Under 5 June 2021 by Under 5

Under 5 WIN

the magazine of the early years alliance June 2021

of a bundle s saw three jig y from Ver Puzzled

Counting the cost

Covid-19 and children’s development

Smile please! Introducing oral hygiene

Seven days, seven ways

How to build resilience

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contents 4

WELCOME & CONTENTS

welcome

News

Welcome to Under 5

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

I’m very pleased to bring further details of not one, but two exciting Alliance events in this issue. Not only do we have some more information about the speakers at our annual conference (page 10) but we also have a reminder of our National Week of Play (page 13). Both events will be taking place in June and, while I know how busy early years professionals always are, I do hope you’ll be able to join us for both! While many early years providers have been able to operate throughout the most recent national lockdowns, one of the last restrictions to lift has been on baby and toddler groups – or parent and child groups, as they are referred to in government guidance. With more providers now able to open up both indoors and outdoors, we’ve answered some of your most common questions to help you get back up and running again (page 22). Further education is another area that has seen slow-to-lift restrictions throughout the pandemic. We’ve got an update on the latest rules on training for apprenticeships – as well as a quick look at some of the financial incentives now available for employers (page 16). After so many missed opportunities for fundraising since the start of the pandemic, I am sure many of our readers will also be glad to hear from easyfundraising about how providers can take advantage of their free scheme that raises money for settings with every online purchase (page 26). With increasing numbers of providers now taking their sessions outdoors, we’ve heard how one setting has improved its outdoor space to offer better learning opportunities for children (page 30). As I am sure you are all aware by now, the Early Years Foundation Stage will be changing in just a few months’ time. One of the smaller, but still significant, changes is the need for early years providers to promote oral health and hygiene. To help you get started on this, we’ve dedicated our Activity Corner to the subject (page 24). Please do keep sharing your good news and stories with us for My Under 5. We’re so looking forward to seeing more events and news as further restrictions are due to lift in the coming weeks, so don’t forget to stay in touch – editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk.

My Under 5

Get ready for our National Week of Play

Alliance members share good news and updates from their settings

Reclaiming children’s right to play as Covid-19 restrictions lift

Meet our speakers

The role of a trustee

Seven days, seven ways

See the full line-up for the Alliance’s annual conference

A guide to the role of trustees at charity-run settings

Ideas for helping children build resilience from the team at NASEN

20 Counting the cost

Recent research reveals the impact of Covid19 lockdowns on children’s development

22 Ready to reopen?

FAQ on reopening rules for baby and toddler groups

24 Smile please!

Activity ideas for promoting oral hygiene at your provision

26 How to make money for your setting with easyfundraising

A simple guide for using the platform to fundraise via online shopping

27 Managing fussy eating

The ITF offers advice for supporting families through fussy eating phases

28 Stress and trauma

How to support children after difficult times at your setting

30 Enhancing outdoor learning

How one setting has improve its outdoor space to better support children’s development

32 One, two, three: get ready for maths! How families can support children’s mathematical skills

33 Competition

Rachel Lawler, editor UNDER 5

in brief...

CATCH-UP: Schools can now apply for specialist resources and training to support Reception children struggling with language and communication after the pandemic.

EPI calls for £13.5 billion education support package

round-up 30% of Covid-19 spending comes from existing budgets, IFS warns Around 30% of the funding committed to education in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be provided by underspending or taken from existing budgets, according to new analysis from the IFS. According to the briefing note, the government will spend around £4.3 billion on education in response to the pandemic, over two years. This includes £280 million for the early years and families, including around £5 million in support, such as the temporary extensions and flexibility for funded childcare schemes. However, the Department for Education (DfE) is currently only due to receive around £3 billion in additional funding from the Treasury. This leaves £1.3 billion – or around 30% of the overall budget – to be funded using existing budgets and underspends. The IFS says that while the support offered so far is “substantial”, it is not yet clear whether it will fully cover the additional costs associated with the pandemic for schools and other providers. Dr Luke Sibieta, research fellow at the IFS, said: “The government is widely expected to publish a long-run plan for education recovery in the coming weeks. This seems likely to place extra responsibilities and expectations on schools and other providers. It will therefore be crucial to understand how much extra funding is attached, as well as the underlying state of school and college finances. As we move back to normal, it will

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be harder to fund new funding commitments from existing budgets.’ Josh Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation, which funded the analysis, commented: “The government has directed considerable amounts of contingency funding towards tackling the short-term effects of Covid-19 on education, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, as this research shows, tackling both the short- and longer-term effects of the pandemic on all stages of education will require considerable additional funding. “To address learning loss and prevent the disadvantage gap widening further, the government’s forthcoming long-term plan for education recovery, led by Sir Kevan Collins, must be ambitious, with generous funding commitments for both immediate and postpandemic education spending.”

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has called for £13.5 billion in new educational funding to support a range of measures aimed at reducing the impact of the pandemic on children. The EPI said that an “ambitious, multi-year programme of support” is needed to reverse “months of lost learning”. The report, Education recovery and resilience in England, sets out a range of proposals including: an increase to the Early Years Pupil Premium, taking it to the same rate as given to primary school children a pilot study of 200 early years settings in disadvantaged areas, funded at a higher rate than under the current scheme for at least three years

An “ambitious multi-year programme of support” is needed to reverse “months of lost learning” Measures aimed at other parts of the education sector include summer wellbeing programmes, further mental health support in schools and the option for children to retake a year. The EPI added: “The retention of these policies should also be met with further investment beyond schools – in wider children’s services and mental health services supported by an urgent child poverty strategy.”

SUPPORT FOR PARENTS: NHS England plans to open 26 mental health hubs for new, expectant and bereaved parents.

RISK-AVERSE: A parent survey by Save the Children has found that children are playing outside with their friends less than they were before the pandemic.

2,000 early years providers have closed since the start of 2021, data shows Labour has warned that the government’s “rhetoric does not match reality” as new data shows that more than 2,000 early years providers have closed their doors since the start of 2021. The latest government statistics show that the total number of childcare providers in England fell from 74,130 in December 2020 to 72,043 in March 2021. These figures come shortly after the government promised in the Queen’s Speech to “ensure that children have the best start in life, prioritising their early years”. Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s shadow minister for the early years, warned that the announcements on Family Hubs and child health will not compensate for the loss of early years providers and closure

of more than 1,000 Sure Start centres since 2010. She said: “Labour has repeatedly warned that a decade of Conservative neglect and the impact of the pandemic could force thousands of early years providers to shut their doors forever. This worrying data shows that our worst fears are being realised. The government’s rhetoric on early years has not been matched by reality and today’s promises will ring hollow for the thousands of parents struggling to find affordable early years education, childcare and support. Ministers need to start listening to families and come forward with a proper plan to rebuild this essential infrastructure after a decade of neglect.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “The fact that more than 2,000 early years providers have closed since the start of this year is deeply concerning but is of no surprise those familiar with the sector. It is the obvious result of years of paltry, below-inflation funding rises that have resulted in the substantial underfunding of early education entitlements. When combined with a lack of government action to combat the loss of income and additional costs resulting from the pandemic, we have an early years emergency on our hands. Unless this enormous and clearly unsustainable pressure is eased now, this unwelcome trend will only continue.”

Alliance calls for funding uplift after early years highlighted in Queen’s Speech

Renewed calls for Baseline to be “paused” after Covid-19

The Alliance has called for a “significant uplift” in funding for children under five as the government highlighted support for the early years in the Queen’s Speech on 12 May. The speech made reference to the introduction of measures to support children in their early years, and also to address learning loss as a result of the pandemic. The Queen said: “Measures will be brought forward to ensure that children have the best start in life, prioritising their early years. My Ministers will address lost learning during the pandemic and ensure every child has a high-quality education and is able to fulfil their potential.” The measures proposed include promoting ‘Family Hubs’, digitising the Red Book and “developing a modern, skilled workforce”, as outlined in the government’s The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days, published in March 2021. In response, the Alliance has called for increased funding to help providers support children and families. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance,

The More Than a Score campaign has called on the government to “pause” the introduction of Baseline assessments in September. The campaigners have made the suggestion, alongside requests for SATs and other statutory primary assessments to be halted, in the campaign’s latest report, Drop SATs For Good. The campaigners argue that dropping the assessments will give children more time to bridge learning gaps caused by the pandemic. In the report, Alliance director of quality improvement Michael Freeston and Early Education chief executive Beatrice Merrick argue that children’s wellbeing and welfare are the “top priorities” after the Covid-19 pandemic and that administering the test takes teachers away from the classroom during the “crucial settling-in period”. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL school leadership union, commented: “The pandemic has brought opportunity for permanent change to a primary testing regime that is demonstrably not fit for its original purpose. This should become our Covid legacy.”

commented: “While we warmly welcome the reference to new early years measures in the Queen’s Speech, it remains to be seen what these will look like in practical terms. “The government has made clear its intention to provide greater support to new parents and children in the first 1,001 days, but if we are ever to close the disadvantage gap and make sure that all children are given the best possible start in life, ministers must also commit to ensuring that early education providers are given the funding they need to deliver affordable, sustainable, high-quality care and education over the long term. “Many early years professionals remain deeply concerned about the impact of the pandemic on young children’s social and emotional development. As such, it’s vital that the measures announced include a significant uplift in the amount of recovery funding afforded to under-fives – the majority of which attend PVI settings – if we are to offer every child of the pandemic the same chance to succeed as those born at any other time.”

“Ministers must commit to ensuring that providers are given the funding they need.”

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Just 10% of parents say the early years is adequately funded, survey finds The Alliance has called on the government to undertake an urgent review of early years funding in England, following the results of a new parent survey. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Childcare and Early Education’s latest survey revealed that just one in 10 parents believes that nurseries and childminders are properly funded. 91% of survey respondents agreed that early years professionals should be paid on a similar scale to school teachers. Only 12% of parents surveyed believed that the current offer was financially sustainable for the early years sector, with 65% agreeing that it was not enough to sustain settings and professionals, placing early years providers under threat. Neil Leitch, chief executive of the

Alliance, commented: “While there is no doubt that the Covid-19 crisis has had a hugely detrimental impact on the early years sector, many of the financial difficulties that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are currently facing existed long before the pandemic. “We in the sector have long argued that these challenges are a direct result of sustained government underfunding, and as these results show, parents are well aware of this too, with the vast majority recognising that the government’s support for early years providers is not enough for them to remain financially viable. “Even with the recent shift towards home working, as the survey findings demonstrate, a functioning early years

sector remains critical to the ability of parents to return to their workplaces and progress in their careers. It’s therefore clear that government must prevent further early years closures if it is to ensure that the economy as a whole is able to recover post-pandemic. “The government cannot continue to drag its feet on this issue: we need an urgent review of early years funding to enable providers to deliver quality, affordable and sustainable services both now and in the future. If the government wants to make sure parents can continue to work and that every child is able to benefit from high-quality early education and care, then investing in the sector that can deliver both is surely the obvious choice.”

Parents worried about Covid-19 impact on children’s development, survey reveals A majority of parents (56%) are concerned about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their children, according to a new survey published by the Sutton Trust. One in five (20%) parents of children aged between two- and four-years-old felt that their child’s development had been affected by the pandemic and a quarter (25%) were concerned about their language development. However, a bigger concern was the impact on children’s social and emotional development, with more than half (52%) saying that this had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Two thirds of parents said that not being able to play with other children has negatively impacted their child. More than half (51%) said that the government has not done enough to support pre-school age children in the pandemic. In response, the Trust has called on the government to put the development and wellbeing of children at the heart of its recovery plan. Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman at the Sutton Trust, commented: “No one doubts that the impact of the pandemic on children’s and young people’s life chances is going to have repercussions for many years – even decades – to come. Our own research has highlighted the disproportionate impact of school closures

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on poorer students, who have struggled most with home schooling. “The recovery plan must be ambitious and long-term. Crucially, funding and efforts need to be focused on the most disadvantaged. But as [this] polling shows, we cannot forget the youngest children. It is more important than ever that there is greater access to high quality early education for younger children from poorer homes whose development is at risk of suffering the most.” Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “We know that the first five years of a child’s life are absolutely critical for their learning and development, and yet there are now many young children across the country who

have spent a huge proportion of their short lives indoors, with little to no social interaction. “As such, it is no surprise that so many parents are so concerned about how the unprecedented restrictions of the pandemic might impact their children in the long term. “Early years professionals have worked incredibly hard to support families returning to their settings but they themselves need far greater support from government to ensure that they are able to continue delivering affordable, sustainable and high-quality care and education at a time when such services are more critical than ever.” For more on this story, see page 20.

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g use of their The children at Foxcubs have also been makin s. Shaheena, weed ng cleari garden by planting vegetables and at using great were en childr manager at the setting, said: “The all was bed r flowe the that the garden tools and making sure and after g lookin job ing weed free. They have done an amaz to plant in the big watering the plants which will soon be ready ped.” revam been flower bed once the garden has

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ridgeshire, has Roundhouse Pre-school in St Neots, Camb school forest ly being hosting ‘Forest Fridays’ with week activity an ed enjoy activities. The children have particularly pound to ers hamm called ‘Hapa Zome’ which involves using en childr the talk, natural pigment into clot. After a safety wonderful results. enjoyed using the hammers and seeing the s to appeal to all seem “It Sharon, manager at the setting, said: thing to do with some is it ages and genders equally. I am sure ers!” hamm with the cathartic nature of hitting things

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’.

Ready for the

EYFS 2021? Exploring the EYFS 2021 £5.95 members £8.50 non-members The new Exploring the EYFS 2021 online publication explores how the successful implementation of the setting’s educational programmes depends on educators recognising that each child is unique. It is the positive relationships and enabling environments that will encourage their engagement with the world around them whilst acknowledging this

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Non-statutory curriculum guidance to support the implementation of the statutory requirements of the EYFS. It sets out the pathways of children’s development in broad ages and stages; to help you assess each child’s level of development.

Non-statutory guidance which practitioners may use to support their implementation of the EYFS. It outlines the foundations of good practice and offers information and guidance for practitioners to consider how the Principles of the EYFS can be brought to life in their setting. New sections on play, characteristics of effective learning, and self-regulation are designed to help practitioners to reflect on and develop their own pedagogy.

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Early Years Alliance

PLAY

Get ready for our National Week of Play This month, the Alliance will be hosting a National Week of Play to help children reclaim their rights as Covid-19 restrictions begin to lift

he Covid-19 pandemic has had a hugely detrimental impact on children’s access to play. It has caused their worlds to shrink and restricted their ability to play. Many playgrounds and outdoor recreation areas have been closed, and many children have been denied the opportunities to socialise with their friends and peers. Enabling environments in early years settings that once encouraged risk, challenge and exploration were repurposed with the aim of keeping children away from each other. Positive relationships may have been compromised by the need to operate in ‘bubbles’. The full impact on their health and wellbeing at such a crucial time in their development has yet to be fully understood.

back a sense of control after a confusing time in their lives. It is through play that children will begin to make sense of what has happened and is still happening. It is through play that the children who have been impacted the most will begin to heal and thrive as we look towards better times.

“Children learn by leading their own play and by taking part in play guided by adults.”

Making sense of these confusing times As early years educators, we know that play is fundamental to a child’s learning and development. Play is how children make sense of the world. It helps them express their feelings, manage emotions and find out about themselves and others. Practitioners only need to observe how children are playing together and interacting with their environment to see how the pandemic has affected them. We must not assume that the passage of time will make everything right again. Some children are still unsure about the rules and are waiting for adult direction before deciding what to play with and how. Play is even more important now as it is the first step in giving them

Putting play at the heart of practice

Prioritising play is not necessarily about doing anything differently but it is a timely reminder that having freedom and time to play supports development and learning across all areas. That’s why, starting on 21 June, the Alliance is launching a National Week of Play to encourage and inspire early years professionals to ensure that learning through play is at the heart of their practice, and to support parents to discover and explore new play ideas for the home learning environment.

What’s going on?

for early years professionals, delivered via Zoom, all on the topic of play. 1. The power of play – a reminder of the importance of play Mindful play Therapeutic play 2. Connecting through play – helping children to reconnect with their peers and the learning environment (indoors and outdoors) Play for PSED How play ignites the Characteristics of Effective Learning 3. Rediscovering play Why do we stop playing – why should we play? What have you done today to make you feel playful? Engaging with children’s play to support their learning Helping grown-ups to reconnect with their innate ability to play

Panel on play Four early years experts - Helen Moylett, Cathy Nutbrown, Nancy Stewart and Anni McTavish - are going to discuss the importance of play and what the focus of practitioners should be. The discussion will take place and be recorded on Zoom and made available to practitioners afterward.

Online sessions In the following week, beginning 28 June, we will be offering four Alliance Spotlight sessions

4. A celebration of play Celebrating what has been achieved.

And more… We will be sharing tips, blogs and videos on play for practitioners and parents throughout the week as well. The Alliance is also currently developing an EduCare course on play.

Find out more To take part in our National Week of Play, you can register on our website to be kept in the loop with all the activities and events at eyalliance.org.uk/ playweek.

Meet our speakers Meet the keynote speakers and seminar hosts who will be appearing at the Alliance’s annual conference this month

he Alliance annual conference 2021 is taking place online on 15 June, from 6–8.45pm where attendees will enjoy thought-provoking keynotes from our inspirational line-up as well as a choice of practical seminars with leading early years experts. Here’s a closer look at our excellent line-up of speakers…

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James Heckman – Nobel Prize-winning economist and Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago James will be discussing how investment in early childhood development can have a positive impact on social, economic and health outcomes.

Sir Kevan Collins – Education Recovery Commissioner Kevan is leading the government’s Education Recovery programme and will be giving an update on how the scheme will be supporting the early years sector.

EVENT After our keynote speeches, attendees will then be able to choose from one of the following practical seminars to attend:

IMPLEMENTING THE REVISED EYFS FRAMEWORK with Nancy Stewart, teacher, consultant, trainer and project lead for Birth to Five Matters

WE AR EDUCA E TO PUTTIN G EAR RS: LY YEA AT THE RS EDUCA HEART OF TION P OLICY 15 JUN 6 – 8.4 E 5PM

A revised version of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is due to come into effect in September 2021. While, according to government, the changes are intended to improve outcomes at age five and reduce practitioner workload, many in the sector argue that a number of the changes are flawed and there is uncertainty about how to support each child’s progress while seeing a welcome end to the ‘tick-box’ approach to assessment and planning. In this informative and engaging session, Nancy Stewart will provide an overview of the key upcoming changes to the EYFS Framework, including revisions to the educational programmes and the Early Learning Goals, and what these mean for early years practitioners. She will also outline how Birth to Five Matters, new non-statutory supportive guidance created by the sector, for the sector, can help support practitioners to implement the EYFS Framework in a pedagogically-sound, principled and evidence-based way.

PRIORITISING PLAY with Dr Yinka Olusoga, programme director of the University of Sheffield’s BA (Hons) Education, Culture and Childhood

Guilaine Kinouani – Critical psychologist, founder of Race Reflections and author of Living While Black Guilaine will be speaking about racial equality in the early years.

After over a year of lockdown restrictions which have seen many children’s right to play severely compromised, ensuring that play forms a central part of early years practice has never been more critical. In this practical session, Dr Yinka Olusoga will explore and examine the process of play, and how early years professionals can effectively support

learning through play, particularly at a time when many children are still adjusting to being back in an early years environment. The session will be informed by Dr Olusoga’s ongoing Economic and Social Research Council-funded research project on children’s play and wellbeing during the pandemic, and will also explore how practitioners can help parents and carers to understand the value of play, and its vital role within the home learning environment.

EARLY YEARS INSPECTION UPDATE with Wendy Ratcliff, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and principal officer for early education at Ofsted The easing of lockdown restrictions in England has meant the return to some form of normality for the early years sector, including the return of routine graded inspections during the summer term. But what will Ofsted visits look like going forward? In this informative session, Wendy Ratcliff will provide a comprehensive overview of what early year practitioners can expect on inspection day, particularly in light of the introduction of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage from September and any continuing Covid-19 restrictions. She will also give a wider update on broader changes to early years inspections, including the move from four-year inspections cycles to six-year inspection windows and what this is likely to mean in practice for providers.

Don’t miss out Seminar spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so please book soon to avoid missing out on your top choice!

FREE TO ALL ALLIANCE MEMBERS, £15 FOR NON-MEMBERS* (*ticket price will be refunded to those that join the Alliance within 48 hours of the event)

To find out more and book your tickets, visit bit.ly/WeAreEducators.

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The role of a trustee The team at Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline available to Alliance members, explains the role of trustees at charity-run settings

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LAW-CALL

rustees have a vital role to play in charity-run early years settings. They have a responsibility to the setting in ensuring that it is managed properly and is fulfilling its purpose. It’s an important role and one that can make a huge difference to the setting and wider local community. But it can also be a difficult one, especially if a trustee is not sure of their responsibilities. Here, we explain some of the common points of concern…

Am I a trustee? If you are involved in running a charitable setting but do not know whether you are a trustee, you’ll need to check the charity’s governing document. This will set out the charity’s rules – it may be a constitution, trust deed, articles of association or similar. It will tell you which body has ultimate authority and responsibility for directing and governing the charity. All properly appointed members of that body are charity trustees in law – regardless of whether they are called trustees, directors, committee members, governors or something else. The Charity Commission expects trustees to take their responsibilities seriously. While it does recognise that most trustees are volunteers, who sometimes make honest mistakes, it does expect them to do their best to comply with their duties. Charity law generally protects trustees who have acted honestly and reasonably.

What does a trustee do? Trustees have six main duties: 1. Making sure that the charity is carrying out the purposes for which it is set up. This will be set out in its governing document. Spending charity funds on the wrong purposes is a very serious matter. In some cases, trustees may have to reimburse the charity personally. 2. Making sure that the charity complies with its governing document and complies with charity law requirements and any other laws that are applicable. For example, this includes adhering to safeguarding and child protection

legislation. Trustees should take reasonable steps to find out about legal requirements by reading relevant guidance or taking appropriate advice when you need to. Registered charities must keep their details on the register up to date and ensure they send the right financial and other information to the charity commission in their annual return or annual update. 3. At all times trustees must act in their charity’s best interests. Trustees and their co-trustees (and no one else) must decide what will best enable the charity to carry out its purposes. They will need to make balanced and adequately informed decisions, avoid conflicts with their personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body, and must not receive any benefit from the charity unless it is properly authorised and is clearly in the charity’s interests. This also includes anyone who is financially connected to the trustees, such as a partner, dependent child or business partner. 4. Trustees must act responsibly, reasonably and honestly to manage the charity’s resources. Trustees and their co-trustees must make sure that the charity’s assets are only used to support or carry out its purposes, not take inappropriate risks with the charity’s assets or reputation, and not overcommit the charity. There should be appropriate procedures and safeguards in place to make sure trustees don’t risk making the charity vulnerable to fraud or theft, or other kinds of abuse. 5. Trustees must act with reasonable care and skill, making use of their skills and experience and taking appropriate advice when necessary. Trustees should give enough time, thought and energy to their role. For example, this may including preparing for, attending and actively participating in all trustees’ meetings.

6. Trustees must ensure that their charity is accountable. Trustees must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements. They should also be able to demonstrate that their charity is complying with the law, well run and effective. Indeed, this is something that Ofsted may pick up on if an organisation is not well managed by its trustees. Trustees should ensure appropriate accountability to members, if the charity has a membership separate from the trustees, and that there is accountability within the charity, particularly where responsibility for particular tasks or decisions has been delegated to staff or volunteers. Whenever trustees make a decision about the charity, they must: act within their powers act in good faith – and only in the interests of the charity make sure they are sufficiently informed, taking advice where needed take account of all relevant factors ignore any irrelevant factors deal with conflicts of interest and loyalty make decisions that a reasonable trustee body would make in the circumstances It is advisable that trustees record how they make significant decisions in case they ever need to be reviewed or explained in the future. Volunteering for positions like this can sometimes feel like a thankless task, but remember that trustees help to make a positive impact for a worthy cause and that volunteers don’t get paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless!

Find out more If you have any questions around the role of trustees, please get in touch with Law-Call for further advice. Alliance members can find their contact details in the members area of our website at portal.eyalliance.org.uk.

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Masterin apprenti After much disruption during the coronavirus pandemic, what has happened to early years apprenticeships? Eleanor Fricker, press and external affairs officer at the Alliance investigates

pprenticeships are a great way to bring new life into your setting. They offer a chance for you and your staff to refresh your own knowledge through training a new staff member. You’ll also gain a new team member with a fresh understanding not only of the early years in general, but also the standards and procedures of your specific provision. Having apprentices around can also provide a sustainable recruitment process, with the chance that an apprentice will stay with your team long after they qualify, should you wish them to. But apprentices are not ‘cheap labour’. Though pay requirements are somewhat lower for their first 12 months of work, any provider must make a full commitment to the learning and development of anyone they take on. Anyone offering an apprenticeship must allow each apprentice 20% of their contracted hours for individual, ‘off-the-job’ study during the working day and be able to offer a minimum of 12 months’ work. A longer period is preferable however, with the rate of pay rising to the national living or minimum wage at the end of the 12 months.

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Returning to learning Knowledge-only pathway Some adjustments were made to apprenticeships during the pandemic, which have only recently been lifted. Restrictions on on-site training and assessments meant some apprentices found themselves waiting on placements or waiting on their final assessment to qualify. Some early years students undertaking Early Years Educator (EYE) and Early Years Practitioner (EYP) qualifications – mainly those learners who attend college full-time – would have needed to complete work placements in block periods during the academic year. To allow progression to higher education and to give learners who are enrolled upon the Level 3 Early Years Educator, but have been unable to access placements, formal recognition for completing the knowledge components of their qualifications, Ofqual and the Department for Education allowed students to progress through a ‘knowledge only’ version of EYE or EYP qualifications. This designation will be written clearly on the certificate of achievement. Employers

and hiring managers should be aware that this qualification is not a licence to practice – and this will be rigorously checked by Ofsted during inspections. Since 8 March 2021, all apprentices have been able to attend on-site training and assessment, except those studying in a Higher Education setting, who were allowed to return fully from 17 May (step three of the coronavirus roadmap). Since February 2021 the government has allowed apprentices to begin their end-point assessment (EPA) – the final review of the work they have done during their studies – before achieving their functional skills qualifications (FSQ) if the qualifications had been delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. The government is currently advising providers and employers to continue to judge the appropriate balance of on-site and remote training and assessment as restrictions lift.

Taking a break Since an apprentice can be any age or from any background, they may have found themselves in unforeseen commitments as a result of coronavirus measures – for example, as a parent or carer. If they were asked to shield

TRAINING

ng iceships for an extended period, they may have been able to do some training online, or they may have been unable to continue their studies at all. Providers and apprentices should be aware that breaks shorter than four weeks should be agreed between the provider and the apprentice. Longer breaks are classified as “a break in learning”. For these, the end date of the apprenticeship is likely to move, with implications for funding arrangements which will also in most cases pause and resume.

Blended working As remote learning and online courses grow in popularity and quality, some providers are offering training delivered partly online, and partly in-person. This is known as ‘blended working’. Those with existing digital learning provision found it particularly beneficial during the pandemic, but it also offers a particularly convenient option for those with families or other commitments during their studies.

Funding opportunities Apprenticeship grants An increase in grant money makes the coming months a particularly good time

to take on an apprentice, with additional money available. This could make taking on an apprentice more cost effective, even with the 20% off-the-job training requirement. In the most recent budget, additional funds were invested in employer grants. Employers in England who hire a new apprentice between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 will receive a direct payment of £3,000 per new hire. Under the previous scheme, providers would receive just £1,500 (or £2,000 for those aged 24 and under). The £3,000 grant is in addition to the existing £1,000 payment the government provides for all new 16-18 year-old apprentices and those aged under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Lifetime Skills Additionally, as part of the government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee programme, 400 free qualifications are on offer to anyone over the age of 24 who has not already achieved a qualification at Level 3 (equivalent to A-level). The programme is backed

by £95m in government funding during 2021/22 which aims to improve access to skills later in life, and to help address skills gaps in the economy, includes a wide range of Level 3 childcare and early years qualifications. Once you are registered as a provider on the scheme, you may see an increase in interested apprentices approaching you via the list of providers on the gov.uk website.

Apprenticeship Levy Any business with a payroll of £3 million or more is obliged to make monthly deposits of 0.5% of their annual pay bill into the apprenticeship levy pot. They then have 24 months within which to deploy this funding into hiring apprentices for their business. If a business is unable to deploy all of this funding itself within the time frame, it may also wish to look into partnering with a business with a payroll below that amount to help invest in skills within the early years sector.

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Seven days, Julie Revels, associate and trainer at Nasen, shares some ideas for helping children build resilience in the early years

ow have you developed during the Covid-19 lockdown? No doubt you’ve needed to hone skills including flexibility, collaboration, problem-solving, and – above all – resilience! In the words of specialist paediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg: “What we do to model healthy resilience strategies for our children is more important than anything we say about them.’ But what

is resilience? And how do we cultivate it in the early years?” Simply put, resilience is “the capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully to disturbances that threaten viability, the function or development of that system”. The past year has shown that we live within a very dynamic system, of families, settings, political systems and more. Within these structures,

Movement Mondays

Turn-taking Tuesdays

Focusing on physical development can bring about wonderful changes in a child’s capacity to experience their environment. Activities involving large movements – such as animal movements, or soft play obstacle courses – can lead to imaginative learning opportunities, involving pictures, film clips, signing and reading. Taking animal movements as an example, why not think about how different animals move? Talk about the size of their steps and how fast or slow they travel. Are they wobbly or balanced? Encourage children to choose which animal will be the focus for their movement breaks that day or take it in turns to have ‘Guess The Animal’ competitions. Building this into your everyday routine is an inclusive way to offer all children the opportunity to move.

Early experience of turntaking helps children develop subsequent skills, such as anticipating change, waiting for their turn, and sharing. This includes everything from sharing your attention, a toy, space on a carpet, or a joint activity. Introducing turn-taking is as straightforward as Peekaboo, passing an object between children, or one child clapping a rhythm and another copying. Ask one child to be ‘leader’ – perhaps completing an action for others to follow. Then swap the roles around. Reward good turn-taking by telling children how well they waited, followed or were a great leader. Notice and highlight when children are taking turns when doing things like snacking or washing hands.

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we all have the capacity to develop and use resilience ourselves, but today we take a look at ideas to help our early years children learn it - which you can use in your setting or share with familes. These ideas are based on the downloadable Resilience Development Pack ‘Seven Days, Many Ways’ resource created by Nasen and commissioned by the Department for Education.

Wellbeing Wednesdays Supporting children to boost wellbeing has huge benefits for resilience. Making a wellbeing box is a great idea to try, for both children and adults alike. The box can be a container of any sort - you may wish to decorate or personalise it in some way. For the contents, the children can choose items that help them feel safe and calm. This might include fiddle toys, fabric, bubbles or headphones. Additionally, try out mindfulness for children. This could take a minute or even less. Perhaps using the structure of a treasure hunt, give each child a picture or a card of something they can find. Collecting items and encouraging children to notice an object’s shape, size, texture, smell, gives a chance for children to think about how they are feeling while they’re being mindful.

Thoughtful Thursdays Thoughtful Thursdays are for developing reflection and kindness, bringing both into the child’s awareness. Supporting them to think about others, and how people might think or behave differently to themselves, is key to building empathy. Find opportunities to think about the child’s own family and extended family. Collect photos and make a family tree, encouraging them to talk and think about their different relatives. Another positive idea is the creation of a gift for somebody else. This doesn’t need to be anything big: it’s the thought that counts.

SEND

seven ways What is resilience and how do we cultivate it in the early years?

First-Time Fridays

Sensory Saturdays

Celebrate Sundays

This day is a chance to consolidate recent experiences, and prepare for new ones. Using photos and schedules, you can demonstrate to children how to use new equipment and skills, which will build their confidence before the activity happens. Consider something as basic as mark-making: look at different surfaces and tools, and create the safe space children need to explore unfamiliar objects and challenges.

As all young children learn through their senses, considering how they use them is essential. Carrying out a sensory audit of your environment may help you understand what sensory information children pick up in different parts of your setting. All spaces have their own attributes. When we are aware of these, it can help us take account of children’s sensory needs. In pairs or small groups, note down what you see, hear, smell and touch. Using this information can help you make simple adjustments to support inclusive practice.

How do you reflect upon children’s successes and share them? One-Page Profiles, a document shared between setting and parents, are a great way to do this, and build strong connections around achievement. They record key information about the child under three categories: what people like and admire about me, what is important to me, and how best to support me. These are simple and positive channels for working with families, celebrating unique attributes, and supporting an individual’s development. Early years children are constantly making a wide variety of transitions. As the landscape around us continually changes, building resilience into all we do can be the difference between children surviving and actually thriving.

These ideas and activities are merely a starting point. You know what makes your children tick, so focus on the experience you’re providing every day, rather than specific outcomes. It is then that you will discover your children’s unique abilities, enjoy shared time together, and treasure their development.

Find out more Access a free Nasen Resilience Development Pack: Seven Days, Many Ways at ow.ly/Rj9t50Ezjnf. Seven individual resources, dedicated to each day of the week can also be downloaded from ow.ly/ zkph50EzjzD.

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Counting the cost

How has Covid-19 affected children’s learning and development? As worrying trends start to emerge, we look at two recent surveys assessing the impact of the pandemic on early years children

e all know how important the first five years of a child’s life are for their development and learning. Unfortunately, during the last year and a half, children have missed out on many opportunities for social interaction and play due to ongoing restrictions. With many young children now having spent a significant percentage of their short lives under lockdown rules, many

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providers are beginning to worry about the long-term impact of the pandemic on their development.

Concerning trends Earlier this year, the Alliance surveyed more than 1,300 professionals working in early years settings about their experiences. More than half (59%) said that fewer children were now meeting the expected level of

attainment in the prime areas of learning and development since the start of the pandemic in 2020. More than half of those surveyed said that they had observed negative changes in the learning and development of children when they returned to their setting after the first lockdown. 42% of those who had seen negative changes said that these were more evident in children from disadvantaged

NEWS FEATURE

“They expect me to pick them up and carry them when they can walk perfectly well. They look at toys and loose parts blankly, with no idea how to explore and use their imaginations. They often ask for the TV or to play with my phone and are confused when I tell them ‘no’. I worry about what this year has done to their development and how long it will take to make up for lost learning.” Survey respondent

social and emotional development alongside their physical development, which many respondents noted have suffered as a result of being cut off from their friends and opportunities to play and explore. “Given the proven link between investment in the early years and better educational and social outcomes, especially for the most disadvantaged children, a failure to invest now would be unforgiveable.”

backgrounds, with 94% identifying personal, social and emotional development as a particular concern as well as communication and language (82%). More than eight in every 10 respondents (82%) said that the government is not doing enough to support early years providers to tackle the impact of the pandemic on children under five, with many reporting that Parent worries they do not have the financial resources to It’s not just early years practitioners who are invest in additional staff and offer targeted concerned. A survey conducted by YouGov support. on behalf of the Sutton Trust found that a In response, the Alliance is calling on the majority of parents of children under five government to invest in targeted support for (56%) are worried about the impact of the the early years sector to help with the Covidpandemic on their child’s development or 19 recovery. Neil Leitch, chief executive of wellbeing. the Alliance, commented: “The early years One in five parents (20%) asked said that workforce is deeply committed to supporting the pandemic had negatively impacted their children and families, and has done a child’s physical development and a quarter fantastic job throughout the pandemic (25%) said it had affected their language continuing to deliver care and education skills. Social and emotional development at great personal risk and with almost no is also a concern, with more than half additional support. (52%) stating that this had been negatively “Practitioners responding to the survey affected. said they know exactly what children at their The lack of social interaction outside settings most need to recover lost skills the home was a key driver behind these and confidence, and that the only thing concerns, with 69% of parents citing the stopping them from taking action is a lack of negative impact of not being able to play resources. It is therefore vital that nurseries, with other children and 63% saying that pre-schools and childminders are “Children coming to me for the first time or given dedicated financial support for returning after extended periods with only recovery, and the their parents are clingy, upset and afraid autonomy to use it of strangers. They have lost the ability to as they see fit. play independently. They are taking a long “Proper funding time to settle away from their parents. Some would enable have returned with very good literacy and the targeted interventions numeracy skills but are nowhere near where needed to improve they should be with personal, social and children’s personal,

emotional development, or physical and selfcare skills. They are lacking in gross motor skills because they have been indoors a lot and some who could put on their own shoes before lockdown have forgotten how.”

not being able to see close relatives had affected their child. Similarly, more than half of parents (51%) also believe that the government is not doing enough to support the development of preschool children in the pandemic. And, like the Alliance, the Sutton Trust is also calling for the early years to be put at the heart of the government’s education recovery plans. The charity is also working with the Alliance on a consultation with the sector about suggested changes to the 30 hours policy to better support disadvantaged children.

Of the 1,300 early years professionals asked…

47%

say that the attainment gap has grown among under-fives during the pandemic

59%

say that fewer children are meeting the expected level of attainment in the prime areas of learning

8 out of 10

believe that the government is not doing enough to help early years providers to tackle the impact of the pandemic

£1.7 bn

The government has committed to spending £1.7 billion on its ‘education recovery’ package…

£10m

But just £10 million of this is available to early years settings.

Survey respondent UNDER 5

Ready to reopen? As restrictions on baby and toddler groups begin to ease, we answer some of your common questions on the guidance

aby and toddler groups – or ‘parent and child groups’ as the government refers to them – are now allowed to operate both indoors and outdoors. Here, we answer some of your key questions on reopening…

Do adults need to wear face coverings?

How many people are allowed to attend baby and toddler groups?

Only where social distancing isn’t possible. Government guidance on parent and child groups recommends that “adults wear face coverings where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas)”.

As of Monday 17 May, baby and parent groups may meet in groups of up to 30. However, this limit does not include:

Do we need to enforce social distancing?

children under five anyone who is working as part of the group, such as a group leader.

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Yes, between adults. Government guidance on parent and child groups states that group leaders should ensure that “social distancing is maintained between adults

who do not live together and who are not in the same support bubble or childcare bubble”.

Are we allowed to sing/take part in musical activities? From 17 May, where singing is taking place outdoors, “multiple groups of 30 attendees can take part. This limit includes children aged under five, so where the parent and child group has more than a total of 30 attendees of all ages, they should divide into groups of 30 or less and remain in these groups for the duration of the session”. Where singing is taking place indoors:

BABY AND TODDLER

no more than six adults in the room, including the group leader, should sing and singing should be limited to the same six adults for the duration of the group session good ventilation with fresh air should be maintained throughout the session

a contact phone number for each customer or visitor, or for the lead member of a group of people. If a phone number is not available, you should ask for their email address instead, or if neither are available, then postal address date of visit, arrival time and, where possible, departure time

The rationale given for these limits in the guidance is that “taking account of the evidence about singing and Covid-19, singing is considered safer when limited numbers of people sing together”. The guidance adds that “there is guidance in the music, dance and drama section [of the Actions for Early Years guidance] and additional guidance that should be followed in the principles of safer singing and performing arts - working safely during coronavirus (Covid-19)”.

You do not have to request details from people who check in with the official NHS QR poster, and venues should not ask them to do both.

Do we need to keep a record of those attending the group?

How long do we need to keep records for?

Yes, government guidance states that the group leader should ensure that “a record of all visitors to the setting is kept”. Designated venues – including community centres, village halls, leisure centres, multiuse premises and places of worship – must display an official NHS QR code poster at their entrance, or at the point of service. This enables customers and visitors to scan the NHS QR code when they arrive by using the NHS COVID-19 app. New NHS QR posters can be generated online at www.gov.uk/ create-coronavirus-qr-poster. Organisations must also have a system for individuals who do not have a smartphone or the NHS COVID-19 app to provide their contact details.

Government guidance states that to support NHS Test and Trace, you must hold any records that have been created for 21 days solely for the purpose of NHS Test and Trace (records which are made and kept for other business purposes do not need to be disposed of after 21 days but should still comply with GDPR regulations and not be kept for longer than necessary). After 21 days, information collected for NHS Test and Trace must be securely disposed of or deleted in a way that does not risk unintended access (for example, paper documents should be shred and electronic files should be permanently deleted).

This includes:

Signing in and out: Many baby and toddler groups have traditionally encouraged parents and carers to sign in using a pen and signing-in sheet. However, in light of the pandemic, you should consider a different approach in order to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This could

the name of the customer or visitor. If there is more than one person, then you can record the name of the ‘lead member’ of the group (of up to six people) and the number of people in that group

the name of the assigned staff member, if a customer or visitor will interact with only one member of staff. This should be recorded alongside the name of the customer or visitor

Reducing the risk of transmission at your group

involve a group leader signing everyone in themselves, or alternatively, exploring whether a digital method of signing in could be used. If you are planning on using your signing-in sheet as your record of visitors for NHS Test and Trace, it is important that you ensure that all the necessary information is recorded (see above). Hand-washing: Government guidance recommends that baby and toddler group leaders should ensure that everyone maintains good hand hygiene. As such, where possible, it would be useful to provide hand sanitiser at entrance and exit points and encourage parents and families to use it both as they arrive and as they leave. Ventilation: Good ventilation is vital as it reduces the concentration of Covid-19 in the air, which reduces the risks from airborne transmission. As such, if your group operates indoors (once this is permitted under government guidelines), you should ensure that your space is well-ventilated with fresh air. Cleaning: Government guidance states that baby and toddler group leaders should any rooms used are cleaned after each use, and advice on cleaning is available here. From a business or financial perspective, it is also important to consider the cost impact of additional time spent cleaning as it might, for example, affect your room hire charges if you need to be in the venue for longer than normal. If this is the case, you may want to look at whether you could reduce session times to allow for this or, if you charge for your sessions, adjusting your fees to account for this.

Find out more The Welcome Back Family Services pack is available FREE to Alliance members or for £15 to non-members from the Alliance shop. Visit the Alliance website for the most up-to-date information on Covid-19 restrictions at eyalliance.org.uk.

Smile please! Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher shares ideas for introducing oral hygiene activities

rom September 2021, the revised EYFS places an additional requirement on early years providers to ‘promote the good health, including the oral health, of children attending the setting’. The need for this additional requirement is clear – tooth decay is almost entirely preventable, yet it remains the number one reason for children to be admitted to hospital for treatment under anaesthetic in the UK. Worrying figures from Public Health England reveal that around one in every four five-yearolds has dental decay. This has not changed since 2017, which suggests that no progress has been made towards improving children’s oral health since then. What we do in our settings makes a difference to children’s wellbeing, both now and in their future lives. So it is only right that oral health should be part of this. This doesn’t have to mean introducing a programme of toothbrushing. As the sector prepares for September, now is a good time to evaluate how your setting currently contributes towards children’s oral health and how activities and experiences in your setting can further support this vital aspect of social, emotional and physical development. Public Health England has created a

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toolkit which identifies four key preventative measures for oral health:

healthy eating and drinking regular tooth brushing promoting a healthy lifestyle visiting a dentist regularly

These can be used to form the basis of any oral health activities that you consider.

Healthy eating and drinking Providers are already well aware of the importance of providing healthy and nutritious meals as required by the EYFS. What is more challenging is encouraging children to try new things. Here are some activities to try: stories, songs, and rhymes that include fruit and vegetables can be used to encourage children to try new foods grow your own fruit and vegetables to help children to understand where their food comes from Carefully consider your cookery activities with children. It is easy to revert to highsugar activities that require little planning

such as making cakes, or icing biscuits. Why not create fruit and vegetable art that can then be eaten at snack time? For example, you could make a very hungry caterpillar using cherry tomatoes, radishes and other small salad crops, with raisins for eyes and a mouth, or recreate the whole story with fruit and vegetables. Create displays that demonstrate how much sugar is in children’s favourite foods and provide information about sugar swaps for families. Remember that children greatly influence what parents provide when it comes to food and drink. A display targeted at both parents and children that is backed up further by activities directly with children will help to get the message where it is most needed.

Regular tooth brushing Introducing a programme of toothbrushing to your setting is easier than it sounds and quickly becomes part of your daily routine. Do check current Covid-19 guidelines for the latest instructions on toothbrushing before you start. Your local community oral health team may be able to provide training and, in

ACTIVITY CORNER

some areas, may even be able to supply toothbrushes and toothpaste for those taking part. Make sure that you have a procedure for maintaining good hygiene practice including how toothbrushes are cleaned and stored, and how children are supervised.

Promoting healthy lifestyles The educational programme for personal, social and emotional development states that: “through adult modelling and guidance, they [children] will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently”. Here are some ideas for exploring this Be a positive role model – cans of high sugar content fizzy drinks being sipped by practitioners as they are working with children sends out the wrong message. Similarly, where children and adults eat meals together, sugary snacks and cakes should not be part of the adult’s menu. Provide parents and carers with consistent and informed messages – most parents want to do the very best for their child. It really is a partnership between the setting and home. A child

who cries for sweets at the supermarket checkout is less likely to do so if they have learned about the dangers of sugar in your setting. The parent is less likely to give in if they too understand that there are better options! I nfluence change – ask parents not to send in sugary birthday treats to be shared amongst the group. Many settings already have a policy of no cakes and sweets, but parents still feel the need to send something in for their child’s cohort to take home with them. Offer alternative ideas instead, such as bubbles, stickers, satsumas, or a handmade birthday card.

Visit a dentist regularly Many dental practices will want to work directly in partnership with early years providers in their local community, so it’s always worth asking if they have leaflets or other resources they are willing to share with you and your families. They may even allow you to visit with a small group of children – depending on Covid-19 restrictions. Take the learning back to your provision and create your own dental surgery where children can further extend their learning through role-play.

Children should have regular check-ups at the dentist as soon as their milk teeth appear. In some areas, where there is a particular issue with oral health, dentists may offer children aged between two and four-yearsold a fluoride varnish. Dr Chloe Hughes, principal dentist at Bidford-on-Avon Dental Surgery in Warwickshire, says that early years providers can play a vital role in sharing important messages with families. For example, many parents are not aware that babies and young children should have their last bottle or drink of milk before brushing their teeth. This is because milk contains sugar, which will attack their teeth throughout the night if not cleaned. If children are thirsty at night, they should be offered water instead. Chloe also says that it is important that families choose toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (this should be referenced on the label). Fluoride toothpaste helps prevent tooth decay.

With grateful thanks to the team at Bidford Dental Practice as well as Alison Heseltine, Alliance early years service officer, north of England.

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FUNDRAISING

How to make money for your setting with easyfundraising With online shopping more popular than ever, the team at easyfundraising explains how you can turn those purchases into free donations for your early years setting

nline shopping grew by a huge 46% last year and now accounts for over a quarter of all purchases in the UK. Free fundraising website easyfundraising enables you to turn that online shopping into free donations for your setting.

The benefits: it’s totally free for settings to set up and use it’s a completely Covid-safe fundraising method, which you can enjoy even while many face-to-face events are still on hold

How does it work? 5,000 leading retailers, including family favourites such as Amazon, eBay, Argos and John Lewis, will make a donation to your setting whenever your staff and parents use the easyfundraising website or app to shop with them. Users just need to start their online shopping by visiting the easyfundraising website first, then they can shop as normal. Retailers then make a small donation to say ‘thank you’! With so many people shopping online now, it’s an easy way to boost your setting funds and it doesn’t cost you or your families anything extra. An average online shopper could raise £30 each year – multiply that by the number of people connected to your setting to see how much you could potentially raise. Thousands of early years settings and schools are already using easyfundraising. More than £61,000 was raised in 2020 alone.

parents and staff won’t need to change where they shop – many of their favourite retailers are part of this great scheme

For more information Alliance members can access our ‘How to’ webinar which explains how easyfundraising works as well as lots of tips and tricks to help you get started, just follow this link for more - bit.ly/ easyfundEYA. As an Alliance member, easyfundraising will give your setting ongoing support to raise as much as possible, including free one-to-one coaching with their experts and free resources to help you let your parents and staff know. If you need any assistance you can also get in touch with our designated easyfundraising contact: roisin@easyfundraising.org.uk.

Case study Helen, St Michael’s Pre-school, Wolmer Green Is easyfundraising a good way for settings to fundraise? Yes, absolutely! Most people shop online in one way or another and this is such an easy way for parents and friends to support us without having to spend any additional money.

What do other settings think? 3,000 member settings are already using it to raise money for toys, books, outside equipment or just to help them with their everyday running costs. Addingham Pre-school have raised over £3,100 so far. One parent at the setting, Ashleigh, told us: “Our pre-school got us all on board with easyfundraising and now whenever I shop online, I use it and it contributes money to the pre-school. It’s brilliant.”

Getting started It’s simple. You just need to register your setting for free on the easyfundraising website. bit.ly/EYAeasyfund..

How do ask families to sign up to start supporting your setting? They are introduced to easyfundraising in our welcome packs. We then share updates with them through social media and group messaging. We recently added an easyfundraising banner and link to our email signatures. We appreciate that parents are often overwhelmed with information from their settings and schools – especially at the moment with lots of Covid-related updates. So we hope that if anyone has missed the memo, it serves as a reminder at a time when they are already online or on their phone and can set it up easily.

Find out more To join the many settings already making the most of this FREE and easy way of fundraising, visit bit.ly/EYAeasyfund.

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NUTRITION

7. Don’t put disliked foods on their plate next to liked foods. Even children as young as two years will find the foods that they don’t like disgusting. If a disliked food is put next to liked food then the disgust contamination can only go one way – anything may be refused.

How to encourage toddlers to interact with foods outside of mealtimes:

Managing fussy eating The Infant & Toddler Forum explains how early years providers can help support families through fussy eating phases

efusing food is a normal phase that most toddlers pass through at some point. From around 20 months, most toddlers will start to refuse new foods on sight. They may even push away food that they used to eat beforehand if it looks slightly different. This is a normal stage of development called food neophobia. Luckily, most toddlers start to move out of this phase by around three or four years of age. Even though this behaviour is completely normal in toddlers, there are some approaches and methods that can help make mealtimes easier during this phase. A regular pattern of three meals and three snack times should be kept in place at all times. Toddlers should not be allowed to graze all day in the hope that they will eat something. Meals and snacks should be scheduled around sleep and nap times – a tired toddler will not be interested in eating! Here are some other additional do’s and don’ts during this phase: 1. Do allow children to eat the foods that they like, while gradually getting them to accept other, healthier foods. You shouldn’t withhold favourite foods, even if you think that they are ‘unhealthy’, in an attempt to get toddlers to eat more desirable foods. This won’t work and it is essential that toddlers take in the calories that they need to grow. Appropriate growth is more important in the early years than dietary range.

2. Do try and eat alongside toddlers as often as possible. Eating with others allows toddlers to learn by copying adults and other children and they will eventually find the courage to try new foods if they see others eat them. 3. Do eat in a calm, relaxed environment. Try not to prompt and coax your child to eat. This will raise their anxiety levels around food and make them more likely to refuse it. Talking and engaging with toddlers will make mealtimes more pleasant and interesting for them – but try to make your conversation unrelated to the food in question! 4. Don’t try to hide or disguise foods. Most toddlers at this stage will notice the hidden vegetables, cheese and sneaky fruit in their pasta, sandwich or yoghurt! If they find it then they will refuse to eat that item too – you might lose it altogether. 5. Don’t let mealtimes go on for too long. If a toddler isn’t really interested in the food in front of them, then stop the meal. You can offer them something else at the next snack time. 6. Don’t bribe and reward at mealtimes. “Eat up your broccoli and then you can have a dessert,” doesn’t work. The dessert is just made even more desirable and the broccoli even more disgusting.

lan activities where they handle bits of P fruit or vegetables – make pictures, shapes or faces. ook, find and name foods in the shops and L supermarket. row food – even if it’s just in a plant pot on G the window sill. ake food – roll dough and mix sauces, even M if your toddler won’t eat what they are making! Thankfully, fussy eating will usually resolve in time. However, a minority of toddlers may persist in eating little or a limited range of foods, potentially affecting their growth and development. There may be medical reasons why a toddler is not eating, with the most common of these being constipation and anaemia. It is always advisable to get a healthcare professional to check there is no physical cause for poor appetite. If a child is growing well on a limited range diet, then it is likely that the toddler has genetically determined traits that make them strongly neophobic about food. Such children usually have extreme sensory hypersensitivity. They react strongly to smell, tastes and more importantly, the feel of food – both on their hands or in their mouths. These children may well be at risk for avoidant eating patterns as they move into childhood. Under these circumstances, it may be appropriate to refer the child to a specialist feeding team if one is available. A dietician can also assess a toddler’s diet and recommend a supplement if necessary to provide additional nutrients if the overall diet is not nutritionally balanced.

Find out more For more information and advice on the management of fussy eating in toddlers, download our How to Manage Simple Fussy Eating in Toddlers Factsheet (2.2) at infantandtoddlerforum.org. Don’t forget to visit our new shop for all our latest products shop.infantandtoddlerforum.org. UNDER 5 27

Stress and Stress and trauma early in life can impact on developing children. Research shows that our brains develop rapidly after birth and carry on developing into adulthood. Research also shows us that early experiences can impact on that early brain development and set the trajectory for our long-term wellbeing.

Early brain development After birth, rapid ‘wiring’ of the brain takes place creating ‘synapses’ – or connections – between the neurons in the brain. These important connections transmit valuable information. As a baby develops, repeated early experiences impact on these connections and those experiences which are experienced most are retained within the neural pathways and those which are unused tend to be ‘pruned’ away.

Impact of early experiences

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Early years support Research shows that good quality early years provision by practitioners who understand early brain development and the benefits of positive early experiences can help make a difference to young children who face negative experiences.

Early experiences can impact on early brain development and set the trajectory for our long-term wellbeing.

Unfortunately, the brain does not differentiate between positive and negative experiences and the latter can equally impact on early brain development. However, there is some evidence that the brain can in part be reorganised after a negative event through a process called ‘neural plasticity’. However, that can only happen if the negative experience is replaced by a positive one.

Very young children are particularly at risk if they sustain long periods of stress and trauma because this is likely to negatively impact on their early development. The child may exhibit this distress through their behaviour, for example, attachment issues, developmental delay/regression, quietness, aggression, anxiety, sleeping and feeding issues.

Childhood stress and trauma

Sometimes practitioners will be aware that a child has experienced stress or trauma because this information has been shared by their parent/carer or an external professional. But sometimes not, especially if there has been no cause for concern or any visible signs through the child’s development or behaviour. Children exhibit distress differently. Some will be visibly upset but other signs of a child’s distress are harder to detect and easily missed. However, if a key

person has a strong attachment with a child, then they may notice that a child may be more tearful, clingy or quieter than usual. These signs should always be acted on to discover what has changed for the child. Although not all children facing stress and trauma will require safeguarding, all will need to be carefully monitored with a referral made if the child is deemed to be at risk. Consultation with parents/carers is important, and if relevant a referral to support services such as CAMHS. For a child who is suffering from stress or trauma but is not yet supported by an external agency or is awaiting assessment, their needs will need to be accommodated, especially if a child’s coping mechanisms are overwhelmed. It will be helpful to talk to parents and relevant external agencies, and possibly place the child temporarily on the graduated approach to allow for some bespoke support and monitoring to be put in place. This will need to be reviewed regularly. It is also important to offer parents support. The Mental Health Foundation offer support and advice at mentalhealth. org.uk.

Being proactive Psychologist David Trickey (annafreud.org) states that there are five crucial elements to helping children recover from stress and trauma, by helping them to: feel safe and secure feel connected and socially supported feel calm

WELLBEING

d trauma feel as if they have some control understand what happened Most children flourish when they feel safe and happy, especially those going through stress and trauma. In early years provision all the main cornerstones of safety, security and stability need to be embedded into good and effective early years practice, to enable children to recover from stress and trauma.

Steps to achieve effective practice Update relevant policies and procedures. Audit the environment and resources for behaviour ‘triggers’. Conduct risk assessments. Use Leuven’s Scales of well-being and engagement (www.famly.co/ blog/leuven-scales).

Use a visual timetable to define the day. Conduct ABC checks on struggling children. Refer children for external assessment asap. Take care of your own emotional wellbeing.

Ensure good home to setting partnerships and secure attachments are established with key children.

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Enhancing outdoor learning Roundhouse Pre-school in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, have been working on improving their outdoor space to better support children’s learning. Here, setting manager, Sharon Parnell, shares their experience…

utdoor areas are a valuable resource in the early years and can provide a range of benefits to children’s learning and development. Offering children free flow from the indoor environment to the outdoor environment helps to support children in their play where they feel most comfortable and can change their surroundings with ease. Here’s how the improvements we have made to our outdoor space are supporting children’s learning across all areas of the EYFS…

Expressive Arts and Design We created a wonderful art trolley offering the children access to creative materials in the outdoor area including notepads, pens, paper, paint, water pots, paintbrushes, pipe cleaners, scissors and much more. This will all help support and develop the children’s mark making skills. Offering the children paintbrushes and water will also provide opportunities for them to paint on a variety of different surfaces outside.

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Understanding the World Children love to investigate and explore their surroundings. At Roundhouse Preschool we have created a small world area using our tuff tray, and it is here that the children can be encouraged to build on their imaginative development. We have also created a lovely little corner with a handmade log bug hotel, plant pots and log rolls. This will help support children’s investigation skills and encourage them to talk about what they have found in the natural habitat. We have enhanced the area by placing pots with magnifying glasses, clear pots and bug fact sheets so they can observe the bugs more closely and try and identify them to extend their knowledge. We also have built two planters, one for plants and one for vegetables. The children have been helping to plant the vegetables and will help maintain and water them. This will provide plenty of learning opportunities to explore how

plants grow from seeds and to look at different parts of a plant. Children will also help pick the vegetables and fruits and use them to cook with.

Literacy The outdoor environment can often be a fast paced and energetic area; however, children still require space to calm down, reflect and observe. We have chosen a lovely area in the outdoor space and created a quiet book corner. We used our World Book Day staff cardboard cut-out costumes to jazz the book corner up a little. The children have enjoyed looking at a variety of story books and talking about the pictures with their friends.

Communication and Language We have provided lots of areas in our outdoor space that encourage more language and communication between the children, their peers and their adults. We have also taken some musical instruments

OUTDOORS

outside as this is a great way to develop attention and listening skills. We have placed some large long tubes with phones on the end of each which children have found very interesting – they talk down the tube and it travels down to the phone and so the other child can hear them. These areas all provide a range of different sounds for the children to experience. We also have a wonderful mud kitchen which will help the children benefit from a range of skills in their development. We have offered the children various size bowls, wooden spoons, pots and pans, and cooking equipment which will support and enable the children to act out different scenarios and interact with one another during the role play, helping to build relationships and develop conversational skills.

motor movements and to manoeuvre around, under, on top and through lots of different obstacles in the outdoor environment. Both gross motor skills and fine motor skills are an important development skill and we have transformed a big muddy patch of ground into a wonderful wood chip barked area which is being used as a building and construction area. We have let the children use spades for digging and provided them with a range of materials to use in imaginary and creative play. We have also used our sandpit to encourage gross motor skills and explore a different texture, too.

Physical Development

The outdoors is a lovely environment to encourage social development. There are lots of things to see, hear,

We provide the children with the opportunity to use a wide range of gross

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

smell and touch that ignites questions and conversations to happen. An outdoor classroom can offer opportunities to build on relationships and support children in learning about themselves and others. Taking puppets outside can open up a range of opportunities for the children to explore the natural environment.

Mathematics Most children love water play, and it is a great way to develop children’s mathematical skills. We have kept a water tray outside with different sized bottles and containers for them to explore, which will help to encourage the use of mathematical language and thinking. We have also created a wonderful water wall with the children. We have also placed our big snakes and ladders garden board game outside to support turn taking, using dice, number recognition and counting.

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FAMILY CORNER

One, two, three: get ready for maths! How to introduce numbers and maths to your pre-schooler at home

t’s never too early to share numbers with your child. Even children who are not yet old enough to express their knowledge can have an understanding of what number comes next and what order numbers are said in. For example, singing number songs such as “Once I caught a fish alive”, counting objects or using numbers in anticipation games (One.. two... three… splash!!) are great ways of incorporating numbers into their play.

Developing skills at two Between the ages of two and three, children will begin to understand what a number is, and that it represents a quantity. They can begin to say some numbers in order and use random numbers within their play. They may be able to recite the numbers one to 10, and sometimes beyond. How to support your two-year-old: Sing lots of songs with numbers! “5 little speckled frogs”, “5 little ducks went swimming one day”, “One, two, buckle my shoe”. Count steps, strides, slabs, claps, jumps, butterflies, cars, sticks, stones, apples, doors, windows, puddles — in fact anything and everything you see throughout the day! Point out when you can see two, three or even four things that are the same.

Developing skills at three Once children have a good knowledge of the number order, they may start to count more

accurately saying one number name for each object. This isn’t as easy as we might think and there are lots of skills to be gained: 1. Knowing the order of numbers (ie. 1,2,3,4,5). 2. Knowing to stop counting when there are no more objects! 3. Knowing and remembering that each object has to be counted once and only once, with none being missed out. 4. Knowing that each object should receive its own number.

towards addition and subtraction. How to support your four-year-old:

Share t his guidan ce with parent s and carers

Now may be the time that your little one begins to enjoy board games, dice games and numbers. Read out phone numbers, show them addresses of letters that you’re posting. Talk about the prices of favourite items at the shops.

It sometimes takes a while to master all of these skills!

Allow your child to help with laying the table: have you got enough forks?

How to support your three-year-old

Count how many red cars pass you before the bus arrives.

Allow your child to help with shopping, for example, by holding the bag as you put in three apples or count out six potatoes. Use wooden blocks or threading beads to count how many or use dice to decide how many more to add!

Developing skills at four As your child reaches four years and beyond, their maths skills begin to become more secure and they may be ready to count on, compare groups and have a more secure understanding of numbers and quantities. They may be able to count more accurately and share out objects between two or three different people. Their knowledge of number order may allow them to count forwards as well as backwards, which is a great step

Try not to fall into the trap of asking your child to ‘check’ or by correcting them if they count wrongly. It’s not the end of the world if you ask how many apples you have and they say ‘four’ when in fact there are five! Confidence is key when managing maths, whether you are three or 33 so don’t knock that enthusiasm by letting your child feel that they are ‘wrong’. Asking questions can make things feel like a test and so the best way to teach your child about numbers and counting is to let them hear you do it and to be told which numerals they can see — and to have fun and lots of it!

Find out more Written by Nicky Sanford for the Early Years Alliance. Nicky worked as an early years teacher for 15 years and currently works in a village pre-school. 32

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