Under 5 June 2018

Under 5 WIN

Magazine of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

June 2018

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Data protection Clearing up common myths

Get muddy, get active Bringing messy play outdoors

Stretch and unwind Introducing yoga to your setting

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Contents 4

News round-up

8

My Under 5

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

16

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

10 Letters to the editor

Under 5 readers share their views

12 The job at hand

Gill Jones, deputy director of early education at Ofsted, shares her thoughts on the current concerns facing the sector

14 Minds matter: the results

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The Alliance shares the results of its mental health survey

16 Myth vs fact: Data protection

The Information Commissioner’s Office clears up some comment misconceptions about data in early years settings

19 Handling a disciplinary

The second instalment of our guide to disciplinary procedures

20 Healthy and happy

How spending more time outdoors could improve children’s wellbeing

22 Stretch and unwind

YogaBugs shares some fun ideas for introducing children to yoga

24 Difference not deficit

How to welcome a child with autism, or suspected autism into your setting

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26 A day on the farm

RSA explains how to keep children safe and healthy when visiting the local farm

28 Getting dads involved

The Fatherhood Institute explains why you should get to know fathers in your setting

29 Celebrating languages

Ideas for working with bilingual children and welcoming new cultures

30 Get muddy, get active

Getting messy and active outdoors this summer

31 Tips for a fussy toddler

The Infant & Toddler Forum shares ideas for coping with fussy eaters in the setting and at home

33 Competition

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome Welcome to Under 5 Many of you will be reading this issue at this year’s Alliance Annual Conference in London. If so, thanks so much for joining us and please do come and say hello if you see me around at the event.

This year’s conference follows the theme: Minds Matter: protecting the wellbeing of children and practitioners in the early years. Over the past few months, we’ve been thinking a lot about mental wellbeing – not just for young children, but for early years practitioners, too. We were overwhelmed by the response to our survey on mental health in the sector and the results were really concerning. We’ll be unveiling the full results at the conference, but you can see some details from the survey in this issue (page 14).

The biggest concern for many practitioners was the impact of paperwork and other admin. We’ve spoken to the Information Commissioner’s Office to clear up some of the common myths about data protection in early years settings (page 16). This will be particularly welcome after the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May last month. If you need any more help making sure your business is compliant, you can see all the information the Alliance has prepared at www.pre-school.org.uk/gdpr.

We’ve also got some fun ideas for helping to improve children’s wellbeing. If you’d like to try out some yoga in your setting, Lisa Applebee from YogaBugs has shared some ideas with us (page 22). Lisa will also be hosting a practical workshop at our conference today, so make sure you stick around to try out the ideas yourself.

Reader Sally-Ann Barker has also shared some ideas for improving children’s wellbeing by spending some more time enjoying activities outdoors (page 20). For more outdoor play ideas, Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher has explored new ways to enjoy playing with mud and getting messy outdoors in your setting (page 30). We’ve also heard from the Autism Education Trust about making sure your setting is as welcoming as possible for children with autism, or suspected autism (page 24).

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, will also be speaking at the Alliance’s conference. We’ve heard from Gill Jones, deputy director of early education, who has shared her thoughts on the current situation in the early years and the best steps forward (page 12).

If you’d like to share your thoughts on the issues raised at the conference or in this issue, please do get in touch. We’re always keen to hear your thoughts and share your stories. Email us at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk Rachel Lawler, editor UNDER 5

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in brief...

MENTAL HEALTH: The NSPCC says that the number of children referred for mental health treatment has risen by a third, with 55% of cases coming from primary schools.

Inquiry into impact of early education launches

round-up Government “failing a generation” on mental health The government is “failing a generation” on mental health according to a joint report from the Education and Health and Social Care Committees.

Both committees criticised the government’s proposed Green Paper on Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision, which was revealed in December last year. They said that the proposals would not help those who need support and criticised the lack of focus on the early years.

Lack of focus on early years The report, titled The Government’s Green Paper on mental health: failing a generation, explains: “A lack of focus on the early years means that opportunities are being missed to promote emotional resilience and prevent mental health and wellbeing problems later in life.

“There is no consideration given to the important role that health visitors and children’s centres can have in promoting emotional wellbeing in the early years or of the adverse impact reductions in funding for these areas might have on support for the 0 to five age group.”

Delayed roll-out The committees also criticised the timescale suggested in the government’s proposals.

The report says: “Rolling out the plans to only a ‘fifth to a quarter of the country by 2022-23’ is not ambitious enough.”

Exam stress The effect of testing on children’s mental

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health was also highlighted by the committees, which recommended that the government gather evidence on the impact of exam pressure.

Early intervention Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “It’s difficult to see how government could contemplate any children’s mental health policy that doesn’t begin with the role of early years professionals in promoting mental well-being in young children.

“It is by now well-established that the first five years of a child’s life are pivotal to their long-term development and so there is simply no excuse for the lack of focus on the early years in the Green Paper – as such, the report is absolutely right to call on ministers to look again at the important role that childcare professionals can play in this area.

“We also welcome the committee’s recognition of the importance of children’s centres in supporting children’s emotional well-being. We have long argued that such centres provide a vital service to children and families, and we hope that as the government looks to move forward with its work on children’s mental health, it will recognise the crucial role that children’s centres play by providing proper clarity over their future.”

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children, added: “With 28% of pre-school children facing difficulties that can impact on their mental health, it’s imperative that the government commits to doing more for this group.”

An inquiry into the impact of the early years of a child’s life on their future life chances has launched. Set up by the parliamentary education committee, the inquiry will focus on the effect of early years education and social policy on children in the long-term, while examining current government policy.

Early intervention Robert Halfon MP, chair of the education committee, said: “Research indicates that children who start school with poor language skills are six times more likely to struggle with reading and 11 times more likely to struggle with maths at the age of 11.

“While home and family life are the biggest influence on a child’s language and skills development in their early years, high quality early years education can have a major impact in helping even the most disadvantaged children to compete with their betteroff peers.”

“Inequalities in children’s life chances sadly often depend on where they live. In this postcode lotery, some children will benefit from schools and health support services who co-ordinate their work effectively and help to deliver great results.

Unfortunately, in other areas this won’t be the case and childern will not get the support they deserve.

“The education committee is dedicated to promoting social justice and ensuring that all children have the best life chances must be a vital part of this objective. As a committee, we are determined that our inquiry will recommend practical proposals to ensure that all children have the chance to reach and climb the ladder of opportunity and succeed in their lives ahead.”

Evidence invitation The committee is inviting written evidence on: the role of quality early years education; the importance of support for parents and families and integration with other services; and the importance of communication skills and language development.

SEND CUTS: One in three councils is planning to reduce support for deaf children this year, according to statistics gathered by the National Deaf Children’s Society.

STRESS: Three out of four Britons have felt overwhelmed by stress in the past year, according to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation thinktank.

Government launches fund for early language skills The government has announced a total of £13.5 million in funding to help support early language and literacy skills.

The Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced the fund and explained that it would be used to support two schemes: a £5 million project run by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) aiming to support parents through simple steps like reading and singing nursery rhymes; and a £8.5 million fund for local authority projects aimed at disadvantaged children.

Parental support Both schemes will aim to build parents’ confidence in supporting their children with early language and reading in a bid to help close the ‘word gap’ between disadvantaged children and their peers when they start school. The government said that there is evidence to suggest that this gap can have a long-term effect on children’s educational outcomes.

Hinds said: “This new support will help parents with early language learning at home by giving them practical advice on activities like reading and learning the alphabet, which are so important in making sure no child is left behind.”

DfE announces new SENCO guidance

The schemes are part of a wider drive to improve social mobility and were first announced in December as part of the Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential plan.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published new guidelines for early years SENCO qualifications and job specifications.

Alliance concerns

SENCO job role and qualification

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “Any money focused on getting disadvantaged children schoolready should be money well-spent. But the fact is that these parents should already have access to professional support of this kind in the form of children’s centres. That some parents are unable to get this support is a result of years of indifference towards children centres that has led to a lack of inspections and hundreds of closures. This tiny amount of money won’t change that.

“If ministers were serious about closing the word gap they would be focussed on reaching as many children as possible through properly funded children’s centres and quality childcare practitioners, rather than offering piecemeal funding to a handful of parents. Until then announcements like this will be greeted with scepticism by a sector already feeling undervalued and worried about a future of rising costs and falling funds.”

The DfE has published a Level 3 Early Years SENCO job description, which is designed to help practitioners clarify the role of the SENCO in non-maintained settings.

“Outlining the work of a SENCO is essential if that person is to succeed in their role.”

The Level 3 Early Years SENCO qualification specifications are designed to help create new qualifications to support early years practitioners in performing these roles effectively, although the qualifications are not mandatory.

The recommended specification was developed by early years experts with support from the DfE.

Essential work Michael Freeston, director of quality improvement at the Alliance, said: “We welcome the publication of the SENCO qualification specification and job description, both of which mark an important - though long overdue - recognition of the essential work that those working with young children with additional needs play in the sector. We were also particularly pleased to see that the input and reach of voluntary sector organisations has been recognised through these initiatives.

“We know that outlining the work of a SENCO is essential if that person is to succeed in their role, and the proposed job description reflects the approach that we at the Alliance have encouraged our members to take over the last 20 years.

“We equally welcome the publication of the new qualification specification, which delivers on a commitment made in the government’s Workforce Strategy, as this will support those in SENCO roles to demonstrate their understanding and application of the statutory and regulatory requirements of the sector.”

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Children in deprived areas more likely to suffer with tooth decay Landmark mental health survey launches The Alliance has launched a landmark survey on mental health in the early years sector.

The online survey was open to everyone in the sector, and asked them to share their views on what impact, if any, working in the early years has had on their stress levels and mental wellbeing.

Minds matter The results of the survey were revealed at the Alliance’s annual conference, which took place on Friday 1 June this year. The event focused on mental health and the wellbeing of both children and practitioners in the early years sector.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “As a society, we’re more open than ever about talking about mental health – and rightly so.

“And yet, while much research has been done on the impact of working in the

Statistics reveal “postcode lottery” for summer-born children Children born in the summer months still face uncertainty if their parents choose to delay their admission to school, according to research by the Department for Education (DfE).

The DfE said that out of 92 local authorities surveyed, 60% said that parents would need to make a case as to why their child should be allowed to start school aged five instead of four.

Just 10 local authorities have a policy of automatically agreeing to any requests for delayed entry while 23 said that parents needed to present “very strong evidence” before this would be allowed.

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primary and secondary education sectors, and in particular, the impact of workload on the mental health of teachers in recent years, there has to date been very little focus on how working in the early years sector can affect practitioners’ mental health and wellbeing.

Increasing stress “Underfunding, Ofsted inspections, high workload and poor pay are just some of the challenges facing the early years workforce today – and while it is of course vital to continue campaigning on a sector-wide basis on issues of concern, we at the Alliance believe it is equally important that the needs of individual practitioners, and the impact that working conditions in the sector may be having on their mental and emotional wellbeing, aren’t overlooked.

See page 14 for the full details on the results of the survey.

The remaining 56 local authorities all said that parents would be expected to present a case to support their decision, although they all said that they were more likely to agree to these requests now than in previous years.

Overall, 1,750 requests to delay school entry were made in 2017 – this has almost doubled in the past year, up from 916 in 2016. A total of 75% of these requests were granted in both 2017 and 2016.

In 2013, the DfE took steps to clarify the government’s position on delayed school entry. It published non-statutory advice and made it clear that “there are no legal barriers to children being admitted outside of their normal age group”.

Data released by the government has revealed inequalities in levels of tooth decay in five-year-olds, despite an overall decline. Overall, 23.4% of fiveyear-olds in England had decayed, missing or filled teeth in 2017. In the “most deprived” areas of the country, this rises to 33.7%. In the “least deprived” regions, just 13.6% of children aged five suffer with tooth decay.

23.4% of five-yearolds in England had decayed, missing or filled teeth in 2017.

In the most deprived areas this rises to 33.7%.

However, despite the regional inequalities, the number of children suffering with tooth decay continues to decline. In 2008, 30.9% of children overall were reportedly suffering with tooth decay aged five.

Tooth decay is linked to consumption of sugary foods and not brushing at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Public Health England has estimated that children miss more than 60,000 days of school each year due to tooth extractions.

Dr Sandra White, dental lead at Public Health England, commented on the statistics: “Children in our most deprived communities continue to be hit the hardest – we need more local authorities using targeted interventions to reduce these inequalities.”

Run a

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Little library

Cockleshell D ay Nursery in Southend has Start Southend opened a ‘little ’s new early re library’ as part ading project. of A Better a chance to br The libraries of ing and exchan fer children an ge bo d parents ok s for the libra lifelong love of ry, in a bid to reading. The en w co oo ur de ag n ea library shelve Chris Gostling s were donate . d by retired te acher

Greenfinger s

The Rose Ac re Play Group has planted a woods, thanks tree in its loca to a donation l from Spelthor Council. The ne Borough children help ed to dig the wheelbarrow hole, using s and waterin g cans and he cornflowers ar lped to add ound the tree.

The work ties current them in with the se e of planting tting’s and recycling.

International Dance Day Boys & Girls Nursery, based in north London, has celebrated International Dance Day with a visit from Shape Academy, which helped teach the children dance techniques including jazz, tap and ballet.

The event was one of the setting’s Mini VIP sessions, which are always tied in with a seasonal interest or special day.

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urs e Liverpool and dinosa s ok a trip to th st to y ea se b la ial in W M Pre-school in The group

aurs’. reenleas theme ‘dinos Children at G e work on the r ei th of d following th rt ye jo pa Museum as easts and en i-b the trip, in in m jo of to ere invited t life cycles w ou gs ab in d bl ne si ar d le Parents an nosaur trail. museum’s di in the park. ic with a picn d de en ch hi w

Fancy dress fun

Children at St Erth’s Childcare Centre have helped raise money for new toys and equipment with a sponsored milelong walk. The children wore fancy dress to complete the mile, walking around the school grounds 11 times. The event raised a total of £482, which will be used to purchase lots of new toys for the setting.

Farm visit Jelly Beans Pre-school in Surrey has enjoyed a visit from a mobile farm.

Animals that visited the children included donkeys, sheep, lambs, goats and ducks. Children were able to pet, feed and hold some of the animals, while also learned about all their names, how old they are and what their favourite food is.

Care home friends

Residents at Brentwood Care Home Centre in Pilgrims Ha tch were delighted to be paid a visit by children from Hopscotch Day Nursery. Liz Francis, owner of the setting, said: “I think it’s very import ant that all the generations are reg ularly bought together like this. The re is no reason why the youngsters sho uld not come to visit their older rela tives and family friends. It is a very we lcoming and inclusive environment. ”

Outstanding hat-trick

nding’ has been graded ‘outsta Knightsfield Pre-schoolers e of ection, meaning that all thre

by Ofsted in its latest insp inspector have the top rating. The the WGC Group settings “exceptional pirational teaching” and praised the setting’s “ins at ed that children make gre leadership”. They also not tors. nica mu com e ctiv effe ing om progress at the setting, bec with lled thri the group, said: “We are Kim Brewer, manager at in put by lly reflects the hard work this Ofsted award as it rea ination.” the team and their determ

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ns Churc bration group in St Stephe of Sussex’s e l e c l a ess Roy s Play nd Duch lay Day

at P Duke a Children ted the d cakera b le e c aking an e v a -m h n l w a s for the Redn ek of cro ing card ini ith a we e wedd w d a g m in uffet, m d o wed up als akfast b ro re g b e h g T in ng. a wedd decorati njoyed le and e p u o c . l roya ress-up day of d d n a o disc

What’s been happening in your setting?

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

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Universal credit concerns I own a small pre-school and I have come across a problem that may affect a number of small providers as Universal Credit is rolled out, with hugely negative results.

I am a sole trader and we are a small setting, which has had a hard start but is now establishing itself. We are growing slowly but surely. I am also a single father to an adopted child and as such I receive universal credit to support my income, as I am only able to work three days a week until my daughter starts school.

This is where the problem starts. As a sole trader, every time the government funding is paid into the setting’s business account, I lose my Universal Credit for that month. As we get paid our funding three times a year, I lose three months of Universal Credit support every year. I am not able to recover this from my business account – the surplus funds are simply not there.

So any small setting owners who are currently receiving tax credits, which I am sure there are, they will lose several payments when Universal Credit is rolled out to their area.

Universal Credit say that as a sole trader, I could choose to spend all the money as it is technically mine. The fact that staff wouldn’t get paid, the setting will have to close and the local authority will be chasing me for the money they have overpaid, as they pay in advance to the end of term, does not matter.

As a result, the judge I saw last week when I took Universal Credit to court hinted very strongly that I should listen to my accountant and become a limited company, which I now in the process of doing. As a limited company, the money belongs to the company and I become an employee. As an employee, my universal credit is based only on my income.

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

This issue’s star letter wins a BiOBUDDi Learning playset from Profile Education.

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Top tweets @FreeRangeAdult Fourty years after being a father involved in pre-school education, it is good to see Under 5 magazine still going strong ☺

@under5mag Inquiry into early education launches bit.ly/2IBVx5F @DeborahFielden This is so frustrating!

Haven’t there been enough research projects and reports already that identify the strong impact already? It’s money being wasted!

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at @under5mag

OFSTED

The job at hand Gill Jones, deputy director of early education at Ofsted, shares her thoughts on the early years sector

T

hese are good times to be working in the early years sector. The quality of provision is very high.

The most recent Ofsted statistics show that more than nine out of 10 nurseries, childminders and others on the early years register were judged good or outstanding at their last inspection.

The statistics also show that the overall effectiveness of early years providers at their first inspection has risen over time.

In August 2012, 74% of them were good or better. Fast forward to today and that proportion is now 94%. The credit for this improvement clearly has to go to the managers and staff in nurseries and preschools. But I believe the accountability system also improves standards for young children: Ofsted has helped to make their early education better.

Knowledge base Today, anyone working in the early years sector is able to benefit from a wealth of research about children’s development.

When I started to work as a teacher in primary schools – not that long ago – staffroom discussions about neuroscience and cognitive psychology were not common. We now know so much more about how young children develop. I urge early years staff and managers to use that knowledge base.

Of course, a lot of research confirms what early years staff already know – that the way a young child develops in the first five or so years of life has a profound effect on the rest of their life. It’s not an exaggeration to say that these first few years determine, to a large extent, a child’s life chances as an adult.

The word gap I’m sure you’ll agree, intuition tells us that poor language skills will limit learning.

So, in April I was dismayed to read that

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the Oxford University Press had found that four out of 10 children had such a limited vocabulary that it was affecting their learning. Most of those surveyed – 86% of primary teachers and 80% of secondary teachers – responded that they thought it was very or extremely challenging for children with a limited vocabulary to read national test papers, and will therefore do less well in exams.

Researchers at Oxford University Press blamed this ‘word gap’ on too little reading for pleasure. So it’s really important that children develop a love of reading early in life.

And we cannot assume that all parents are reading to their child at home every night.

This is where early years practitioners come in. It’s up to you, I believe, to instil a love of stories and reading among young children. The reality is that the work you do has long-lasting effects.

So this is not just about school readiness.

Rather, it’s about encouraging children to enjoy language in a way that will serve them well at school and beyond. Of course young children need to be in a safe and happy environment before they can learn the basics of literacy and numeracy. That is why inspectors will always ask about disclosure and barring service documentation as soon as they visit childminders, nurseries and other types of early years settings.

Reducing regulations That said, at Ofsted we are keen to keep regulations to a minimum. Just recently, we had a meeting with United for All Ages about inter-generational care. Afterwards, we wrote guidance for inspectors to make clear in what circumstances we would register and inspect facilities that care for older people and young children, without imposing unnecessary burdens, while still also meeting our legal responsibilities.

Earlier this year, we abolished the selfevaluation form, which some early years

providers has used to prepare for our inspectors. I do hope that the removal of this form has given early years managers a little more time to focus on the day-to-day job of looking after young children.

We are also currently working on improving the online registration service for childminders. The existing system can be confusing and does not work well on some devices and browsers. In designing the new registration service, we have carried out many hours of testing with childminders. And we’ve have a good response.

Rather than phoning us, which I know can be time-consuming, childminders will be able to use the new online system to pay their annual registration fee and keep us up-to-date. We are working hard on the new service, which will go live later this autumn.

I expect that the current service will be switched off by this time next year.

This project is part of Ofsted’s commitment to making your lives easier and allowing you to focus more on the job at hand. We will also be looking at what lessons can be learned to build similar online services for the nurseries and pre-schools run by Alliance members.

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MINDS MATTE Earlier this year, the Alliance launched a landmark survey into mental health in the early years sector. Here is an overview of the results

O

ver recent years, public understanding of the importance of talking about mental health has continued to grow. But while there have been a number of surveys looking at workload and stress in the primary and secondary education sectors, little research exists on the impact of working in the early years on practitioners’ mental wellbeing.

That’s why the Alliance launched the landmark Minds Matter survey, which sought practitioners’ views on working on the early years and what impact, if any, this has had on your mental health and wellbeing.

More than 2,000 of you responded – making this our biggest survey ever. And the results were striking.

Six in 10 of you don’t feel like you have a good work-life balance. Around two-thirds of you say that stress or mental health difficulties have impacted on your personal relationships.

Around three quarters say they work additional hours, unpaid, very or quite often. And a quarter of you say you are considering leaving the sector.

While well-established problems such as funding and pay featured highly among the responses to the survey, the most common source of stress and mental health issues highlighted by respondents was excessive levels of administration and paperwork.

That’s why the Alliance is calling on the Department for Education and Ofsted to work with us to review existing paperwork requirements on practitioners and ensure that what is required is in fact support good quality provision and does indeed support children’s learning and development, and isn’t just a tick-box exercise.

As ever, we welcome your thoughts and views so please feel free to contact the Alliance press and public affairs team on feedback@pre-school.org.uk.

THE RESULTS

Thinking of your current early years role, how often over the past month have you felt stressed about work or an issue relating to work?

Very often 43.84% Fairly often

30.21%

Sometimes 20.59% Rarely 4.42% Never 0.94%

Proportion of respondents who feel that the following are “very often” a source of stress: Administration and paperwork

42.53%

Workload (other than administration and paperwork) 22.77% Working hours

15.76%

Pay 30.67% Morale within your team or setting

15.27%

Relationships with colleagues

6.06%

Relationships with parents

3.74%

Financial resources of the setting / provision

32.29%

Meeting the needs of children

13.52%

How would you describe how you feel about working in the early years sector at the moment?

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement: “I believe that my work and non-work life are balanced.”

Very positive

11.67%

Strongly agree

Somewhat positive

32.20%

Agree 17.29%

3.24%

Neither positive nor negative 16.52%

Neither agree nor disagree

Somewhat negative

31.68%

Disagree 39.73%

Very negative

7.92%

Strongly disagree

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17.67%

22.07%

MINDS MATTER

ER:THE RESULTS Have you experienced any of the following symptoms / health impacts due to work, or where work was a contributing factor, over the past year?

six out of 10 people in the early years don’t believe they have a good work-life balance.

Insomnia 53.16% Depression 26.07% Fatigue 60.28% Anxiety 56.93% Panic attacks 13.44% Self-harm 1.08% Thoughts of ending your own life

2.43%

Irritability 52.13%

Have you spoken to anybody at your workplace about your work stress or mental health issues?

Withdrawal 14.30%

Yes

47.82%

Tearfulness 49.49%

No

52.18%

Mood swings 28.76%

Loss of motivation

57.96%

None of the above

7.61%

If yes, did you feel you were given adequate support?

Prefer not to say

3.24%

Yes

66.98%

Other (please specify)

5.77%

No

33.02%

Has stress or mental health difficulties caused by or related to work caused any of the following over the past year? Please select all that apply.

The alliance is calling on the department for education and ofsted to work with us to review existing paperwork requirements.

I have taken time off work

23.13%

I have resigned from my job

10.47%

I have been fired from my job

0.27%

My work performance has been negatively affected

44.54%

My personal relationships have been negatively affected

65.21%

Have you ever considered leaving the early years sector due to stress or mental health difficulties?

Yes, I have already left

2.55%

Yes, I have already confirmed that I will be leaving

2.66%

Yes, I am considering leaving

24.78%

Yes, I have considered it but I don’t think I will leave

40.91%

No 29.10%

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DATA PROTECTION

Myth vs fact:

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Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, senior policy officer at the Information Commissioner’s Office, clears up some common data protection myths

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he Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for regulating, advising and providing guidance on the new enhanced data protection laws, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that came into force on 25 May. We know that childcare professionals have had a lot of questions about what this means for them in terms of processing the data about children in their care.

The message in the run up to 25 May was and still is: don’t panic. It wasn’t a deadline, so if you have been taking steps towards getting ready for the GDPR, then you are doing the right thing. It’s important to remember that this is an evolution of existing data protection laws under the Data Protection Act 1998, so if you have been processing information correctly already, there is no need to invest in new, expensive systems or start from scratch.

I want to set the record straight on some of the myths that have sprung up within the childcare sector.

Myth: GDPR has changed the rules for registering with the ICO Fact: Under the new legislation, organisations that determine the purpose for which personal data is processed (controllers) must pay the ICO a data protection fee, unless they are exempt. These fees fund our data protection work.

The new data protection fee replaces the requirement to ‘notify’ or register, which was included in the Data Protection Act 1998. We have the power to enforce the 2018 Regulations and serve monetary penalties on those who refuse to pay their data protection fee.

Although the 2018 Regulations came into effect on 25 May 2018, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to pay the new fee from that date. Controllers who have a current registration, or notification, under the 1998 Act do not have to pay the new fee until their existing registration has expired.

GDPR

Myth: Not-for-profit organisations do not have to register with the ICO

Myth: Data protection legislation requires settings to hold on to data until a child turns 18 or 21

Fact: There is an exemption that means some not-forprofit organisations are not required to pay the data protection fee. But this applies only in very limited certain circumstances.

If you are processing personal data solely for the purposes of establishing or maintaining membership or support of a non-for-profit organisation, or to administer the activities of your members – and if you do not process any other personal data – then you are exempt from paying the fee.

But this is unlikely to apply to not-for-profit childcare providers, who will be processing the personal data of the children they look after. Therefore a not-for-profit childcare provider would still need to pay the fee to the ICO.

Fact: The GDPR does not set specific time frames on how long personal data must be retained. The law states that data must be retained for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. This leaves it open to organisations to determine for themselves how long it is necessary for them to hold on to data.

You will need to take into account any other legislation you might be subject to, as well as the advice of professional associations. Insurance companies may also have requirements or recommendations about how long you need to retain records.

Whatever retention period you decide upon, you should record this and inform data subjects in your privacy notice how long you plan to keep their data for.

Myth: There are now different rules for paper and electronic databases

Myth: You must ask for consent before sharing data with your Local Child Safeguarding Board

Fact: If none of your processing is carried out on a computer, then you do not have to pay the data protection fee. This includes any type of computer – laptop, desktop, tablet or cloud computing. It also includes other types of equipment which, although not normally described as computers, have some ability to process automatically.

Examples include automatic retrieval systems for audio and visual systems, electronic flexi-time systems, telephone logging equipment, CCTV systems and smartphones.

In other words, if the only data you process is manual data – help on paper and not stored electronically – then you do not have to pay a fee to the ICO. But if any of your data is stored or processed electronically, then you will be required to pay the fee. This has not changed under GDPR, a similar exemption existed for manual processing under the 1998 Act.

Fact: Sharing data with third parties does not always require the consent of the data subject. When it comes to safeguarding children, there are times when having to get the consent of the child, or the child’s parents, would be counterproductive. The Data Protection Bill contains a safeguarding provision that allows for data to be shared without consent in these circumstances.

This provision allows for data processing – which would include sharing – where necessary to protect a child from neglect and physical, mental or emotional harm or to protect the child’s physical, emotional or mental wellbeing.

Myth: Small childcare settings and childminders don’t need to pay the fee Fact: If you are processing personal data for anything other than personal, family or household affairs, then you must pay the fee to the ICO, no matter how small the organisation or how few people you employ. This means that small settings and childminders, even if operating out of their own homes, must pay the appropriate fee.

There are three different tiers of fee, based on how many members of staff you have and your annual turnover.

Micro-organisations – those with a turnover of less than £632,000 per year and no more than 10 members of staff – are in Tier 1, which means their fee is £40 a year.

Myth: Early years providers are suddenly going to be hit with huge fines Fact: It is true that under GDPR, the ICO will have the power to impose much bigger fines than before. But it is scaremongering to suggest that we will be making early examples of organisations for minor infringements, or that maximum fines will become the norm. The ICO prides itself on being a fair and proportionate regulator and this will continue under the GDPR. Our commitment to guiding, advising and educating organisations about how to comply with the law will not change.

More information Visit the ICO’s website for more information, including FAQs and self-assessment checklists as well as a dedicated advice line for small organisations. You can also sign up to the ICO’s newsletter for regular updates on guidance and details of their latest webinars. www.ico.org.uk

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FunctionaL flexible and fun.

For friendly, expert advice contact us on 01509 611021 or info@stagesystems.co.uk

www.stagesystems.co.uk THE FIRST 500 early years settings to register will also receive a FREE hard copy PJ Masks branded activation pack!

Into the moonlit night to save the day!

www.pjmasks.com PJ Masks Š Frog Box / Entertainment One UK Limited / Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2014.

LAW-CALL

Handling a disciplinary part II In this second instalment, the team behind the Law-Call service, available to Alliance members, explains how to get disciplinary procedures right

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nce you have concluded your disciplinary investigation, (explained in the May issue of Under 5) and you are satisfied that there is a disciplinary case to answer, you must write to the employee concerned and invite them to a hearing. The letter must explain what the disciplinary allegation(s) against them is/are and what the possible consequences might be.

You should ensure that the employee has enough information to understand what you are saying they have done and why it is wrong, even if you think this should be obvious to them.

The letter must state the time, date and venue of the hearing. You should also remind them of their right to be accompanied by a trade union representative, or colleague.

Planning the hearing The hearing should be scheduled for a day and time when the employee would normally be at work. They should be given reasonable notice to ensure that they have enough time to prepare.

You should give them copies of whatever evidence you intend to rely on in the meeting.

This will usually be written witness statements, but it may include other supporting evidence and/or a copy of your policies and procedures.

The volume of evidence you have should be taken into account when deciding how much notice of the hearing to give. Clearly, if there is a high volume of paperwork to read and consider, and the stakes are high for the employee – for

example, if they may be dismissed as a result – then you should give them enough time to read, evaluate and form a response.

You will need to consider who is going to conduct the meeting. This may already be specified in your existing procedures, so check there first. If not, it should be somebody who has not been involved in the matter prior to this point and must be someone who has the authority to make a decision. It may be wise to have a note-taker in the meeting, but you should explain to them that all matters discussed in the meeting must be kept confidential.

You should make sure that the venue for the meeting is somewhere quiet, where you are not likely to be disturbed and, where possible, the employee is not going to bump into colleagues.

This can be difficult in some settings, so you may want to consider a neutral, off-site venue.

Staying calm Holding a disciplinary can be difficult for those not regularly involved in people management and these are naturally stressful events. You might find it useful to consider: ‘How would I like to be dealt with in these circumstances?’ If your answer is: ‘courteously, sensitively and fairly’, then you are more likely to keep yourself on the right side of the law.

You should open the meeting reiterating why you are there and going through the evidence collected. You will then give the employee an opportunity to comment on the evidence and

give any explanations for their alleged behaviour.

Companions should not answer questions on behalf of the employee, but they can ask or prompt the employee to ask questions.

Discussions may get heated or become distressing, and you may not stick to a linear conversation. It is fine to adjourn for a few minutes in order to allow people to calm down or gather their thoughts. Once the hearing is concluded, you should explain that you will consider your decision in the light of everything discussed and will let the employee know the outcome shortly. Never give your decision at the end of the meeting. You must be able to demonstrate that serious consideration has been given to the employee’s responses. It is unlikely that you will be able to do that immediately without giving the impression that you had already predetermined the outcome.

Appeals Every employee is entitled to an appeal against your disciplinary decision. The letter you send confirming your decision should inform them of that fact and how and when they should do so.

If they exercise this right, you should again invite them to a meeting confirming the date, time and place and again, they may bring a trade union representative or colleague as a companion.

Again, where possible a person who has so far not had involvement in the matter should conduct the appeal.

Potential setbacks Sometimes it won’t go according to plan.

Common issues that may arise could include the employee failing to attend the hearing, resigning beforehand, calling in sick or asking for an unauthorised companion to attend. In all of these cases we would recommend calling the Law-Call service for detailed guidance. Most setbacks can be fixed and the process put back on track if addressed at an early stage.

More information Alliance members can access Law-Call, a 24-hour helpline offering advice on legal issues concerning your setting or childminding business. Contact details can be found on your membership card. Alternatively, contact information services with your membership number for Law-Call’s details on 0207 697 2595.

Healthy and happy Sally-Ann Barker, manager at Potter’s House Pre-school in Yapton, shares some of the benefits of outdoor play for children’s mental wellbeing

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s early years practitioners, it goes without saying that we all share a collective passion for watching the children in our care develop. It’s an exciting and endlessly fascinating process. Most pleasingly of all, it’s also a creative one that we all place our own individual stamp on.

Working with young children can be hard work at times, but it is also wonderfully rewarding. I’m certain that most would agree that nothing makes the job seem more worthwhile than when we see our individual efforts starting to bear fruit. For me, I feel most inspired when I see children enjoying

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outdoor free learning: painting in the mud, or making leaf houses for snails.

Learning outdoors I started my career in a Welsh primary school, helping children from all over the world develop their spoken English. It really became clear to me how much more quickly they seemed to absorb information when they went outside to the garden for their lessons.

I started taking them outside as much as possible just so I could see the sheer joy on their faces when they learnt something new. When trying to teach them positional

language, I took them out into the garden with different coloured beanbags and hula-hoops.

We put the beanbags in different places and I was delighted to hear one little boy say: “I put the blue beanbag next to the red hoop.”

My belief in the benefits of outdoor play for children was only further cemented when I later moved to London to work as a nanny.

The built-up city environment really bought home how much happier and calmer the children seemed to be when they were able to play outside.

Since then, I’ve learnt that these benefits are only the tip of the iceberg. Since opening

BEST PRACTICE

Potter’s House, an outdoor-focused preschool, last year, I’ve noticed a real difference in children’s social development. Unlikely friendships and alliances have sprung up and initially shy children have come out of their shells. I’ve noticed children playing much more imaginative games outdoors as well.

Imaginative play Recently, we held a family building day.

Parents came and helped to build equipment for our outdoor area. They built, amongst other things, a makeshift car using old school chairs, second-hand tyres and a big wooden pallet. The children now love to sit on top of the vehicle, pretending to go on holiday and occasionally stopping off to get chicken nuggets en route.

At this young, impressionable and sensitive age, this sense of inclusion is priceless. I haven’t experienced this level of social maturity nearly as often in the confines of a classroom. Being outdoors promotes kindness and a safe space where gender isn’t always the deciding factor in friendships.

Physical benefits There are obviously huge health benefits to spending more time outdoors as well.

Being outside provides a natural source of

vitamin D, which is incredibly important in the development of little bones. It has also been suggested that children who spend time outside have better distance vision. Children are also more active outside, helping to prevent obesity. Playing in the dirt is said to strengthen immunity and children with ADHD may have fewer symptoms when outside.

Mental wellbeing The biggest eye-opener for me has been in seeing the benefits of outdoor play on children’s mental health. Those working outside of the early years sector might not recognise that poor mental health is a concern for children so young, but it is sadly true. Circumstances, environment, developmental delays, trauma, friendships and many other factors can have a huge detrimental effect on children’s early development and wellbeing.

Being outside, where they can feel free gives children a chance to explore and enjoy more physical space. They learn to take and manage risks – a valuable tool in building their confidence and self-esteem. Outdoor play builds their resilience.

At Potter’s House, we like to take traditionally indoor activities outside as well – particularly painting. Not only does

this make for an easier clean up, but the children produce pictures that appear more expressive. These activities seem to last longer and the children seem more engaged, which means they produce something amazing every time. Importantly, they seem far more proud of these paintings too.

Recently, we put some music on and gave the children clear, dome-shaped umbrellas to paint outside. We allowed them to decide whether they wanted to sit underneath the umbrella while it was painted by a friend, or whether they wanted to paint while their friend was underneath. There were no arguments and nobody felt that they had got the role they wanted. They all slipped into their places without much discussion and started painting. I noticed that new friendships were built and it had a ripple effect on everyone, including staff.

It’s no big secret that playing outside is good for children, but it is so much more than that. Almost anything that can be done indoors can also be done outside, we even take small world play outdoors at times.

Giving children this wonderful opportunity is so valuable and I urge all early years practitioners to forget the notion that you can’t go out when it’s raining. Just give it a try and see for yourself.

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STRETC Lisa Applebee, CEO and general manager at the Bugs Group, shares some ideas for bringing yoga into your setting

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hildren can start enjoying and benefiting from yoga at a young age. It’s not only a great exercise, but it also promotes mindfulness and a sense of calmness through breathing and relaxation techniques.

Data obtained by the NSPCC has shown a steep rise in the number of children aged under 11 referred for mental health treatment by their schools. So it is more important than ever to encourage children to take part in yoga from a young age and help prevent some of the issues we are seeing in primary schools. Giving children a fun and positive experience of exercise through a noncompetitive and inclusive exercise such as yoga will also encourage them to continue to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The best way to teach young children yoga is by making it as fun as possible. At YogaBugs, we take children on exciting adventures and try to incorporate the yoga poses within the story. Children ‘act out’ the adventure themselves, so they hardly realise that they are exercising at all. They are too busy swimming with dolphins, looking for jungle animals or blasting off into outer space to meet aliens!

A simple way to engage children at your setting with yoga, is to base an adventure on their favourite story or book. For example, if a child’s favourite story is The Three Little Pigs, put them at the heart of the

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adventure and act out the story through different poses. This will help them relate to the positions more, while creating a more enjoyable and fun experience overall.

A yoga session for young children should not be too long as you want to keep their attention, so a 30-minute session will suffice.

Include a warm-up with ‘action songs’, a short story with a recap of postures and finish with relaxation and breathing techniques.

Yoga has so many benefits for pre-school children. Here are six of the best: 1. Improves concentration – Children have to really focus to get into a yoga pose, especially for balancing poses.

This helps prevent the mind from wandering, which in turn improves concentration. These skills will transfer to the classroom when children start school and they will be more alert and receptive to instruction.

2. Improve balance and coordination – Yoga poses strengthen muscles and maintain flexibility in young children. In today’s society, children are growing up less active and as such, their balance and coordination are being affected. These are both key skills for everyday life.

3. Encourages a calmer mood – The combination of focus and breathing is fantastic for calming the mind and releasing negative thoughts. This is a

vital skill for children learn at a young age and can continue to help them throughout their childhood.

4. Reduce stress – Pre-school children can feel stressed and will often display this through temper tantrums. Through yoga, children learn breathing exercises to help control those emotional flare-ups.

5. Promotes self-expression – Yoga for young children needs to incorporate imagination and creativity. Children should be free to express themselves in a non-competitive, nurturing environment.

6. Enhances flexibility and strength – Children tend to be very flexible, but they will quickly start to lose this as they grow older and live a more sedentary lifestyle.

Through yoga, children learn to use all of their muscles in new ways, which is a good contribution to improving fine and gross motor skills.

Something to try in your setting Children can master a sun salutation, which is a great way for them to warm-up before a yoga session, or just a great morning routine to get all their muscles moving and their mind active.

BEST PRACTICE

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and unwind

Sun salutation routine Start by standing tall, now let’s lift up our arms up above our heads and wave hello to the sun. “Hello, sun!”

Fold forwards at the waist, trying to keep your legs straight, and say: “Hello, toes!”

Let’s bend our knees, put our hands on the floor and step one foot back into our Roadrunner pose. He says: “Beep, beep!”

Now bend your knees and come down onto all fours into cat pose. Smile, as he is a very happy cat! He sees a dog run past and gets scared – arch your back, head down. And back to happy cat again – big smiles!

Slowly lift back into cat pose on all fours with a big smile. Lift back into dog and woof! Take your leg and bring it back into roadrunner… Beep, beep!

Bring both legs together and slowly come up, back to standing as we started – now, let’s try that again!

Space breathing

3 1 Cat Roadrunner

Now take the other leg back and lift up into the Dog pose. What sound does a dog make? “Woof!”

2

Now let’s come down onto our bellies, keeping your hands underneath your shoulders and toes stretching away, into our little snake.

Sssss… lift up your chest into a big snake and have a look around… The snake likes to eat mice, let’s sit back onto our heels and put our arms by our side and our head on the floor.

Shhh… quiet like a mouse!

This is an energising breathing technique that gets oxygen flowing to the brain and helps children feel more active. This is a great exercise to incorporate as part of a morning routine to wake children up and help them feel focused and ready for the rest of their day: Sitting down, with legs crossed and a nice, straight back. We interlace our fingers together and put them under our chin. We take a deep breath in through the nose and raise our elbows up. Take your head back and then, as we breathe out through the mouth, we bring our elbows back down.

Repeat three to five times.

4 Dog

Cobra

When practising breathing techniques with children, try to connect the body movements to each breath as it helps to keep their focus and prevent their mind from wandering.

For more information, tips, activities and mindfulness practice, please follow us on social media or visit www.yogabugs.com Twitter: @YogaBugs Instagram: @YogaBugsUK UNDER 5

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Difference, not deficit The Autism Education Trust (AET) explains how to welcome a child with autism, or suspected autism, to your early years setting

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pproximately one in every 100 people is estimated to be on the autism spectrum. Autism can be hard to detect in some people, so there may be children attending your setting who are not yet diagnosed.

Autism affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people and the world around them. What makes recognising autism particularly difficult is that there is no ‘typical’ autistic child. Autism is a spectrum condition, which means it affects people in different ways. Still, there are some more common characteristics, or what the AET calls ‘areas of difference’, that all children on the spectrum will experience.

Children with autism are just as unique as any other child with individual skills and challenges. The key word here is ‘difference’ not ‘deficit’. Getting to know them as individuals, mapping their strengths and difficulties in these four key areas will not only help them to access the curriculum

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better, but will also have a positive impact on the whole setting, including your staff.

Interacting Children on the autism spectrum can find social interactions, with both adults and their peers, confusing and tiring. Some children show little motivation for social relationships, while others are keen to develop friendships but are not sure how. Everyday social interactions can be challenging because they may not know the rules and find it hard to work out what others expect of them. They may need support in group activities and help to understand how other people are feeling.

Processing information Children on the autism spectrum may find it hard to predict what will happen in the future or imagine something they have not experienced before. They can find change and transitions challenging and may prefer a consistent routine and well-defined rules so

that they know what is going to happen next.

For example, they may want to travel the same way to and from pre-school or eat the same food every day. Many children develop special interests in a topic or activity and these can be used to engage them in learning and social interactions.

Sensory processing Many children on the autism spectrum have differences in the way they process sensory information. They might be over-sensitive to some stimuli, such as background noise, uncomfortable clothing or certain smells.

This over-sensitivity makes it extremely difficult for them to filter out irrelevant sensory information and it may be hard for them to concentrate on a specific task or what you say to them. Other children on the spectrum might be under-sensitive and find it difficult to process sensory information. They may not feel discomfort or pain and will often seek out sensory feedback from objects or activities.

SEND

Communication The expressive and receptive language of children on the autism spectrum often develops differently to their peers. This can result in differences in initiating conversations, understanding instructions and taking turns in conversation. Children on the spectrum may also take language very literally or use language non-productively, such as by repeating a few lines from their favourite cartoon again and again. Many children with autism will have delayed language skills and some will develop little or no verbal communication skills.

Supporting children Understanding is the first step towards effective support. Autism is a very complex condition and every child with autism is different. There is no universal way to support every child in your setting. However, a wide range of adjustments can be made to help.

Bob Lowndes, director of the AET, suggests: Communication is key – use simple, clear language and keep your sentences short.

Allow time to process information and wait for responses. Supplement verbal information with visual supports such as timetables and ‘now and next’ boards.

Children with autism may need to be taught how to play. Find out what motivates them and create opportunities to engage with them at their own level. You can try joining in with what the child is doing, rather than trying to guide their play. Try copying what they are doing before adding to the activity or introducing toys. For example, if a child likes opening and closing doors on toys join

in with this before adding toy figures to walk through the doors. By following their lead, you could help them discover that playing with someone else can be more fun than playing alone.

Build on their strengths and use special interests creatively to engage children in learning. For example, if a child has a particular interest in trains, use toy trains to demonstrate the next task.

Children with autism need to be carefully prepared for transitions between activities, groups and areas. You could try using a visual timetable, with lots of pictures. Keep it placed somewhere close to the child so that they can always see it. You can refer to this at multiple points throughout the day. Make sure you give plenty of verbal warnings before a transition happens, and not just at the time of the transition.

Children on the autism spectrum may experience heightened stress and anxiety levels in comparison to their peers. This often results in behaviours which the child, staff and family can find challenging to manage at times. It is important to identify triggers for these behaviours and find ways to reduce or remove the triggers by using visual imagery, new activities or a designated safe space.

Consider taking a sensory audit of your setting to assess how you could make an autism-friendly environment. This could include removing any unnecessary or distracting smells or sounds.

How to support Bina Bina is three years and ten months old and attends a nursery. She knows lots of words and can recite parts of her favourite “Little Princess” stories. She likes to wear a crown and can get very upset if she has to take it off. She doesn’t always know how to ask for the things that she wants.

1. Use Bina’s special interest in Little Princess to introduce new concepts and extend her play. For example, Little Princess and Bina might like to read a book about Goldilocks, make a cup of tea in the kitchen corner or put their coats on together before going outside.

2. Provide structured opportunities for Bina to have positive interactions with her peers. Organise a Little Princess tea party and invite other children to join in.

3. Introduce visual supports, such as word and picture cards, to help Bina make her needs understood. Research has shown that the ability to use people’s names and verbs is a necessary step when developing creative language and conversaion.

Practitioners should work collaboratively with parents, carers and colleagues to ensure that effective strategies are shared and used consistently with Bina.

More information For more information, visit www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk A special thank you to Ryan Bradley, communication and interaction service at Oxfordshire County Council, for his expert advice.

INSURANCE

A day on the farm RSA explains how you can enjoy trips out while ensuring that you are protected from potential pitfalls

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ummer can be a great time of year to take children out of your normal setting. A visit to your local petting farm might seem like an obvious choice.

These kind of farms give children a chance to meet and learn about the entire cast of Old MacDonald and, particularly for inner city children, give a glimpse of country life.

As always, these visits will require careful planning and risk assessments.

Potential risks As well as chickens, ducks, goats, pig and ponies, there’s a risk that you could also meet some germs illnesses on the farm.

Campylobacter, salmonella and E coli are some of the bacteria often found on farms. Contact with these can lead to many illnesses including diarrhoea and vomiting or even kidney failure. Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that can be found on any surface contaminated with animal faeces and can cause stomach pains and diarrhoea.

Young children are at greater risk of these, and serious cases can even be fatal.

There have been a number of wellpublicised incidents where large numbers of children have become ill after visiting farms, which further emphasises the need for careful risk assessments and planning.

Even if animals look clean and healthy, and are in relatively tidy surroundings, they can still spread harmful bacteria. It is important to remember that where an animal is infected with bacteria, such as E coli, these may be on the animal’s body or on fences and other surfaces around the farm. Touching your

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mouth after touching any contaminated animal or surface on the farm can spread infections.

Even the smallest amount of bacteria can cause an infection.

Public Health England advises the following when visiting a farm: Do not let children put their hands on their faces or fingers in their mouths when petting animals or walking around the farm.

Do not let children kiss farm animals or put their faces closes to them.

Do not eat or drink while touching animals or walking around the farm. This includes not eating sweets, crisps or chewing gum.

Do not eat anything that has fallen on the floor.

Wash hand with soap and water before eating or drinking. Do not use gels or wipes as these do not remove the E coli found in dirt.

Remove and clean boots and shoes that may have been soiled in the visit and clean pushchair wheels. Then wash your hands again thoroughly with soap and water.

Supervise children closely to ensure that they are washing their hands thoroughly.

Use picnic areas or cafes for eating and don’t eat in other places.

With children under five, you should give extra consideration to any children that suck their thumbs or fingers, bite their nails or carry a comforter type of toy.

For more information about keeping safe while visiting a farm, visit www.hse.gove.uk or www.visitmyfarm.org When you send out parental consent forms ahead of farm visits, make sure you ask if children have any known allergies and whether parents still want to consent to their child attending. RSA’s insurance covers trips such as these, and any potential liability that may arise, as standard. Settings should check in advance that the farm has at least £5 million of Public, Products Liability insurance and should not waive any subrogation rights against them.

If you have any queries about your Alliance insurance policy and legal expenses cover, please contact the insurance team on 0207 697 2585 or visit www.pre-school.org.uk/insurance

EVENTCITY MANCHESTER

15TH – 16TH JUNE 2018

FREE EVENT

FOR EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONERS

Let’s

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FREE CPD SEMINARS

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Get your FREE tickets at childcareexpo.co.uk or call 01425 838393

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HANDS ON WORKSHOPS

TEA & COFFEE AT CHILDCARE EXPO MANCHESTER NETWORK WITH PEERS

Present this ticket at the catering area at EventCity on 15 – 16 June 2018 to receive your FREE tea or coffee* *One tea or coffee per coupon. No photocopies CODE: Under5

FATHER’S DAY

Getting dads involved Father’s Day takes place on Sunday 17 June this year, but getting to know children’s dads needn’t be a one-off. Under 5 has spoken to the Fatherhood Institute to find out why

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etting to know the fathers of children at your setting can be a sensitive topic.

If you usually only have contact with a child’s mother, you might prefer not to ask about the father at all. But ensuring that fathers feel involved in their child’s early education can have huge benefits.

According to the Fatherhood Institute, five-year-olds with two supportive parents score more highly on language development and shared decision-making by two parents is linked to better academic performance and social skills in very young children. Getting to know fathers can also bring another pair of hands and a new range of skills into your setting when it comes to volunteering activities.

Jeremy Davies, head of communications at the Fatherhood Institute, says that many settings will be surprised at the number of dads who are actively present in their children’s lives.

“We tend to think that fathers often disappear,” he explains. But this is often not the case and a change in the parents’ relationship does not always have to mean an end to the father’s involvement in his child’s education and care.

Gathering information He suggests getting fathers involved right from the outset, making sure you ask for details of all the key adults in each child’s life when they register with your setting. This might include stepparents and grandparents, depending on the family’s circumstances. “Settings can be worried about asking about these things, but parents are usually pretty cool about it,” Jeremy

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explains. “Don’t just write down details of whoever brings the child down. Make an active effort to learn details of all the important adults in a child’s life.”

This will then allow you to make other small changes to try and include dads. If you’re sending a letter home, Jeremy suggests making sure that it is addressed to both mum and dad, where appropriate. “A lot of settings tend to say ‘parent’ when trying to be inclusive. But when you say ‘parent’ people tend to see ‘mother’,” he says. Making sure that letters home directly mention “Dad” can encourage them to pay more attention to its contents. If you want to see more fathers at your next parents evening or nativity play, make sure you also reference this in the letter. Jeremy suggests saying something as direct as: “Dads – we want to see you there, too.” To make it clear that they are welcome and wanted at these events.

Clear communication You should also make it clear what they will be expected to do. “Be very specific and clear about what you want fathers to do,” Jeremy says. He says that fathers may respond better to more specific details, such as “Come talk to us about what your child has been learning at nursery,” rather than inviting them to come in for “a cup of tea” or “a chat”. You might find that some mothers respond better to these type of invitations too – it will all really depend on the individual parent.

You might also want to think more about the timing and planning of parent-focused

events if you want to get more dads involved.

Jeremy explains: “It is challenging, but Dad is more likely to be tied to the workplace and they tend to work for longer hours. This is the most common reason why early years settings won’t see him so much.” To counteract this, try and give parents as much notice of upcoming events as possible and, where you can, try and organise meetings either at the start or very end of the day.

Open minds However, many settings might be surprised at the number of fathers who do opt to join in once they have been specifically invited. But after you have got through that first step, it’s important to be ready to welcome them into your setting. “There’s no getting around the fact that the early years is a very female-led sector and some fathers might find that intimidating,” Jeremy says. The key is to make sure that all your staff understand and truly value the importance of having dads around. “Staff that believe that dads matter are the crucial ingredient,” Jeremy adds.

Overall, it’s important to remember to focus on the child’s best interests. “Engagement with parents is not easy, full stop,” Jeremy says. But opening up invitations to both parents, as well as any stepparents and other important adults, can help you connect with each child’s family more fully. Jeremy says: “It’s good to be as inclusive as possible.”

More information To find out more about the Fatherhood Institute, visit www.fatherhoodinstitute.org

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RESOURCES

Celebrating languages Up to 7,000 different languages are spoken across the world. Each language is part of the identity of those that speak it and the culture from which it originates. Providing your children with an awareness of different spoken languages opens a door for them in understanding and appreciating the interesting and diverse world we live in.

Communicating in more than one language is a learning achievement linked to increased cognitive ability. For children with English as an additional language, promoting their continued learning of the home language with parents is vital. While gaining a secure grounding of the grammar and structure of their home language, the child can learn the rules of English as well.

Importantly, valuing the language they use at home means valuing the child’s cultural identity. This benefits them in the EYFS prime area of personal, social and emotional development as they gain self-esteem and confidence from feeling accepted within the setting and developing a ‘positive sense of themselves’.

For all children, having an awareness that people speak other languages also promotes EYFS learning and development in the specific area of Understanding the World. Children are learning about the ‘similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions’ – with language being an important difference.

Regardless of the language spoken, the role of the key person in the early years setting is to establish a warm and responsive relationship with the child, allowing them to feel safe, encouraged, listened to and understood. This relationship may require more thought and care when the home language is different. Whether the key person speaks the child’s home language or not, it is vital that they remember how gestures, facial expressions and eye contact can create a shared language.

Beneficial to all children at the setting, visual prompts, such as pictures and photos, used alongside the spoken word will also help.

A key person who speaks an additional language is an asset to any setting. They can promote awareness of that language

by introducing songs, rhymes and stories to the children. Where they speak the same language as an EAL child, a key person can provide a vital communication bridge for both the child and their parents.

Otherwise, the key person can learn a few important words or phrases from the parents to create a shared understanding, such as whether the child is hungry, thirsty or needs to go to the toilet.

Establishing a respectful and positive partnership where they feel comfortable and confident in the setting is important for all parents. It can help build important links to the local community.

By encouraging family and community members to participate in activities sharing different home languages and related culture, such as singing traditional songs and sharing food or talking about festivals, your setting will become a more

inclusive learning environment.

There are many ways to celebrate different languages and their associated cultures, including: adapting familiar songs, such as Old MacDonald had a Farm to include the names of animals in a different language in small groups, playing games counting up to five or introducing yourself, ‘My name is…’ in a different language including welcome signs and notices at the setting in other languages encouraging staff, parents and the wider community to contribute nonstereotypical images of different people, places and culture within the children’s range of experiences to use in the setting celebrating cultural events or festivals relating to the communities in your area – get parents involved where possible introducing different art, dance and food

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Being a Key Person in an Early Years Setting (Ref: A089) - £9.55 members, £13.95 non-members This practical guide supports the key person in developing a nurturing relationship with the child and working closely with parents as partners in children’s learning. Each chapter is accompanied by online resources comprising a range of activities.

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Get muddy, get active Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares some ideas for getting messy and active outdoors

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ACTIVITY CORNER

C

hildren never need an excuse for playing in the mud. More often than not, grown-ups can find many excuses why they shouldn’t: “You’ll get your clothes dirty,” “You will make a mess,” “You will walk that into the carpet,” to name but a few!

When presented with a muddy child, many adults respond with an exasperated: “Just look at the state you are in!”

Grown-ups’ focus is often on the consequences of muddy play: dirty clothes, faces and hands. But as practitioners, we know that it’s the process involved in any play activity that makes it meaningful. So why should mud be any different?

If we take a look at the “state” of a muddy child, the chances are that they will have been completely engrossed in their muddy activity for some time. They will be oblivious to the condition of their hands and clothes and are likely to be smiling broadly and satisfied with what they have achieved. That might be digging a hole in the ground and filling it in again, or moving soil from one place to another.

Physical and mental benefits

Free resource

International Mud Day, held on 29 June 2018, is a great way to promote muddy play in your setting. The Woodland Trust has some good ideas for celebrating, but here are a few to get you started:

Researchers from Bristol University and University College London have studied the connection between healthy immune systems and mental wellbeing. They looked at the effects of a ‘friendly’ bacteria found in the soil – mycobacterium. The conclusion was that exposure to this bacteria could activate neurons in the brain that contain serotonin, the chemical said to help regulate mood, social behaviour, appetite, digestion and sleep.

Contact with the many bacteria in mud can also help children to develop strong immune systems.

Thankfully, the emphasis on getting children to be active and engaged with the outdoors continues to increase in momentum, driven by the alarming rise in childhood obesity and concerns over children’s mental health. Early years practitioners have a vital role to play in helping shape children’s attitude towards the outdoors and how they engage with nature that will stay with them for life and it all begins with a handful of mud.

As practitioners, we know that it’s the process involved in play that makes it meaningful. Why should mud be any different?

Mud is a brilliant resource, one that is often much maligned. This is a shame because getting dirty is simply a by-product of a play activity that is free, offers great scope for learning and is in endless supply.

Children do not need to be directed to play with mud – they are inextricably drawn to it. A muddy, sticky slippery patch of dirt is irresistible to most children, which makes it an ideal resource to stimulate those important ‘characteristics of effective learning”. The muddy child has ‘played with and explored’ the properties of mud as they use their senses to discover how it feels, how it behaves and how it smells. They will have been ‘actively learning’ as they concentrate on their play, showing fascination and gaining satisfaction from their efforts. They will have been ‘creatively and critically thinking’ as they find new ways to use mud, testing out ides and solving problems.

International Mud Day

Create a mud kitchen – You don’t need a purpose-built mud kitchen and certainly not a plastic representation. Create a space outdoors where children can use kitchen equipment to make mud pies. A few bricks and planks of wood can be used to create an oven. Add plenty of pots, pans and course some water. The children will do the rest.

Make a mud face – Let children scoop a handful of soft, sticky mud onto a tree trunk and sculpt a face. If you are lucky enough to have a few trees in your outdoor area there will be plenty of scope for the children to create a mini forest of weird and

wonderful creatures whose faces change as they are exposed to the elements. Set children’s imaginations to work as they give their tree faces names and encourage them to notice the features of the tree.

Make mud castles – All you need to provide are buckets and spades. Mud is actually more workable than sand, so children will get more satisfaction from a mud-castle that does not collapse when it dries out, and actually becomes more durable. If the children work together they can create one big castle and will then have fun digging a moat, which can be filled with water.

Squish your toes in mud – Walking barefoot in mud is an extraordinary experience that will delight most children.

A mud trail can be part of a bare foot sensory walk in your outdoor area that can also include a patch of camomile lawn, a cobbled stone area and water (preferably used directly after the mud!).

Potential problems While mud is great, there are some things you need to consider. Not all children will be happy or confident about getting really muddy. Don’t make them get muddy if they don’t want to. They will probably join in later on, when they are ready. Some parents may have misgivings too. Listen to their concerns and reassure them where you can.

Mud can stain clothes, so make sure children are dressed appropriately in old clothes or in special ‘splash suits’. Be aware of the need for good hygiene here too. Don’t create your muddy play area in a space where there could be animal faeces. Always make sure children wash their hands thoroughly after mud play and discourage toddlers from putting their fingers in their mouths. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of your mud, buy a bag of peat-free compost and fill an old paddling pool with it instead.

Are you celebrating International Mud Day on 28 June 2018?

Please do get in touch and share your pictures with us for My Under 5. Email us at editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk

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NUTRITION

Tips for a fussy toddler

The Infant & Toddler Forum provides information and advice on coping with fussy eating in toddlers in early years settings and at home

F

ussy eating in toddlers can be one of the most stressful things that both parents and early years practitioners have to cope with. We are given lots of information about what a child should eat, but it can often feel as though this is meaningless if a toddler refuses to eat any of these healthy foods.

It’s important to stress that at around the age of two, most children start to get fussy. It is a normal stage of development, called food neophobia. At this age, children may suddenly start to refuse any new food on sight and may even push away food that they used to eat before if it looks slightly different.

They usually start to move out of this stage at around three or four-years-old.

Normal fussiness Some children are also fussier than others – even those within the same family – with some refusing everything but their favourite foods. This type of fussiness is genetically determined and is not due to anything that their parents may have done or not done. Children like this are more likely to be reactive to any sensory input.

This could include disliking having messy hands and feet, having their teeth cleaned, odd noises or funny smells. These children will like sticking to foods that have the

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same smell, taste and appearance as their safe foods.

Even though this is a normal stage, there are some things that can make mealtimes easier. Here are some of the Infant & Toddler Forum’s top tips: 1. Safe foods – Allow children to eat the foods that they do like, their safe foods.

Appropriate growth is more important in the early years than dietary range.

2. Interaction – Encourage children to interact with foods: Plan activities that involve handling bits of fruit and vegetables – making pictures, shapes or faces.

Look for, find and name foods in the shops and supermarkets.

Grow food – Even a plant pot on the windowsill can be used to grow some items.

Make your own food – Roll out dough and mix up sauces together.

3. Messy play – Don’t wipe up after children all the time. Fussy eaters are over-sensitive to touch, so desensitise them with messy play.

4. D on’t force feed or get irritable – Although understandable, this may

increase levels of anxiety at mealtimes, which will make a fussy toddler even less likely to eat the things you want them to.

5. Don’t withhold food – Waiting until a toddler has eaten what you want them to eat first before allowing them something else doesn’t work. They may end up not eating anything at all.

6. Don’t bribe or reward at mealtimes Saying: “Eat up your vegetables and then you can have some pudding,” may make children only appreciate the pudding more. “Finish what you have on your plate and you can…” only teaches them to eat more than they need to.

For very fussy eaters, there will be no reward big enough to persuade them to eat cabbage.

7. Don’t put disliked foods next to liked foods – Even children as young as two will find the foods they don’t like disgusting. If you put a disliked food next to a liked food then the disgust may spread and anything that it touches will be refused.

To learn more about fussy eating, see our Factsheet 2.2 at bit.ly/2rd2MZ0 and visit our website to catch up with our new blog.

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

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

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

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

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

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