural capital: what you need to know A guide to the term for early years practitioners

24 Listening and learning

A free extract from EduCare course Speech, Language and Communication

26 Hay fever: how to manage children’s symptoms

Helping children control their hay fever, while still enjoying summer

29 Supporting children’s speech, language and communication

Working with parents to improve children’s development

30 We’re all going on a summer holiday

Ideas for exploring the theme of summer holidays in your setting

32 Summer safety

A mini-guide to keeping children safe this summer

33 Competition

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This issue comes in another time of uncertainty for the early years sector.

By the time this issue reaches you, the UK will soon be finding out who our new Prime Minister is. Whoever becomes the next leader, we may well see a new early years minister appointed just as the government prepares for the comprehensive Spending Review over the summer. As ever, the Alliance will be keeping on top of developments in the early years sector as they happen, so make sure you are following us on social media to keep up-to-date between issues.

We’d also like to extend a huge thank you to those of you who joined in with our #FairFutureFunding Action Week in June. The event was a huge success with lots of MPs visiting early years settings to hear first-hand about the impact of underfunding.

You can read all about our Action Week in this issue (page 18) but don’t worry, it’s not too late to get involved. If you’d like to download our template letter and factsheet to send to your MP ahead of the next Spending Review, visit www.eyalliance.org.uk/ FairFutureFunding.

Despite the political turmoil, the early years sector continues to press on with its important work. This issue includes a report on the increasing number of families needing the support of food banks and how settings are helping to support them (page 12).

With pollen rates very high at the start of July, you may have noticed some children suffering with hay fever symptoms in your setting this year. We’ve got some advice on how you can help them manage their symptoms and still enjoy the summer (page 26).

We’ve also got some general ideas for keeping children safe in your setting, and while out and about, this summer (page 32).

With just a few weeks to go until Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework comes into effect, we’ve heard from Alliance director of quality Michael Freeston about the introduction of the term ‘cultural capital’ and what it means for the early years sector and your setting (page 22).

If you missed our annual conference in June, we’ve got all the details from the day, including an update from Gill Jones on Ofsted’s new inspection framework (page 16). We’ve also heard from an Alliance member setting who was inspired to rethink their practice after attending our ‘Minds Matter’ event last year (page 20).

Please do keep sharing your thoughts for our Letters page and good news and updates for My Under 5 – you can reach us at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk.

Rachel Lawler, editor

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in brief...

BABY FOOD: Sugar in baby food products must be reduced and children should be offered foods with bitter flavours to help reduce obesity, according to a new report from the RCPCH.

Level 2 Early Years Trailblazer consultation opens

round-up Government risks childcare “becoming affordable only to the wealthy” The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Childcare and Early Education has warned that the government risks making childcare “affordable only to the wealthy” in a new report.

The report, Steps to Sustainability, follows a formal inquiry into sustainability in the childcare sector. It claims that the 30-hours offer has “exacerbated” financial concerns in the sector.

The report also suggests that there is a 20% funding shortfall in the sector, as early years settings face increased minimum wages, rising business rates and recruitment concerns.

The report argues that if the funding gap is not addressed in the next Spending Review, the number of childcare places in deprived areas could significantly drop. It says: “We risk facing a situation where only wealthy families are able to access childcare services, leading to a reduction in educational opportunities for children as well as more challenges to parents looking to go back into work.”

The report recommends that the government commits to an annual review of the cost of delivering funded childcare, business rate relief for providers and a change in the universal

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credit system to make payments directly to providers instead of parents.

Tulip Siddiq, chair of the APPG for Childcare and Early Education, said: “With the Spending Review just around the corner, and a new Prime Minister soon to enter Downing Street, this report is being published at a critical time.

“We urge the government to take on board our recommendations and provide the urgent funding and support needed to successfully, and sustainably, deliver its childcare policies.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, added: “This report and its recommendations are the result of a year of hard and serious work by the APPG to understand the early years funding crisis.

“It deserves a considered response. It simply will not be good enough for ministers to respond by trotting out lines about record spending, happy parents, or a lack of will from providers to make things work. It’s time for them to accept that underfunding is causing a crisis of sustainability in the sector that’s putting downward pressure on quality and forcing up parent fees.”

A new trailblazer group, launched in May, is aiming to create a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship. The group has also announced the start of a sectorwide survey on the qualification.

The Level 2 Apprenticeship aims to offer unqualified childcare staff a chance to progress, while improving the quality of provision for their employers and benefiting the children in their care.

The Alliance’s director of quality improvement, Michael Freeston, has been named as the group’s employer chair. Other sector representatives in the group include colleagues from CACHE, Kids Plants Day Nurseries, Kids Allowed, LEYF, Each Peach Childcare, Paint Pots Nursery, Happy Tree Ltd, Just Childcare, Childbase Partnership, Ashbourne Day Nurseries and Sky High Achievers.

“I encourage all involved with workforce development in our sector to respond to this consultation.”

Michael commented: “It’s essential that the Level 2 Standard is in place by September this year. This trailblazer group will be made up of a wide range of employers and other organisations to ensure the new standard meets the needs of the sector as a whole and I encourage all involved with workforce development in our sector to respond to the consultation.”

Julie Hyde, director at CACHE, added: “This consultation presents the sector with a real opportunity to ensure that the standard is fit for purpose and meets the needs of employers and practitioners. I therefore encourage all within the sector to take part and have their say.”

FOLIC ACID: The government is consulting on plans to add folic acid to flour in the UK to help prevent birth defects including spina bifida.

FREE MEALS: Charity Feeding Britain estimates that £88.3m earmarked to pay for free school meals for all children aged under seven has “disappeared”.

Early years funding crisis “hits poorest children” Childcare providers based in areas of deprivation are twice as likely to close as those in the most affluent areas, according to new research from independent expert Ceeda.

Ceeda surveyed 356 private, voluntary and independent childcare settings about the cost of delivering quality childcare. Almost one in five (17%) providers in the most deprived areas of England anticipated that they will have to close within the next year, more than twice as many as in the least deprived areas (8%).

The research also found that the total shortfall in early years funding has risen by more than £50 million in the past year. Providers also said that they were

forced to make cost savings as a result of the shortfall, with 43% cutting back on learning resources and 19% saying they had to lower the quality of food given to children.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “This is what a sector in crisis looks like. Providers are straining to deliver quality childcare on funding levels set in 2015, leaving them forced to choose between reducing quality and charging ever higher fees or closing their doors. There’s only

one conclusion to draw from this: the government can no longer afford to underfund the early years. It must invest properly in its flagship childcare scheme and review the funding annually to make sure it stays in line with rising costs.”

Dr Jo Verrill, managing director at Ceeda, added: “While a logical response to financial pressure, these actions have consequences, particularly for those families least able to pay for early education.”

“These actions have consequences, particularly for those least able to pay for early education.”

“Hugely disappointing” Children in Need review concludes The government’s Children in Need review has been criticised as “hugely disappointing” after it failed to make any significant reference to the early years. The review looked at the support given to children in need of help in a bid to understand why they have poorer educational outcomes than their more advantaged peers.

It found that around one in 10 children will need a social worker at some point, which amounted to 1.6 million children between 2012 and 2013.

These children were found to have “poorer educational outcomes” at every stage of their education than those who did not need a social worker. Children who have needed a social worker are almost 50% less likely to pass their English and maths GCSEs and by age 21, and around half of them will not have gained a Level 2 qualification.

The review concluded after more than 600 schools and social care practitioners submitted evidence and the Early Intervention Foundation conducted a literature review. But Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said the review was “hugely disappointing” due to its lack of emphasis on the early years in its recommendations.

He commented: “This report makes clear the importance of the early years in the future health, wellbeing and job prospects of children in need – but it never goes beyond that recognition.

If the government is serious about transforming the lives of some of our most vulnerable children then it needs

to change its entire approach to the early years.

“This is not just about investment – though proper funding is sorely needed – it’s about acting on the evidence that the early years is a key part of the puzzle when it comes to giving every child the best start in life.”

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Children’s centre use falls by 18% in most deprived areas Number of childminders continues to decrease The number of childminders registered with Ofsted decreased by 800 in the first three months of 2019. According to statistics released by Ofsted, on 31 March 2019 there were 2% fewer childminders registered than on 31 December 2018 – down to 39,000 in total.

This is part of a long-term trend, which has seen the number of childminders drop by 9,000 since 2015. The number of nondomestic providers has remained largely stable, with a 1% decrease since 2015 and an increase of fewer than 100 between 31 December 2018 and 31 March 2019.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “If we want a flexible, quality

early years sector then childminders are a vital part. It’s deeply troubling to see the number of childminders continue to fall at such a dramatic rate. This is a long-standing problem not helped by government interventions, such as childminder agencies and the business grant scheme, which have been high on cost and low on impact.

“The government needs to get a grip, stop playing around the edges of this crisis and start addressing its root causes. Like all providers childminders are struggling with funding but they are also unfairly punished when it comes to looking after for related children. If the government wants childcare at its most convenient and affordable then childminders need to be at the centre of their early years policy.”

The number of families using children’s centres fell by 18% between 2014/15 and 2017/18, according to a new report from Action for Children. In the most deprived areas, the decrease was more pronounced with 22% fewer children accessing children’s centres in these areas, compared to a 12% decrease in the least deprived areas between 2014/15 and 2017/18.

The average spend per child at children’s centres also dropped from £532 to £412 in the same period. Despite these challenges, Action for Children says that children’s centres still reach as many young children as the government’s funded childcare schemes.

Government risks Sure Start successes, according to IFS report The Alliance has called on the government to reinvest in Sure Start centres after a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that the programme had a “big positive effect on children’s health [and] reducing hospitalisations”.

The IFS reported that spending on the Sure Start programmed peaked in 2010 at £1.8 billion a year, in current prices, but has since seen its budget cut by two-thirds with more than 500 centres now closed and many more offering a reduced service. The report also found that the Sure Start programme significantly reduced the number of hospitalisations in children by the time they finish primary school. Sure Start prevents around 5,500 hospitalisations of children under age 11 each year.

The IFS also noted that the benefit of Sure Start centres was clearest in disadvantaged areas. With the most advantaged areas not seeing any improvement in hospitalisations. With the upcoming Spending Review, the IFS has called on the government to review the impact of Sure Start and decide on how the programme will be used going forward.

IFS Research Economist Christine Farquharson said: “Sure Start has had a turbulent history, with a fast roll-out followed by deep spending cuts. But these decisions were not always based on thorough

evidence about the programme’s impacts on children and their families. Ahead of the Spending Review, it’s crucial that both central government and local authorities use the best evidence available to decide on their vision for Sure Start as the programme turns 20. Our findings suggest that limited resources are best focused on the poorest areas.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, added: “Successive ministers now have overseen the mismanaged decline of Sure Start. What began with a ‘temporary’ pause on inspections has led to hundreds of closures and forced dozens of centres to step back from delivering frontline services.

“If ministers were ever serious about social mobility then now would be the time to show it. This report makes clear what’s at stake and the government should be questioning where their indifference has left some of our most vulnerable children – and start reinvesting in and reaffirming their support for Sure Start immediately.”

Tracy Brabin MP, shadow early years minister, commented: “This research shows the critical role Sure Start plays in children’s health, as well as their development. But shamefully, over a thousand Sure Start centres have been lost through years of austerity, meaning children and families across the country are missing out.”

“If ministers were ever serious about social mobilty, now is the time to show it.”

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The charity also says that the average developmental gap has decreased in areas where children’s centre use has increased. In the last four years, the gap between low income children and their peers has closed by an average of 0.5pp in areas where the number of children using children’s centres has increased.

Those that have seen a reduction in their use saw the gap increase by an average of 0.3pp. The charity has called for further research into this, due to limitations with its research here.

Action for Children has also called on the government to use the upcoming Spending Review to allocate additional funding to local authorities to help support children’s centres.

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children, commented: “The government must use the forthcoming Spending Review to allocate additional funding to local councils and ease the squeeze on children’s centre budgets.

“Giving children the best start in life is not only the right thing to do but it helps to reduce the need for costly child protection services when things go wrong.”

Carnival part

y

Children from Parkhall Play group in Somersham took part in th eir local carnival procession.

With help from thei r parents, th ey dressed up un der the them e of “what I want to be when I gr ow up”. They also helped deco ra te the float usin g the theme of transport, whi ch they had been exploring in their sessions .

The setting won first place in th e school float category and helped to raise fund s to support th e local Friendship C lub, which su pp orts people who have lost a lo ved one.

Blooming beautiful

n made-over -school in Skegness has bee Happitots Community Pre and friends. ily fam s, ent morning for par with the help of a gardening many with , den gar the to help refresh The setting invited families also ters por sup al Loc s. seeds and bulb donating plants, compost, their and n ldre Chi . ters to be used as plan helped with donated tyres setting on their way to and from the families now tend the garden as using pizz own ir the e mak erly waiting to each day and are now eag wing. onion and garlic they are gro the tomatoes, courgettes,

hurch, g success tephens C Fundraisin Days Playgroup in St S rity rosis cha

at Play ystic Fib ren Children ey for a C lder child raise mon d e lp e ctivities. O h a d e hy m lt e a Rednal, th e yellow nce of h series of e importa th t u o b through a a w arned d to blo ing also le ren learne as at the sett nger child u o Y . g eryone w v in e breath aws and tr s g in ing and lungs and s c u n oms ing, bala nd pom-p rse, climb u o c oot, lt feathers a tf u h a t ass lie Kite-Lig join a gian e end. Ju th the to invited to y re a e eir w eek wh to make th a lovely w s a w t crawling “I : g, said the settin activities.” leader at h fun play g u ro th d arne children le

Circus fun Jellybabies Nursery and Preschool in Rednal has been exploring the theme of circus life, learning about circus acts and why animals are no longer used.

Each day, the children practiced a new circus skills including walking the tight rope, swinging on a trapeze, using stilts, juggling and balancing. Staff volunteer Darren also treated the children to a clown-themed show and everyone

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enjoyed taking part in a circus workshop, complete with fancy dress for the children and staff.

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Outstanding

Pyjama party

wore their best ’s Pre-school in Ely Children at St John arama’ fundraising setting for a ‘Pyjam d nightclothes to the st, the children an ds for the Book Tru d ate event. Raising fun tre re we d an g pyjamas to the settin d are staff all wore their sh ey Th . es ak of brioche and panc ud to a breakfast meal alo d rea ff sta the me stories, which their favourite bedti manager at the rd, lfo Fu h ka be joy. Re for everyone to en at success and the entire day was a gre s, setting, said: “The the day in their PJ enjoyed spending children thoroughly ate tun for s les ren l difference to child while making a rea than themselves.”

Ofsted

Steps Comm unity Nursery is celebrating ‘outstanding’ after being gr following its m aded ost recent Ofts inspector prai ed inspection. sed the staff The for ensuring th nurtured and at all children loved and for ar e working toge ahead of thei ther to suppor r move into sc t children ho ols. Lorraine at the setting Hague, manag , said: “This ra er ting is testam commitment ent to the hard and care that w or k, our amazing To hear an in team give to spector say th al l ch ild ren. at our nurser come true fo y is ‘magical’ r us!” is a dream

Top 20 listing Starlings Nursery in Barnet has been included in Day Nurseries’ list of the Top 20 Nurseries in London 2019.

The award highlights the most recommended setting s in each region of the UK, based on the number of positiv e reviews left by parents on the site. Naomi James, manag er at the setting, commented: “We are delighted that we have received this for the second year running, after parent s left some amazing reviews of our setting and staff on the Day Nurseries website.”

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’.

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Payment problems I have been the manager, Special Educational Needs Coordinator and designated safeguarding lead at our preschool for 25 years this July. We have literally had hundreds of children through our doors, including some children of the people we previously taught as pre-schoolers.

During those years, we have grown from a playgroup run by parents into a thriving 30-place pre-school employing 11 members of staff. After one ‘good’ and four ‘outstanding’ Ofsted inspections, we have rarely had to advertise. In 2009, I finished by BA in early years and the following year I achieved Early Years Professional Status.

I absolutely love my job and everything about it. I always say to staff that it is a privilege to be entrusted with the most precious thing in a parent’s life. They only get one childhood and we have to do our best to ensure that we get it right. I honestly feel that we have achieved that for all these years.

But what on earth has happened to our sector? We have more than 60 children on our register and 77% of these are on the vulnerable register, for a range of reasons. We are struggling to access services for some of these families who are reaching crisis point.

In the past 12 months alone I have accompanied parents to mental health appointments, I have offered out-ofhours support to a mum with suicidal tendencies and I am working with families experiencing domestic abuse but are struggling to get support from the local services as they are too stretched. We had one child with suspected autism, but it took 22 months for his assessment to be completed as the waiting lists are so long.

We offer some free sessions to our most vulnerable children if with think some additional time at the setting will help them and their families at during a time of crisis. We are an independent setting based within a school site, but we work very closely with them, offering free breakfast club and after school sessions to some of their children if there are concerns about any of them.

All of this we do for just £3.82 per hour for the three- and four-year-old children in our care. When the 30-hours offer was introduced, we saw our income drop by 30p an hour, which adds up for around £8,000 a year for us. We try to make sure that staff are paid more than the living wage and it’s still not enough for all the hard work they do. With ever-increasing costs, we’ve had to look at reducing staff hours and I have personally taken a 10% pay cut without any

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reduction in my working hours.

It won’t be long before people are charged more per hour to park their car than early years settings are paid to take care of the most precious thing in parents’ lives. I fear we are reaching breaking point.

Name and setting supplied Childminders disappearing As a registered childminder, I know that funding for twoyear-olds is the main reason why numbers are falling. The funding allows schools and pre-schools to take children from two-years-old.

This morning, I received another email from a local school saying that they are proposing to offer funded places to twoyear-olds in the same building as the main school. It states that this will help children with transitions when they start school at four years old. They are offering extra hours at a reduced rate that childminders cannot compete with.

In September last year, another local school opened a before- and after-school club, charging just £3.00 a session.

We cannot compete with this, which is being introduced because the government said that it would provide out-ofschool care for working parents.

I understand why parents would want to take their children there as it is cheaper, as well as easier to drop the young children off when they take older siblings into school. But what about the children? What do they think of being put into formal education at such a young age? How about letting two- and three-year-old children play instead of being made to sit in group sessions?

Our government still refuses to take feedback from other countries that start children in school a lot later. The evidence suggests that they are happier children. I dread to think what will be next for our young children. Will they be offering accommodation in schools to make it more convenient for working parents?

Angie Hant, childminder Taken for granted People with caring natures are overlooked by too many politicians and taken for granted in the current political climate. Some would suggest that there are some urgent options for campaigners and policy-makers to consider in the interim, until Brexit is sorted out or someone is honest about the tax increases necessary to fund expanded public

HAVE YOUR SAY

services – if that is what people want.

These options include reducing the misleading promise of 30-hours childcare down to 15 or 20 hours of universal funding, without reducing the current level of funding and allowing providers to charge what it realistically costs for any additional hours required.

Taking care of young children is labour-intensive and wonderfully important work – but it will necessarily cost more than what most people assume it does. Times have changed and women in particular are getting recognition and fairer pay. But we are yet to see proper recognition given to this kind of work. It’s the last frontier.

Mari P Lewis, via Early Years Alliance Facebook page 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 wins a copy of Building a Resilient Workforce in the Early Years (Early Years Alliance, £13.65 for members, £19.50 for non-members). This book includes practical tools to help settings reflect on and make positive changes in their practice, including a wellbeing survey, motivation quiz and stress management exercise. Visit shop. eyalliance.org.uk or call 0300 0330 0996 or email shop@eyalliance.org.uk to order your own copy.

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Making en The number of families struggling to make ends meet is increasing and early years settings are feeling the strain. Editor Rachel Lawler reports

P

overty is a growing problem in the UK and it is disproportionately affecting children.

According to national statistics released by the government earlier this year, there are now 4.1 million children living in poverty in the UK. This is a particular concern for the very youngest children, with 53% of all poor children aged five or under.

For early years settings, this presents a huge challenge as these children and their families often need greater levels of support and care than they are used to seeing. Shelly Richardson, early years project manager at the Alliance’s North of England Service Hub, works with families in the region who are struggling with their finances. She says that the last three or four years have seen a huge increase in the number of families asking for help at settings in the area. “Financial strain is upsetting for the whole family,” she explains. “Children can arrive at the setting tired, grumpy and not happy or ready to learn.”

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Seeking support Like many providers, Shelly says she has seen an increase in concerns since the rollout of universal credit. This relatively new system sees many working families worse off than the six separate benefits it has replaced. Unlike the previous system, universal credit is also paid in arrears so families have to wait 35 days before they receive their first payment, leaving many struggling to make ends meet in the meantime.

Early years providers are often one of the first people families will talk to when they are struggling. “There is a lack of information for these families and many of them don’t know how to budget,” Shelley says. She says that as universal credit payments are given to families directly, many of them fail to allocate money for all of their bills and can fall into debt or end up turning to payday loans.

This can leave families in a difficult position when it comes to paying for essentials. “Very few people know how to access a food bank

if they need one and there’s a huge stigma around using one,” Shelly says. Many settings also face the additional concern of families not wanting to ask for help. “Some families will keep children away from the setting because they are embarrassed,” she adds. Simply putting up a notice to let them know where their local food banks, and other services, are and how they can access it if needed can be helpful.

Baby banks For many families, food will not be the only essential they are struggling to afford. As the use of food banks has swelled in England, communities are also seeing the growth of baby banks. Sophia Parker, chief executive at Little Village, a baby bank that supports families in London, explains: “We are like a food bank, but for clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age of five.”

Little Village takes donations from its local community and offers support across three

POVERTY

nds meet locations in the city. “The need is very much there,” Sophia says. “We’ve been going for three years and have seen demand more or less double in that time.” She says the charity is also seeing an increase in the level of support families now require. Little Village supports many parents who are experiencing homelessness or living in temporary accommodation as well as refugee families, and it sees many families struggling to afford items as basic as beds and clothing for their children.

There are now more than 100 baby banks across the UK – including the three locations run by Little Village in London. Children’s centres are the main source of referrals to baby banks, but local charities, GPs and health visitors may also direct families towards the service. “We ask for referrals but it’s not a complicated process,” Sophia says.

“Professionals can make a referral on our website.” The family will then be invited to visit one of Little Village’s baby banks in the city to collect the items, or can arrange to have them delivered to them if necessary.

Little Village hosts weekly drop-ins for its families at the baby banks, with the aim of

creating a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

“We don’t want families to feel any judgment or stigma about coming,” Sophia says. Parents are offered tea and coffee and children are offered a chance to play with activities for them to join in with. “These families often feel isolated and we are keen to change that.” With space at a premium in the city, like many baby banks, Little Village asks donors to follow its wish list. “We need to make the most of the limited storage space we have, so it makes it much easier to use lists.”

Challenging times Support from groups such as Little Village is undoubtedly great for the families struggling to make ends meet, but as the number of families in need increases it is hard not to wonder whether more can be done to prevent them falling into poverty in the first place. “While we are very proud of the work we do, I do wish that we didn’t need to exist,” Sophia says. “When I see children arriving without any shoes, or coat, I wonder why this is. We need to think about why baby banks are needed and take a look at the bigger picture.”

Helping hands Check if there are any food banks in your area that offer support without a referral, otherwise families will need to speak to a health visitor, GP, social worker, or school about getting a food bank voucher they can use.

Visit www.trusseltrust.org for more information and help finding your nearest food bank.

For any families struggling to provide children with lunches during the summer holiday break, charity Transforming Lives for Good offers free lunches in some areas. Visit www.tlg.org.uk for more information.

Find out more Find out more about Little Village and support its work at littlevillagehq.org or follow them on social media at @LittleVillageHQ

Images courtesy of Little Village

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LAW-CALL

TUPE: what you need to know The legal team behind Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline available to Alliance members, explains more about TUPE rules

I

n the previous issue, we explained how you can identify a TUPE transfer and what the legal obligations are for both the transferor and transferee before the setting has changed hands. Here, we are going to consider what should happen next.

Employees’ terms and conditions of employment are transferred and protected.

This includes their length of service, pay, bonus, commissions, holiday and sick leave.

The transferee cannot change the terms and conditions to make the employees worse off.

The transferee can change an employee’s terms and conditions if it improves them – this is called harmonisation. The employees and their elected representatives must agree to any changes. For example, the transferee employer may wish to increase the amount of holiday, sick leave or salary so that they are the same for all their employees.

Any collective agreements that exist before the transfer will transfer over to the transferee employer. Collective agreements can be renegotiated after one year but they must not make the employees worse off.

Any accrued pension benefits and rights are not transferred over to the transferee, but are protected up to the date of the transfer. The transferee does not have to continue with an identical pension.

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The transferee should provide employees with a letter or updated contract of employment setting out the name of the new employer, the date of when the transfer took place and confirmation that all terms and conditions of employment are protected. The transferee may also provide the employees with a P45 to ensure that HMRC has the up-to-date tax records for the employees. But this does not mean that the employees have been dismissed.

However, there are some exceptions to the above – the transferee can change an employee’s contracts of employment if it is for an economic, technical or transfer reason (ETO) entailing changes in the workforce.

There are no statutory guidelines for an ETO but the following circumstances can amount to a valid ETO reason:

Economic – when there is a reduction in the number of children attending a setting, which could result in the setting being unable to operate without making employees redundant

Technical – when the transferee wishes to operate new technology and the employees are no longer required Organisational – when it is not possible for the employees to transfer to the transferee employer because of the location of the new setting

If the transferee employer dismisses an employee for an ETO reason, they must all follow a fair procedure when dismissing the employee, therefore the usual rules for unfair dismissal will still apply.

There may be occasions when an employee decides not to work for the transferee and chooses to leave their employment instead. The effect of this means that the employee cannot claim unfair dismissal or a redundancy payment so long as they have informed the transferor or the transferee before the transfer happens. Their employment will end on the date of the transfer.

Dismissing an employee for a reason related to the transfer itself without a valid ETO reason could result in an Employment Tribunal awarding the employee compensation for unfair dismissal. As mentioned in our previous article, this could be very costly for early years settings where committee members are personally liable.

Find out more This article does not constitute legal advice and we would strongly advise that any Alliance members with questions or concerns about TUPE contact Law-Call for more detailed guidance. The number to call can be found on your membership card or in the members’ area of the Alliance website at eyalliance.org.uk/members-area.

Early Years Alliance

Every year Alliance members and their teams receive free access to up to 20 Cache-endorsed programmes every year. You can easily benefit too.

New FREE CPD-recognised course for Alliance members!

Speech, language and Communication in the Early Years covers: what is meant by speech, language and communication how we communicate with each other how to support children to develop good communication skills from an early age

Simply contact our friendly Information Service team on 020 7697 2595 or visit eyalliance.org.uk/educare

www.eyalliance.org.uk

Being the best This year’s Alliance annual conference explored the theme of “Be the best”. Here’s now practitioners who attended were inspired to improve their practice

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ll early years practitioners do some incredible work. From going the extra mile, to the fantastic work they do day-to-day with children, all settings have inspirational staff to be proud of. But even compared to the very best practitioners, Lisa Potts is something special.

Doing your best Delegates at this year’s conference were shocked and inspired by the story of how Lisa protected young children from a machete attack outside St Luke’s nursery in Wolverhampton in 1997. The children had been enjoying a teddy bears’ picnic outside when they were suddenly attacked. “The whole episode lasted about eight minutes, but for me it felt like a lifetime,” she said. After carrying as many children as possible inside, she continued to return outside, putting herself in harm’s way as she went back to save as many children as possible.

Seven people were injured in the attack, including three children, but thanks to Lisa’s quick thinking, everyone survived. She was awarded the George Medal for bravery in

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1998 and has since gone on to write books and launch her own charity, Believe to Achieve. “It was a very strange feeling,” she explained. “I was an ordinary person. I did something extraordinary but I did it because I had all these young children in my care.”

Lisa continued to work with the children at St Luke’s at first, following the class into Reception so that she could support them after the traumatic experience. After a few months, Lisa found work at the school

increasingly difficult as she dealt with the aftermath of the attack and decided to take some time off. She spent time abroad working with charities, wrote a book and eventually went on to retrain.

She still works with young children now as a health visitor. She said: “My life changed in those eight minutes. I was hailed as this heroine for doing something that was, for me, really instinctive.” While Lisa’s experience thankfully remains unrepeated, many early

CONFERENCE

years practitioners will understand the instinctive urge she felt to protect those children on that awful day.

Demonstrating your best While many settings feel that they are truly outstanding, knowing how to demonstrate their merits to Ofsted can be tricky. Gill Jones, deputy director at Ofsted, was next up to share some insight into the new Education Inspection Framework. “You make a huge difference to children and at Ofsted, we recognise that,” she said. She explained that there are two fundamental changes to the new framework: the removal of “outcomes assessments” and the split of “Personal Development and Welfare” into “Behaviour and Personal Development.”

“For practitioners, there will be a fundamental difference in that there is more focus on children’s behaviour,” Gill said. She also stressed that Ofsted was not looking to change the EYFS. “We are not saying that children should be learning at desks because we are using the word ‘curriculum’,” she explained. “We expect to see the EYFS in practice as we already do, the difference will be in how we consider the impact of the curriculum.” She said that inspectors will be asking about what children are expected to learn at your setting, how they are learning it and how practitioners know whether or not they have learned it.

Jude Sanders, an early years inspector at Ofsted, also shared her experiences on some of the pilot inspections carried out ahead of the new framework’s launch. She visited a large daycare centre, which was already providing high quality care and education.

“There was nothing within the framework that they weren’t already doing for their children

and that they weren’t already providing,” Jude explained. She said that the setting managers felt that the new framework gave them more ownership of the day and were happy with the inspection overall. “We came to the conclusion that the EYFS was in black and white but it is the way it is interpreted that gives it colour and bought it to life.”

Gill also explained some more about the term ‘cultural capital’ which was introduced in the new framework. “It’s not about data, or expecting a lot of progress,” she said. “It’s about what we see on the ground.” Jude used the example of a setting based in an area of high deprivation. In one session, they shared a story about a horse and learned that most of the children there had never seen a horse and had no idea what they looked like, how big they were or what they ate. The staff bought in hobby horses for the children to play with and talked about what they eat and how to feed them. They then arranged to visit one on a

farm. “Staff used what they knew about the children and the experiences they knew they didn’t have to provide that cultural capital,” she explained.

FUNDING THE BEST Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch shared some of the kind words that early years ministers have used when talking about the impact of practitioners and their work, as well as some of the times they have insisted that the funded childcare schemes are working. “If everything is rosy, why is it that earlier this month the Alliance was called to give evidence on the damage caused to the sector by increased business rates? Why is it that we have been called to give evidence to the Low Pay Commission?” he asked.

Neil talked about the “unrivaled moral compass” at the core of the early years sector. “We have always talked of changing lives, of parental support, of integrity, of transformation,” he explained. But he shared concerns about the number of settings having to make tough decisions in order to survive financially. As the country readies itself for a new Prime Minister, and certainly a reshuffled cabinet, Neil argued that it was more important than ever to ask the government for fairer funding.

Celebrating YOUR BEST The day also saw Virginia Brown, pre-school leader at Crofton Early Learners, awarded the first Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her 20 years of outstanding practice.

Brown said: “You don’t do this sort of thing for the recognition. You do it for the love of it. I’ve been in a privileged position, being part of an excellent team.”

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Getting your voice heard Starting on 10 June, the Alliance and its members spent a week contacting MPs about early years funding ahead of the Spending Review

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ast month, early years providers were asked to get in touch with their local MPs to help raise awareness of the growing funding crisis in the sector. MPs were invited to visit settings to learn more about the impact of underfunding on their businesses and the families they support.

Hundreds of providers downloaded the Alliance’s template letter to send to their MPs and dozens got in touch to let us

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know that they had arranged a meeting with them. Many shared the responses they had from their MPs, with several agreeing to contact the Treasury or the minister for the early years about funding rates. The Alliance also wrote letters to all 650 MPs in Parliament to make sure they all knew about the campaign.

Ahead of the Action Week, the Alliance secured the help of Mumsnet, which

published a guest post from chief executive Neil Leitch at the start of the week. The Federation of Small Businesses also pledged its support for the campaign online.

CAMPAIGNING Getting heard The Alliance worked with independent research agency Ceeda to share the results of its latest report on the early years sector. The report found that 17% of childcare providers in the most deprived areas anticipate that they may close in the next 12 months, compared to just 8% in the most affluent areas. The news was shared in national outlets including the BBC, Sky News, The Metro and The Independent.

As the week continued, more providers and MPs got in touch to share their support. Harriet Harman, who previously served as minister for women and equalities, shared her support for the campaign in her local newspaper Southwark News. She said: “If this funding crisis continues, more childcare centres will close. More parents will be unable to afford a childcare place, meaning they will be unable to work and earn for their family. This hits single parents and those on low incomes disproportionately hard. I am backing the Early Years Alliance’s Fair Future Funding campaign and will continue to do all I can in parliament to demand that the government properly funds universal childcare.”

We also heard from David Drew, MP for Stroud, who contacted the Treasury, asking for an immediate increase in early years funding.

He said: “The current shortfall in funding could disadvantage children deprived of quality early years provision for their whole lives. It is therefore absolutely imperative that the campaign for fair funding is successful: I support the call for an immediate increase and an urgent review of childcare funding.”

Other MPs who visited early years settings in their constituency, or met with providers during their surgery hours, included Heidi Allen, Andrea Leadsom, Robert Halfon and even early years minister Nadhim Zahawi.

The Alliance worked with other early years organisations to write an open letter about the crisis, which appeared in The Guardian on 13 June, and was also signed by fellow early years organisations NDNA, PACEY, LEYF and TACTYC.

Lobbying your MPs Windmill Hill Farm nursery in Bristol was visited

by Labour MP Karin Smith. The team explained how early years funding rates were affecting the setting and the children there.

Cleethorpes Childcare in Lincolnshire gained the support of two local MPs – Labour’s Melanie Onn and Conservative Martin Vickers.

Action Week in numbers

650 MPs The Alliance wrote to all 650 MPs in England about the early years funding crisis to make sure they are all aware.

350,000 readers Hungry Caterpillars in Stanmore welcomed Conservative MP Bob Blackman for the afternoon to talk about the impact of the frozen early years funding rates, while the living wage and rent continue to increase.

Around 350,000 people read about the funding crisis on the BBC News website.

170 Tweets Approximately 170 Tweets have been posted using the #FairFutureFunding hashtag.

449 downloads Our Action Week template letter to send to MPs was downloaded just under 450 times.

6 candidates Hungry Caterpillars was also paid a visit by Labour MP Rupa Huq, who spoke with the manager at the group’s Acton nursery. Huq was impressed with the setting and the resources offered to children and reassured the team that she would be taking all the points raised to members of parliament.

We tweeted six conservative party leadership candidates, asking for a review of childcare funding, but as this issue went to press, none of them had responded.

Next steps After the success of Action Week, the Alliance is continuing to keep the pressure on MPs and government ahead of the Spending Review. At the start of July, the Alliance co-hosted an event in Westminster to mark the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Childcare and Early Education’s report on sustainability in the sector. Providers were invited to attend, along with their MPs, to help make the case for fairer funding for the early years.

If you haven’t written to your MP yet, don’t worry it’s not too late. You can help us keep pressure on politicians by downloading the letter template from our website and letting your MP know how funding rates affect your setting. All the information you need, including fact sheets that you can share, are available at www.eyalliance.org.uk/FairFutureFunding.

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WELLBEING

Back to basics Julie Pickthall, early years practice manager at Steady Steps Nursery and Pre-school, shares how her setting has been improving staff wellbeing after last year’s Minds Matter event and report

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have worked in the childcare sector for more than 25 years, riding each wave of change as it hits – admittedly, sometimes having to hold on with all my might! With a great team beside me, my grip has held firm for the last 15 years, successfully managing an early years setting in the voluntary sector. However, the sector has come under increasing pressure in recent years and I have, at times, felt my hold on things starting to slip.

Last term, as my team prepared for the end of term reports and parents evening, the level of stress felt by my staff team started to infiltrate the atmosphere so much that it became tangible within the setting. On the surface, all was calm. The children remained our priority and we still ensured that their needs were met and meaningful learning was still taking place.

However, as their manager of many years, I could sense that my team were struggling beneath the surface and I knew that I had to act.

Last year, I attended the Alliance’s annual conference, Minds Matter, and as usual I left inspired and reassured that the organisation was championing our cause. But it was the message of this particular conference that gave me the strength to facilitate a change in my setting and try and give the staff a chance to take a step back and breathe. I decided to trial a new way of working in the weeks before our Easter break.

A new way of working Having spoken to our parent committee, I asked the 12 members of the team who hold the role of Key Person to hand in their tablets to the office and to pack away their notebooks.

I wanted them all to end the term having spent more time in the children’s company doing what they do best: being with and caring for the children. I didn’t want them to feel the constant need to reach for the tablet to take a photo or note down an observation. Even with the best intentions, we are all guilty of at times being so intent on capturing a moment that we forget to really live in it and enjoy it.

The staff were at first hesitant. I could see their minds racing, worried that they would get

behind on their observations. Some expressed concerns about the reaction of parents, who have come to expect regular photograph entries in their child’s learning journal. I reassured them that I truly believed that these three weeks without formal observations and photographs would not be detrimental for any of the children.

I thought that my team might even learn more about their key children and I was right.

New direction Once the staff relaxed into this short-term change that, incidentally, went against everything they believed to be best practice, the atmosphere lifted. There was an excited buzz in the setting that I had not felt for some time. Staff and children were laughing together, impromptu conversations opened up and new play situations were created, led by the children. At the end of the three week trial, I asked my staff to reflect on the change. The most poignant feedback from all the staff was that they got to know their key children better and learned more about the relationships the children had with each other. They were just enjoying being with the children and living in the moment.

For our setting, the change created that much needed breath of fresh air and it was a great way for us to end the term. I saw new vigour in my staff, as they were now free of the overwhelming pressure to take photos, make notes and write-up observations. They now had the energy to dig deep and come up with new and challenging activities based on the children’s interests. Our in-the-moment planning boards were full. I saw a marked improvement in the emotional wellbeing of the children who struggle with self-regulation Transitions throughout the day were managed with ease and less fuss. I also had the privilege of listening to wonderful conversations shared between children and staff.

Did learning still take place? Absolutely. One child who would usually stop in their tracks if they knew they were being observed, or freeze if the camera came out, flourished. They now have a much more relaxed relationship with their

key person. And did any parent ask about the lack of journal entries? No, not one!

Long-term plans Now that the experiment is over, I do still agree that we must, of course, evidence the progression in children’s learning and development. I also agree that we must identify any gaps in children’s attainment and address them to ensure that every child is happy, safe and has every opportunity to reach their full potential. However, I cannot and will not ignore what I learnt in those three weeks, nor will I overlook the responsibility I have for the wellbeing of my staff.

I am now working with our parent committee to review paperwork at the setting. Our objective will always be to maintain our outstanding practice in identifying and meeting the individual needs of our children. However, with this said, I must question whether we have created a problem for ourselves with learning journals.

My first recommendation will be to stop sandwiching quality observations with timeconsuming scrapbook style entries that only serve to please the parents.

During the experiment, one of my senior practitioners said to me: “Today, I belly-laughed with my key children as we were playing in the sand. I am looking forward to what they bring tomorrow.” To me, as an experienced manager, this is the epitome of what early years care and education should be about. It resonates best practice for the children and promotes wellbeing for my team as well.

Find out more Alliance publication Building a Resilient Workforce in the Early Years (£13.95 for members, £19.50 for non-members) promotes a proactive approach to improving mental health and wellbeing and is filled with guidance and advice on improving workplace practice and providing support to colleagues.

Visit shop.eyalliance.org.uk to purchase a copy.

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Cultural capital: wha The term ‘cultural capital’ has been added to Ofsted’s new inspection framework, due to come into effect in September. Here, Alliance quality and standards director Michael Freeston explains what it means for the early years

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he new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) will come into force on 1 September 2019. Ofsted has explained that the EIF is an evolution from the previous Common Inspection Framework, putting an increased focus on professional discussion between the inspector and setting staff about their educational programmes, how well it is delivered and what impact it has on children’s learning and development. The new EIF also introduces the concept of cultural capital. The framework states: “Cultural capital is the essential knowledge that children need to prepare them for their future success. It is about giving children the best possible start to their early education. As part of making a judgment about the quality of education, inspectors will consider how well leaders use the curriculum to enhance the experience and opportunities available to children, particularly the most disadvantaged […]

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“Some children arrive at an early years setting with different experiences from others, in their learning and play. What a setting does, through the EYFS curriculum and interactions with practitioners potentially makes all the difference to children. It is the role of the setting to help the children experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live, through the seven areas of learning.”

Cultural capital in your setting Some practitioners have expressed concern that Ofsted has not made it clear what inspectors will expect to see and hear as evidence that children’s cultural capital is being enhanced at their early years settings.

Others say that the new framework presents a superficial definition of a term that covers a whole area of sociological study.

Early years providers should be confident that they are able to demonstrate how

their provision shows children the “awe and wonder” of the world. Make sure that you and your colleagues feel confident talking about building activities around the children’s interests. You can use the knowledge from regular observations, work as key persons and what you know of the children’s home lives to develop children’s experiences and learning.

There is no need to over-think cultural capital – it is the exciting and stimulating activities that you do with children every day. It may include finding books on a child’s favourite topic, creating role-play activities that further their interest in a particular idea, taking trips to the park or organising visits from community figures such as the police. What is important is that you feel confident explaining why you have chosen a particular activity and how it will benefit the child’s learning and development.

OFSTED

at you need to know Learning and development

Deeper meanings

In an early years setting, cultural capital means that each child arrives with a number of experiences and ideas based on their own personal circumstances. Ofsted has previously demonstrated its approach with a picture of two boys dressed up as pirates. Here, they argue that the cultural capital used is the pre-existing knowledge that they have about pirates, allowing them to enjoy the game. They know that pirates wear hats and carry weapons – and that pirates go “arrghh!”

In this way, explaining how you improve cultural capital can be considered similar to the challenges the sector faced when asked to demonstrate how your setting “promotes British values”. We may not have been sure of what the term meant when it was first introduced, but we soon came to realise that if we were supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development then we were in effect promoting British values.

However, there are still some concerns about the definition of cultural capital provided and the reasons why it has been added to the EIF. The concept of cultural capital is associated with sociologist Pierre Bourdieu who used the term to explain why some children achieve better educational outcomes than others.

Bourdieu defined cultural capital as the various assets that people have including the way they speak, their level of education and their hobbies and interests. He noted that children from less advantaged backgrounds were less likely to achieve academically than their better off peers and concluded that the education system and wider society values certain aspects of cultural capital more than others. This, he believed, influences social mobility, wellbeing and life outcomes. Ofsted’s definition of cultural capital as “the knowledge that children need to be effective citizens” is only one part of the story.

Some providers are concerned that Ofsted has introduced a term that, as a sociological concept, is about power and how groups of people maintain and enhance their positions in society at the expense of others. However, it is unlikely that Ofsted will make judgments based on the life experiences and lifestyles of the children that attend each setting.

The early years sector can be reassured that the essence of cultural capital already lies within the EYFS. Rather than looking for hidden meaning in the phrase, practitioners should continue to focus on giving each child the best start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their full potential.

Find out more The Alliance webinar, Preparing your provision for the Education Inspection Framework, is available to watch online at bit.ly/2FlREyh. A summary of all the main changes to the new inspection framework is also available in the members’ area at eyalliance.org.uk/ members-area.

Listening and learning W

e know that many children start school without the communication skills needed for learning and making friends. Children from disadvantaged families are more likely to have delayed language, with some only having a third of the vocabulary of their better off peers. This early delay can lead to significant difficulties later on, particularly when it comes to reading and writing.

What is ‘speech, language and communication’?

Communication is a very complex business.

For English language speakers, communication can be defined as the “act or process of using words, sounds, signs or behaviours to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts and feelings to someone else”.

To help us understand the whole process of communication and its development, particularly for the children we come across in the early years, it can be useful to separate it out into speech, language and communication.

Speech By ‘speech’, we mean the sounds children use to build up words, saying sounds accurately and in the right places. Speech also includes speaking fluently without hesitation, speaking with expression, using

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pitch, volume and intonation to support and emphasise meaning.

Language By ‘language’, we mean both receptive and expressive language. Receptive means understanding words and how they are put together in sentences and then making sense of what people say. Expressive means using words to describe objects and actions, how they are used to build up sentences and how we then use those sentences in conversation.

Communication Communication can be verbal and nonverbal. As children develop, they will use communication to share information, comment, ask questions, express wants and needs and develop social relationships. For example, using facial expressions, eye contact, gestures and touch.

Non-verbal communication can even start prebirth. According to researchers at the University of Dundee, babies may be able to recognise their mother’s touch while still in the womb, helping them to bond and communicate non-verbally even before birth. They found that babies were most likely to reach out and touch the wall of the uterus when their mother caressed her bump.

Two-way verbal communication starts at

birth with a look, smile or cry. How we respond, even at this early stage, will impact on the development process. We all know that children develop in different ways and this is particularly the case with children’s speech, language and communication development. Some develop quickly while others make take longer and this applies across the spectrum.

Why is communication so important?

Communication and language are one of three core strands of the EYFS and the Ofsted Inspection Framework and often feature in school readiness and outcome-driven initiatives.

Language is the foundation for learning.

Think about a typical session and how much you use language to support the children’s learning. Messy play, imaginative play and the home corner all depend on language, whereas puzzles and building blocks can be used without language.

The basis of good social and emotional development is communication. Children use words, sentences and non-verbal communication to make and sustain friendships. What we experience in the setting first and foremost are the behaviours, but we need to remember that these behaviours can often mask speech and language difficulties.

COMMUNICATION

In this free extract from EduCare course, Speech, Language and Communication, we consider how settings can help children develop these skills

These behaviours can take the form of aggression or wilfulness, while other children may become withdrawn and choose to play alone. Research into older children suggests that aggressive, wilful or withdrawn children are less likely to be liked by others in their class. These social, emotional and behavioural aspects can have a significant impact on children’s outcomes.

How do we communicate?

Communication involves many different skills and children need to develop all of these in

order to be successful communicators. They can be seen as building blocks which work together to underpin communication.

The pyramid below is not a model of normal speech and language development but it is useful to see how the different elements relate to each other. It is not the case that each component must be developed before the next one develops. For example, we know that looking and listening skills develop alongside pronunciation or speech sounds – they are not at the beginning and end of language development.

In your setting it is important to think about all of the building blocks of language development in relation to each child. Do not make assumptions. Check each element carefully through your observations.

You may have a key child who is difficult to understand because their speech sounds are not clear. In this instance, it is important to check, by speaking with parents and carers, that they don’t have difficulty physically hearing the sounds. Do you have to attract their attention? Have the child’s family noticed them turning up the volume on the TV? If you have any concerns about a child’s hearing, parents should speak with their Health Visitor or GP about screening or an onward referral.

If hearing is not a concern, consider whether the child may have difficulty with their ability to listen. Do they listen to instructions?

Do they flit from one activity to another? Do you constantly have to repeat things?

The child may have difficulty looking and listening. While this won’t prevent them from learning to talk, it may mean that they haven’t developed the ability to hear the difference between sounds. It is more effective to focus on improving the child’s looking and listening skills than their pronunciation.

Find out more To complete this EduCare course, visit www.eyalliance.org.uk/EduCare.

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Hay fever: how to manage children’s symptoms With another difficult season for hay fever sufferers underway, we look at how you can help children who may be suffering with the condition in your setting

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ALLERGIES

What is hay fever?

Hay fever is a very common allergic reaction which occurs in the summer months. It is a result of the body producing allergic antibodies in response to pollen.

Hay fever is one of the most common allergies, with between 10-30% of adults experiencing it and up to 40% of children. It’s not particularly common for children under five to suffer with the condition, but children with a close family member with hay fever are more likely to have it too. Children who have asthma are likely to have hay fever as well.

People usually start experiencing hay fever symptoms in late March/early April and it can last into September, but the season does change depending on the weather. Children who spend a lot of time outdoors are naturally more likely to experience symptoms as they come into contact with pollen, although high pollution levels around urban settings can make the effect of pollen worse too.

What are the symptoms?

Children have similar symptoms to adults with hay fever: sneezing runny nose coughing wheezing, or other asthma symptoms itchy eyes Children who suffer with hay fever may also be more tired than usual, particularly if their symptoms have been stopping them from sleeping through the night.

In many children, it may be hard to tell whether they have hay fever or an or infection, so it’s important that families speak with their GP to get a diagnosis.

What should you do if you think a child has hay fever?

Speak to the child’s parents and suggest that they visit their GP for a diagnosis. They will want to be sure that the child’s symptoms are caused by pollen and not another illness or different allergy. Children who have previously been diagnosed with asthma and/or eczema are more likely to suffer with hay fever.

How you can help manage their symptoms in your setting?

If you know that any children in your setting suffer with hay fever, there are a number of steps you can take to help reduce their symptoms.

You should complete a health care plan for each child who suffers with hay fever, detailing their daily medical needs, a risk assessment and actions to be taken in an emergency. This should be reviewed regularly.

1. Keep an eye on the pollen count – BBC Weather and the Met Office both share a forecast for the day’s pollen count.

Warm, dry days tend to have higher pollen counts, although thunderstorms can also stir up pollen and worsen symptoms.

2. Close windows – Pollen levels are highest in the early morning and early evening.

Consider keeping your windows closed and children with hay fever indoors at these times to reduce their symptoms.

3. C over up – Sunglasses and hats can help protect children from pollen by stopping it from reaching their eyes and noses so make sure they’ve got these on before heading outside.

4. Avoid cut grass – Freshly cut grass can trigger symptoms for those with hay fever, so try to arrange for your outdoor area to be mowed at weekends or evenings if possible. Try to avoid parks or other shared spaces if the grass has just been cut.

5. C lean up – Make sure that children wash their hands after coming in from outside to remove any pollen. Some children may find that rinsing their face with cool water after being outside helps reduce their symptoms too. Their parents or carers will want to make sure that any clothing worn outdoors is removed when they get home and washed.

6. Dust down – Keep pollen levels inside your setting low by vacuuming more often than usual and wiping surfaces down with a damp cloth to remove any pollen that may have come indoors.

7. Dry inside – Avoid drying any of your washing for the setting outside when the pollen count is high as it can collect pollen while it is hanging on the line. Try to dry clothing, cloths and blankets indoors or use a tumble dryer if possible.

Of course you won’t want to cancel any outdoor activities during the summer months – these activities are still important. But you may want to make sure children with hay fever have a space indoors, away from the windows, they can use if they are struggling with their symptoms.

Children with asthma Around eight out of every 10 people with asthma also have a pollen allergy. If any children in your setting suffer with asthma, speak to their parents or carers about whether pollen has previously been a trigger for them and make sure your team knows what to do if they need to use their inhaler.

Make sure that you’ve spoken to parents about their child’s asthma and have a copy their asthma action plan so you know what to do if they have any symptoms of an attack. If a child’s asthma symptoms are not improving after using their inhaler – call 999 immediately.

If a child has symptoms of an asthma attack but does not have their inhaler with them – call 999 immediately.

Seasons of pollen You may notice that some children experience hay fever symptoms at different times of the year. This is because different types of pollen are released at separate times and some children may be allergic to more than one type.

The three main pollen seasons are: April-May – tree pollen May-August – grass pollen June-September – weed pollen 95% of people with hay fever are allergic to grass pollen – so it’s likely that most children with hay fever will have symptoms between May and August.

Find out more For more detailed information about managing hay fever symptoms in your setting, visit www.allergyuk.org.

Early Years Alliance

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early years training Become an Early Years Alliance member

Over 200,000 courses already completed by our members - many saving up to £5,000 on essential training over a year!

“The team has benefited hugely.

It’s comprehensive, giving a clear understanding of key learning areas relevant to us.”

Paula, nursery manager

How it works In partnership with the award-winning training provider, EduCare, every Alliance member’s team receives free access to over 20 online training courses each year.

As an Alliance member, make sure you take advantage of this amazing free training offer. Simply contact the Alliance’s Information Service team to discuss your needs.

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COMMUNICATION

Supporting young children’s speech, language and communication Speech, language and communication is a foundation skill for all aspects of learning and impacts on social and emotional development. The ability to communicate is an essential life skill, and strong language and communication skills are linked to better outcomes for children in school and beyond: Speech, language and communication supports all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Children who are behind in language development at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in English at age 11, and 11 times less likely to achieve the expected level in maths.

Language development at the age of two – their understanding and use of vocabulary and use of two- or three-word sentences – strongly predicts children’s performance on entry to primary school.

Vocabulary at age five has been found to be the best predictor of whether children who have experienced social deprivation in childhood were able to escape poverty in later adult life.

Ofsted places strong emphasis on speech, language and communication in their

inspections under the Education Inspection Framework. It states: “Early years education needs a wide variety of specific knowledge, including on children’s physical and mental development, communication and learning and teaching in specific subjects and areas of development.”

When observing interactions between children and staff, inspectors should consider how well staff: engage in dialogue with children watch, listen and respond to children model language read aloud and tell stories to children sing action songs, nursery rhymes and games encourage children to express their thoughts and use new words support independence and confidence encourage children to speculate and test ideas through trial and error enable children to explore and solve problems behave as an excellent role model for children to copy support children to recognise and respond to their own physical needs attend to children’s personal needs

deal with children’s care arrangements, including intimate care, the levels of privacy afforded to children and the supervision arrangements when undertaking personal hygiene tasks The starting point for babies’ and young children’s speech, language and communication is tied to the quality of support they receive from their parents and carers, within the context of close and loving relationships, as well as stimulating external environments.

For example, when parents spend time reading with their children from an early age, they are nurturing a love and understanding of books, which provide experiences that can excite a child, give them meaning and satisfy their personal, emotional, mental, imaginative and creative needs. Therefore, like all other areas of learning and development, practitioners need to work with parents to share knowledge and understanding, to build a picture of the whole child and enable them to reach their full potential.

NEW FIRST AND FOREMOST PLAY CARDS FOR PARENTS Early Years Alliance (Ref: T854) £3.95 members, £7.95 non-members As their first and most enduring educators, parents talk to their children and stimulate learning through family activities and play. This learning is just as important as the learning that takes place in early years settings.

The new First and Foremost Play Cards for Parents provide parents with ideas and activities that they can do with their child in different everyday situations, highlighting the important role of the adult in supporting children as they practice and develop new language skills.

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We’re all going on a

summer holiday Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher shares some ideas to explore in your setting over the summer

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ACTIVITY CORNER

A

s summer is upon us, many families and practitioners will be anticipating a holiday. For some, this will mean travelling to exotic places and staying in a hotel. Others may stay closer to home, perhaps staying in a tent or caravan or visiting the seaside. All of these holidays will offer children a chance for new experiences and learning.

A holiday brings opportunities for families to unwind and relax, trying different things and indulging in our innate need to break with our daily routines for a short time. Children need this time just as much as adults do. Modern life is busy and demanding so a break from routines is undoubtedly good for everyone.

It is important to understand that a holiday will not be an option for every family for a variety of reasons. So why not recreate a holiday atmosphere in your setting as we all enjoy the long and hopefully hot days ahead?

Dressing up and role-play Restock your dressing up box with sun hats, sarongs, beach towels and sunglasses for children to play with. It’s easy to make your own sunglasses with cardboard templates – let children decorate them as they please.

Find some big beach bags and small suitcases that the children can pack and unpack. This will help children learn about volume and capacity and support younger children’s schemas.

Let children recreate encounters they have had themselves on holiday or ones they may have seen on TV. Provide the props and see where the children’s imagination takes them.

Checking in Instead of registering and signing in for sessions when children arrive, try turning your entrance into a hotel lobby or airline check-in desk. You don’t need a lot of space, just use what you have available.

Make passports for the children and stamp them as they arrive each day. Create a separate sign-in book and give children room numbers and maybe even keys, if you have some large enough not to pose a choking risk to younger children.

Children can take turns at being the hotel receptionist or airline check-in person.

Setting up camp You may not be able to sleep outdoors overnight with the children, but there is something very exciting about playing in a tent and pretending to camp out anyway.

Borrow a large tent if you do not have one yourself – preferably one with more than one room/compartment and put it up together in your outdoor area.

Many modern tents claim to be quick and easy to put up, or even pop up, so it should not be too challenging for the children. Think of all the physical skills that will be promoted, not to mention the characteristics of effective learning as you problem solve, keep trying and ultimately enjoy and achieve.

Leave it up for the whole summer if you have the room available.

Once the tent has been erected, let children decide what they will need to be comfortable inside. Let them find somewhere to sleep, somewhere to eat and sit. Forest schoolers may know how to arrange a base camp by finding large stones to enclose a campfire and logs for seating around the outside.

Lighting a real camp fire might not be an option, but children will enjoy finding sticks and twigs to make a dummy one.

When all the hard work is done, sit around your pretend, or real, campfire and tell stories. Eat a traditional campfire meal of sausage and beans, or maybe toasted marshmallows, and wash up outdoors too.

Remember, the more realistic the experience, the more relevant the learning.

full event and invite families, you can still recreate the festival vibe with the children.

Try introducing different activities each day of the week - face-painting, circus skills, music, food and dancing can all be enjoyed outdoors. Create a stage and let children put on a performance.

If you’d like to invite families to join in, and discover their inner child, you could host a ‘play festival’. Let parents build dens, have fun with playdough or try junk modeling. This is a great chance to show parents what you and their children have been learning.

“Holidays are all about the memories we make and the little things that remind us of the fun times.”

Host your own festival Another summer staple is the festival – whether it is music, food, cars, country pursuits or a combination of everything.

Summer festivals are increasingly popular but can be cost prohibitive for many families.

So why not host your own?

Create the feel of a summer festival with banners, bunting and streamers in your outdoor space. You don’t need to host a

Make a beach

If you don’t have a sandpit of your own, section off an area where you can spread out some sand.

Add some shells, dried seaweed, driftwood and pebbles. Children can have a real sensory experience as they wriggle their toes in the sand, smell the seaweed and feel the smoothness of the pebble or listen to the sound of the sea in the shells. Extend the activity by hiding treasures in the sand ready to be found.

A bucket and spade can take activities usually confined to the sand-tray to a whole new level as children have more space to play. Make sure there is water nearby so that children can fill their buckets and a moat for their sandcastles.

Send a postcard With the increased use of social media, it is easy to forget the simple pleasure of receiving a postcard with news from a family member or friend. Take photos of your holiday-themed activities and turn them into postcards. Better still, let children draw or paint their own. Take a walk to the post office together, post your cards and anticipate their arrival on the doormat.

Holidays are all about the memories we make and the little things that remind us of fun times. A post-card on the fridge door will prompt conversation at home, further enhancing the learning in the days and weeks to come.

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SAFETY

Summer safety Summer brings many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but there are additional health and safety implications that must be considered. In this Alliance mini guide, we consider the key concerns Keeping cool Babies and young children are more vulnerable to dehydration. Children must be kept cool and safe during hot weather.

Therefore, plenty of drinking water should be available for children to access, with cooled boiled drinking water for babies. Children’s fluid intake should be monitored more closely.

Playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool. Keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times.

Encourage parents to dress their children in natural and light fabrics (e.g. cotton).

Look out for signs of heat exhaustion, such as children becoming floppy and sleepy.

Avoid too much running around.

Open windows and use fans to ventilate all areas, where safe to do so.

The issue of shade and ventilation can be a challenge within childcare environments: “[…]during working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.”

(The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) The law does not state a minimum or maximum temperature for work places in the UK. However, the Workplace Regulations 1992 says that employers must maintain a “reasonable” temperature in the workplace. Bear this in mind on the hottest days this summer.

Sun lotion Skin cancer is currently the most common form of cancer in the UK, with rates still

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increasing. Time in the sun should be avoided between 11am and 3pm, and protection measures should be in place between March and October. Permission must be in place to apply sun cream to children, which should be provided by the parents.

If medicated sun cream is used, this must be recorded as a medication. Sunglasses should have the suitable CE mark and UV protection. Parents’ wishes should be respected, and they should be provided with information on protecting their children in the sun, such as always using a minimum of SPF15 sun lotion.

Creepy crawlies Children should be encouraged to explore, but practitioners should check any outdoor areas prior to children entering them. Most insect bites are harmless, but some can be painful. It is therefore important to share an understanding with children as to what can be harmful.

For example, while the common black ant doesn’t sting, red, wood and flying ants do, especially in warm weather or when threatened.

They’re harmless, but will be distressing for young children. Bee and wasp stings can also be painful, and sticky hands and faces may attract them. Therefore, children should understand the importance of keeping their hands and faces clean.

You should also reflect on your reactions to creepy crawlies and understand the impact negative reactions, such as fear and hysteria, can have on young children.

Other than insects, you should be aware of any particular risks in your area, including snakes. The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain. You should be aware of warning signs if they are in your area.

Days out Outings are a regular activity for childcare providers, particularly during the summer months. Children need to experience the outdoors and interact with the world around them. This will help them to develop a positive attitude towards all living creatures. However, outings do come with their own risks, but largely they are avoidable, through: effective use of policies and procedures which meet regulatory requirements sufficient staff present appropriate resources and activities rigorous risk assessments shared with all staff dynamic risk assessment all staff being accountable for the children For every outing, a named designated lead should ensure that all required steps are taken, including ensuring each outing has an educational purpose, written permission from parents has been received, and all staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Finally, remember, summer is brilliant but the fun doesn’t have to stop with the arrival of Autumn!

Find out more The Alliance’s mini guides, covering a huge range of topics, are available to download from the members’ area at www.eyalliance. org.uk/members-area.

For further advice, please contact the Alliance’s information service team at: 020 7697 2595 or info@eyalliance.org.uk

COMPETITION

WIN a bundle of Play Stuff Dough from John Adams worth £108

Play Stuff Dough from John Adams helps children to develop hand-eye coordination and imaginative play. The Picnic Patch and Scrummy Shop sets include tools for rolling, moulding and chopping shapes.

For more information, visit www. johnadams.co.uk.

For your chance to win a bundle of Play Stuff Dough from John Adams worth £108, simply email your answer to the following question, along with your full name and address to: under5.competitions@ eyalliance.org.uk before 8 August 2019.

When does the new Ofsted inspection framework come into effect? (hint: see page 22) a) 1 September 2019 b) 1 October 2019 c) 1 January 2020

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.

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

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