Under 5 May 2019

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance May 2019

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Fair Future Funding Join the week of action

And beyond!

Out of this world activities

Q&A Layla Moran Early years policy ideas

Be the best: sharing early years excellence Join us at the Early Years Alliance’s annual conference 2019 in London on 31 May! Speakers at this essential sector event include: Mary Tutaev, daughter of Belle Tutaev the original founder of the Early Years Alliance - Gill Jones, Deputy Director, Early Childhood, supported by Jude Sanders, Ofsted Inspector - Rachel Buckler, co-founder of the Early Years Hub and MD of Safeguarding Training Ltd - Alex Grady, education development officer, Nasen and Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Early Years Alliance.

Lisa Potts, inspirational former nursery teacher, awarded The George Medal for saving children's lives despite being severely injured in a terrible attack in 1996.

As a valued Alliance member, you receive 50% discount.

Only ÂŁ45 for Alliance members!

Find out more at www.eyalliance.org.uk

&

contents 4

News round up

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

8

My Under 5

10

Letters to the editor

12

The time is now

14

What’s new?

16

Supporting children with SEND

19

Information in the early years

welcome

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A chance for Alliance member settings to share news of recent events and projects Under 5 readers share their views on the early years sector Why you should join the Fair Future Funding campaign’s week of action this summer

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A guide to this year’s Alliance annual conference How you can improve inclusive practice at your setting Dealing with information requests as an early years provider

20 Listen and learn

Could children’s feedback help improve your practice?

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22 Q&A: Layla Moran

Under 5 speaks to Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education Layla Moran

24 GDPR: Are you still up-to-date?

We look at some of the key points to consider a year after the law was introduced

26 Day trippers

Considering your insurance ahead of any summer days out you have planned

27 Why vaccination matters

Responding to parent concerns in your setting

28 Creating a safeguarding culture in your setting

Rachel Buckler shares advice ahead of her talk at the Alliance’s event

29 The music of language

Ideas for using music to promote language in your setting

30 Understanding the world…and beyond!

Exploring the theme of space with young children

32 Preventing tooth decay in toddlers

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome to Under 5 Whatever your thoughts on Brexit may be, most of us can surely agree that its domination of politics in the past few years has kept a lot of other urgent matters out of politicians’ minds. And the early years sector is no exception. This summer, the Fair Future Funding campaign is hoping to change some of that with a week of action due to start on 10 June 2019. This issue includes some words from our chief executive Neil on why you should get involved (page 12).

Since last year, the Alliance has also been in talks with the Department for Education and Ofsted about the amount of admin and paperwork that early years practitioners are required to do. This follows the shocking results of our Minds Matter report, which found that 61% of early years staff felt that they didn’t have a good work-life balance. Earlier on this year, the Alliance hosted several focus groups and we are now asking providers to take part in a quick online survey. It will be open until 3 May 2019 at: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ EYWorkload19 if you haven’t already shared your own views.

The Minds Matter report was launched at our annual conference last year, and this year’s event is shaping up to be just as exciting. Taking place on 31 May at Hilton London Bankside, this year’s event has a refreshed format which promises more opportunities to ask questions and interact with experts throughout the day. We’ve got all the details of our exciting new format for you (page14).

At the event, we will hear from Nasen’s Alex Grady about how early years settings can remove barriers for children with SEND. She has also shared some advice in this issue (page 16) if you’d like to get a taster ahead of the event. We’ve also heard from the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for Education, Layla Moran (page 22) about her party’s proposals for the early years sector.

As we (hopefully) start to see some warmer weather in the coming weeks and months, many providers will be thinking about planning some day trips out with the children. We’ve spoken to insurers RSA about all the things you will need to consider before you set off (page 26).

Whatever you get up to this month, be sure to keep sharing your stories and good news with us here at Under 5. You can get in touch at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk.

Rachel Lawler, editor

Advice for practitioners looking to protect children’s teeth

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in brief...

MUSICAL HELP: Music workshops in the early years can help disadvantaged children and those with SEN achieve better outcomes, according to a study by music charity Soundabout.

Alliance launches workload survey

round-up Alliance “disappointed” in government’s response to early years report The Alliance has expressed its disappointment with the government’s response to the Education Select Committee’s report on early years education in England. The select committee’s report, released in February this year, said that the 30 hours policy was putting financial pressure on early years settings and impacting the availability of childcare places for disadvantaged two-year-olds.

The government has disputed many of the claims in the report, stating: “We are supporting as many families as possible with access to high quality, affordable childcare.”

The government also cited the fact that 70% of eligible two-year-olds currently take up the 15 hours offer.

The committee’s report, however, said that it had been told that the 30-hours policy is a “car crash”. It said: “The government should reduce the earnings cap for 30-hours childcare and use the extra funding to provide early education for disadvantaged children.”

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The report also called on the government to develop a workforce strategy for the early years “at the earliest opportunity” and called for research into interventions designed to support parents, to avoid wasting money on ineffective programmes. The government’s response said: “The government plans to spend £3.5 billion on the entitlements this year alone – more than any other government.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “I am disappointed that the Education Select Committee appears to have fared no better than the early years sector in getting the answer from government we all know we need to hear if we are to close the disadvantage gap.

“The answer is to make sure government pays providers adequately for the funded entitlements, because if funding remains frozen until 2020 as planned, their social mobility ambitions will not be met.”

The Alliance has launched a new survey investigating which paperwork is causing the most stress for early years practitioners. Working in partnership with Ofsted and the Department for Education (DfE), the survey is part of a wider project aimed at reducing the pressures on early years staff across the whole sector.

“It’s important we find out what’s causing this stress, and even more important that we do something to change it.”

Last year, the Alliance launched a report, titled Minds Matter, which revealed that 61% of early years staff felt that they didn’t have a good worklife balance and that 25% of staff had considered leaving the sector due to stress and mental health concerns.

Paperwork and administrative skills were revealed as the most common source of stress, with 78% of respondents reporting these as a regular problem.

In response to the report’s findings, the Alliance has been working collaboratively with the DfE and Ofsted to find ways to reduce this pressure. Earlier this year, the Alliance also hosted several focus groups to discuss some of the common issues.

Now, early years practitioners from across the sector are encouraged to take part in the comprehensive survey to help improve understanding of the problem.

Neil Leitch chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “I constantly hear from managers and practitioners about workload stress and the impact it has on their quality of life at work and at home.

It’s important we find out what’s causing it, and even more important we do something to change it.”

TESTING: Labour has pledged to scrap SATs in primary schools, as well as the baseline test, if elected.

SNACKS: Parents are being misled by marketing campaigns for “healthy” children’s snacks, according to child health experts.

Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship gets approval The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has approved the new Level 3 Early Years Educator Standard. The approval follows years of delays, after the first trailblazer group was dismissed and the second walked away from the project last year.

The new apprenticeships are expected to last 18 months and will be given a maximum of £6,000 in funding.

Apprentices will need to complete a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification as part of their training and will need to have completed a Level 2 qualification in English and maths before their final assessment. They will also require a Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid or a Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid.

Michael Freeston, director of quality improvement at the Alliance, commented: “It’s great to hear that the Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard has finally been approved. This will be a major pathway to the qualifications available to those considering a career in the early years. And it can’t come soon enough; getting these new qualifications online quickly is vital if we are to start seriously addressing the declining numbers of Level 3 qualified practitioners in our workforce.

“It’s no secret that this has been a drawn-out process and it’s thanks to the employers, training and sector experts who have volunteered their time over the last five years to ensure we’ve reached this positive conclusion.”

42% of early years providers say they are likely to reduce staff numbers A new survey conducted by the Alliance has revealed growing pressure on the early years sector as the new National Living and National Minimum Wages increased last month.

42% of early years providers say they are likely or very likely to reduce staff numbers in the next 12 months, with 90% saying this is partly or entirely due to the rising minimum wages. More than two-thirds (67%) have already increased their parent fees for non-funded hours in the past year and 63% say they are likely to increase these fees again in the future.

Currently, the government funding rate paid to providers offering the 15 and 30 hours childcare offer for two-, three- and four-year-olds in England is frozen until 2020. This is despite increases to the minimum wages and rising minimum pension contributions.

More than 1,600 early years providers responded to the survey, with 91% of respondents offering funded hours for two-year-olds, 96% offering 15 funded hours and 87% offering 30 funded hours for threeand four-year-olds. When asked how else the increased minimum wages were likely to affect their setting, 70% of providers said that they expected to spend less on equipment and resources and 40% said they would introduce or increase additional charges for items such as food and trips.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We should be celebrating a pay increase for our dedicated workforce – but for most providers this is just the latest in a long list of mounting costs they are expected to absorb without a corresponding increase in government funding. This simply can’t go on. It’s now inevitable

40% of providers said that they would introduce or increase charges for items such as meals or trips.

that, without urgent action on funding, the early years workforce and families will suffer: parents will pay more and more for childcare and even more settings will close.”

One survey respondent told the Alliance: “It is increasingly difficult to find suitable new employees so while the wage rise is very much deserved and long overdue, it is having a negative impact on the quality of service we can offer.

“I meet regularly with the parent committee to try and find new ways to fundraise and remain open. The nursery will have been open for 50 years in 2020 and it has never experienced such an uncertain future.”

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Childminder numbers continue to fall 2.8 million children in the UK live in “severe poverty” The number of children growing up in poverty in the UK is rising, according to new government data. National statistics released last month show that there are now 4.1 million children living in poverty in the UK, including 2.8 million living in “severe poverty”.

Children are more likely to live in poverty than other members of the population and the youngest children are the most likely to live in poverty, with 53% of poor children aged five or under.

The statistics also demonstrate an increase in the number of children living in poverty that come from a working household. In 2017/18, 70% of children living in poverty lived in a working household – up from 58% in 2010/11.

Anna Feuchtwang, chair of End Child Poverty – a campaign group focused on improving conditions for children – and chief executive of the National Children’s

Bureau, commented: “We know that poverty restricts the life chances of children, so the implications of this new data are stark.[...] These children will have worse mental and physical health, will have shorter lives, will do less well in school and will have fewer opportunities in adulthood than their better off peers.

“It is time the government ended the freeze on benefits and drew up ambitious child poverty reduction plans to avert the growing crisis in the UK.”

Nadhim Zahawi corrects comments on business rates Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families Nadhim Zahawi has clarified comments he made in the House of Commons about local authorities offering an exemption on business rates to childcare providers.

On 4 February 2019, Huw Merriman MP asked whether England could follow the example of Scotland and Wales, which both offer a 100% discount on business rates for childcare providers.

The minister responded: “To my knowledge, two local authorities have done the same thing in England and I urge other local authorities to look into what they can do to help childcare providers with business rates.”

Under 5 contacted the Department for Education in February to clarify which two local authorities Zahawi was referring to but was told that as these discounts are offered at the discretion of individual local authorities, the only information the department held was “anecdotal”.

Zahawi previously made similar comments on 10 October 2018. He said: “In 2015, my predecessor and the local

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government minister asked officials to write to all councils to encourage them to use those powers to support access to local high-quality childcare provision. So far, I am aware of only two councils that have chosen to do that.”

This mirrored comments he made at the Nursery World Business Summit in November 2018 in response to a delegate question about business rates. He again said “two local authorities have delivered that exemption”.

The Hansard record has now been updated after the minister wrote a letter of correction stating that there was an “error” in the comments he originally made in response to Merriman’s question. Zahawi corrected his previous comments to say: “To my knowledge, two local authorities have done similar things in England and I urge other local authorities to look into what they can do to help childcare providers to cope with business rates.”

Under 5 has contacted the Department for Education for comment on whether the record for 10 October will also be updated.

The number of childminders registered with Ofsted decreased by 3% between 31 August and 31 December 2018, according to the latest statistics released by Ofsted.

This is part of a wider trend that has seen the number of registered childminders drop 17% since 2015.

However, the overall number of registered childcare places in England has remained relatively stable, as the number of places offered on non-domestic premises has increased. There are a total of 77,200 childcare providers registered in England, down 2% overall between 31 August and 31 December 2018.

The number of childminders registered with Ofsted decreased by 3% between 31 August and 31 December 2018.

95% of registered childcare providers were judged either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in the latest statistics – this has remained largely the same since August 2018, but is significantly higher than in 2015, when just 85% were either ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

Data from Ceeda has previously found that the number of childcare places available varies regionally. The data shows that areas of disadvantage tend to have fewer available childcare places on average compared to more advantaged areas.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “While today’s figures show that nurseries, pre-schools and childminders continue to deliver quality early education, the woeful underfunding of the early years sector is taking its toll on dedicated and passionate practitioners.

Ongoing research by the Alliance shows a stressed, unappreciated and underpaid workforce so it is no surprise that Ofsted found childminder numbers are continuing to fall by 3% (1,000) in just one quarter.”

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Easter celeb

rations

Children from Play Days Playgroup in Rednal celebrated Ea ster with a parade of Ea ster hats and Easter eg g hunt in the church. Th ey also enjoyed a bo uncy castle, ball pond an d soft play toys. All the children received a ch ocolate lollipop as a prize and the session en ded with a song.

d an al enjoye h in Redn rc u h C k off ’s tephen ked to tic from St S y were as e p h u T ro . s G lue d c s o l The fina h the wo Active Kid the area. alk throug g w n ri d e lo ies at p m it x v e craft acti Easter-th m while e icnic and found the p y a e th to s a m led the pictures ny which aster bun was an E r centre. the visito

walk Woodland

Birthday pirates

Children and staff at Jellybabies Nursery and Pre-school in Rednal dressed up as pirates for the day to help celebrate volunteer Darren’s birthday. The group enjoyed pirate-themed activities including a treasure hunt, sword fight and walk the plank. Manager Jacqueline Wal ker said: “The children had a wonderful time and we feel it is always important to recognise the work and dedication of volu nteers.”

Autism Awareness Week Woodlands Park Pre-school Nursery in Bournville dressed in their brightest clothes to help mark World Autism Awareness Week in April, which coincides with World Autism Day on 2 April every year and aims to raise awareness about autism as well as funding. Manager Joanne Twamley said: “The children had a great time in participating in the discussion on why we were wearing the clothes and asking 8

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Fundraising

feat

Staff and ch ildren at Lexd en Lodge in for Child Autis Essex raised m UK after th £700 ree months of team raised fundraising. the funds with The a series of ra donations fro ffles, concer m the childre ts and n and parent s, as well as the staff.

Furry friends Children at Boys & Girls Nursery in Watford enjoyed a visit from staff from the National Animal Welfare Trust to celebrate National Pet Month. They were joined by Stewart the rabbit and learned about his diet as well as respon sible pet ownership. Natasha Kirby, director at Boys & Girls Nursery, said: “We are so lucky to have such an import ant charity based close by – it’s essential to teach young children about caring for animals.”

Tractor treat

joyed a visit from ead Pre-school en Children at Swinesh y, Steady, Listen’ the setting’s ‘Read a tractor as part of s. The setting was with Usborne Book literacy campaign r Ted books from donation of Tracto lucky to receive a re delivered to the we ineshead, which Doubledays in Sw en a chance to r. They were also giv children in the tracto tractor. explore inside the

What’s been happening in your setting?

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

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Fairer funding Fair funding is what is required, otherwise more closures will take place. My setting is in a very deprived area and we can have a lot of challenging children. Due to the National Living Wage increasing, as well as our other overheads, I may need to let some staff go.

The children that attend my setting are 99% funded so we rely on the funding rate heavily. But with everything else increasing in price it will be hard for us to continue doing so. We cannot manage on the current funding alone.

If we are supposed to support these children and help them to close the gap, we need funding that will help us to do this so that they are not let down any more than they already are.

Maura Brown, Little Angels Nursery Breaking even Regarding the providers’ finances report by Frontier Economics and NatCen [Providers’ finances: Evidence from the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers 2018] on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), based upon the evidence from the latest Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers.

The report defines ‘break-even’ as when the income to cost ratio is between 0.8 and 1.2. In other words, for a setting with, say £500,000 income, you can be making a £100,000 surplus or a £100,000 loss and you are still classed, according to the report, as ‘breaking even’.

I would suggest that, having made a net £50,000 deficit over a five-year period, which has been enough to wipe out any reserves, I would be more focused and call a ratio of between 0.9 and 1.1, or even between 0.95 and 1.05, as being a better definition of ‘breaking even’.

Only when you make a loss of more than 20% of your setting’s income – which is still 27% of settings who responded to the survey – are you considered to be in deficit, by this report.

I assume that everyone who is making a 19.9% loss year after year will continue to be referred to by the DfE as ‘breaking even’ – so that’s alright then? Try telling that to your bank manager!

Keith Appleyard, Fiveways Playcentre Staff shortages Staff are starting to leave the early years profession as job satisfaction is not what it used to be with all the necessary cuts we are now having to make. I’m not really sure what sort of future picture the government is seeing, but it’s certainly not what the sector is seeing.

The early years has always been underfunded and local authorities rely on private providers to deliver it on the cheap.

I don’t see how nurseries can sustain this. Staff can get more pay working on a checkout or serving fish and chips. There is

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nothing wrong with those jobs but early years practitioners are educating our youngest children and that is a huge responsibility for everyone involved.

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

This month’s star letter wins a bundle of early years books including a copy of Nell and the Circus of Dreams by Nell Gifford, founder of Giffords Circus, and illustrated by Briony May Smith. The story follows a little girl called Nell who explores the magical realm of a circus performance. Whether her visit was real or imagined is never quite clear, but her experience leaves her feeling uplifted and inspired.

Stay in touch Make sure you keep up-to-date in between issues of Under 5.

You can reach us at Under 5 magazine at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk or at:

www.facebook.com/EYAlliance

@Under5mag

@EYAlliance

www

eyalliance.org.uk

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The time T

here is black-hole in early years funding that stands at over £615 million – and is getting bigger all the time.

Most of you will know that current funding levels were set following a cost analysis in 2015 using data already two years old.

These funding levels have been frozen by the government until 2020 – if nothing changes before then providers will receive funding based on data that is eight years old.

Despite the feeling that we have been ignored and overlooked for too long, there is a glimmer of hope.

The chancellor of the Exchequer recently

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announced a comprehensive Spending Review leading up to the next Budget in the autumn.

Spending Reviews only happen only every now and again, and set the amount government departments can spend in any of the years covered by the review.

The Alliance will be grabbing this unique opportunity to make the case for fairer funding, but we are aware many others will be lobbying for a share too. That is why we urgently need your help.

By far the most effective way to influence Treasury decisions is by getting the support of local MPs who ultimately want your

CAMPAIGNING

e is now With the Spending Review now underway, it has never been more important to get the voice of the early years sector heard in parliament. Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch explains how the Alliance will be campaigning this summer

to get the full attention and support of MPs and we want to make sure that every one of them in England is contacted as part of this campaign.

Some MPs are already onside and are aware that there is underfunding in the early years.

Some may need warming up to the idea and others won’t know about it at all.

This won’t be our last chance to get heard when it comes to a fairer funding deal for the early years – but it is our best one yet. I hope you’ll be able to join us.

Join the Fair Future Funding action week

votes. This is why we have developed a new campaign pack and have set aside the week beginning 10 June 2019 to reach out to as many MPs as possible. This will give us the best chance of influencing the Budget and getting more money for the early years.

It’s so important that this happens during the week of 10 June, not just because of the Spending Review timetable, but because of the restrictions of the parliamentary calendar. From 30 June to 1 September, parliament will be in recess and shortly after schools return in the autumn, party conference season will start. This leaves us with a small window of opportunity

The Early Years Alliance will continue our campaigning work right up until the Budget, arranging meetings in parliament with ministers, influencers and decision-makers, offering stories to the media about the effects of the funding shortfall, giving evidence in front of various committees and collaborating with other organisations that represent the sector.

With your help, we can do so much more to secure fair future funding for childcare providers like you. Please save the week of 10 June 2019 for action and sign up to receive a campaign pack by visiting: www.eyalliance.org.uk/ fairfuturefunding • Take action from 10 June – 14 June 2019 • Receive a campaign pack containing: a guide on approaching your MP, how you can collaborate with business organisations and the local media, as well as posters, graphics and information about how parents and children can support the campaign too.

• Invite your MP to your setting during the action week and make the case for fairer funding,

Campaigning in west Sussex Local campaigning can be easy if you work together. Anne Shrieves, owner manager at Woodstock Day Nursery in Worthing shares how she worked with a group of early years providers: “It all started at my local Chambers of Commerce peer-to-peer leadership group and we were discussing the issues around funding for early years settings. A local Conservative Councillor asked if we’d contacted our MP, Tim Loughton.

“I went along to one of his surgeries and was surprised to find out that he hadn’t been approached by a nursery before. He agreed to a meeting with representatives of early years settings so I got in touch with other providers in Worthing and we manage to get 35 people, representing 18 nurseries, at the meeting.

“We weren’t negative with our MP – this wasn’t about attacking him. Instead, we presented him with national and local statistics. Some of the issues he was aware of, some he wasn’t. It was a very encouraging meeting.

“I can’t think of many other businesses that are on the one hand subsidising a government childcare scheme, and on the other are told what we can and can’t charge for. So I would encourage providers throughout England to sign up to the Fair Future Funding Action Week, and if you can, get in touch with other childcare settings in your area so that your MP understands how underfunding is affecting the whole area.”

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CONFERENCE

THE PROGRAMME*

WHAT’S NEW? We’ve refreshed the Alliance’s annual event for 2019. Here’s how this year’s conference has changed…

We’ve kept all of your favourite bits with a renewed focus on practical advice and tips you can take back to use in your service.

The event will open with a talk from the inspirational Lisa Potts, a former nursery practitioner who was awarded the George Medal for bravery after protecting children from a violent attack, before we hear from five leading early years specialists and influencers.

NEW FORMAT This year, the conference has a more interactive approach with a focus on three key areas of practice available for all attendees to enjoy: Aspire to outstanding, Safeguarding with confidence and Removing barriers for children with SEND. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, share best practice and interact with the presenters throughout the day thanks to this new format.

Our new, shorter awards format allows us to devote more time to key issues relevant to you and the wider sector. This means that you will enjoy three practical sessions rather than choosing only two. All delegates will be able to enjoy every one of the practical sessions held on the day.

NEW AWARDS We’re also pleased to announce that the Alliance Member Lifetime Achievement Award has been renamed the Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award in honour of our founder,

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BE TH E BE SHARI ST: EARLY NG Y EXCEL EARS LENCE 31 Ma

y 20 Hilton L ondon 19 Bank London , SE1 0 side, UG

who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Speaking about the decision to change the name, Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch said: “We felt it was appropriate to memorialise Belle’s significant legacy through re-naming our Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours the remarkable contribution of special individuals who have devoted themselves, over many years, to making a real difference to young children’s care and learning. The award will now be the Belle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award, and we look forward to celebrating the incredible dedication of these special early years practitioners whilst commemorating the vital legacy that Belle has left behind her.”

This year, we will celebrate this one important award with no other categories in the line-up.

EXHIBITION AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES We’ve kept our popular exhibition and networking sessions in place, allowing plenty of time for delegates to enjoy meeting with friendly suppliers and early years marketleaders throughout the day. A lovely light lunch and refreshment breaks also adds to the atmosphere and gives delegates a chance to meet with their peers to share views, ideas and best practice.

Whether you are a nursery owner, pre-school manager, childminder, local authority early years advisor, partner or baby and toddler group leader, this event is for you. We look forward to seeing you there later on this month.

BOOK NOW! Find out more and book your place here www.eyalliance.org.uk/conference2019 Alternatively, please contact our friendly information service team on 020 7697 295 or email info@eyalliance.org.uk

09.00 Registration, coffee and exhibition 10.30 Graham McMillan, chair’s welcome 10.35 Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance 10.50 Special guest speaker, Mary Tutaev – daughter of Belle Tutaev 11.05 Lisa Potts, former nursery practitioner, author and chief executive at Believe to Achieve 11.25 Refreshments and exhibition 11.45 Aspire to outstanding, Gill Jones, deputy director, early childhood and Jude Sanders, early years senior inspector at Ofsted 12.45 Light lunch and exhibition 13.45 B elle Tutaev Lifetime Achievement Award celebration 14.00 Safeguarding with confidence, Rachel Buckler, co-founder of the Early Years Hub and managing director at Safeguarding Training Ltd 15.00 Refreshments and exhibition 15.20 R emoving barriers for children with SEND, Alex Grady, education development officer at Nasen 16.30 Conference ends *Programme is subject to change

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Supporting children with SEND Alex Grady, education development officer at NASEN, shares advice for improving inclusive practice in your setting

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SEND

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aking your child to an early years setting is a daunting prospect for many parents. If your child has special educational needs or a disability (SEND) then this can be magnified several times. Will the setting know how to cope with them? Will they be happy and settled? How will the other children, and parents react? These worries are some of the reasons why children with SEND are less likely to access early years provision.

Yet children with SEND benefit significantly from early years education. Early years practitioners sometimes lack confidence in meeting children with SEND or worry about the impact they may have on other children or on staffing levels, when effective inclusion practice actually supports all children, including those with SEND, those without and those whose needs have not yet been identified.

What needs to be in place for this to happen?

Leadership Change needs to come from the top. Whether you are the manager, the SENCO or a room leader, you will need to have a genuine commitment to making your setting a place where every child is welcomed and thrives.

Warm welcome Look at your reception area with fresh eyes. How accessible is it? How inclusive are the images and text you use? Would a parent with a child in a wheelchair, for example, feel that this was a place for them? How are they made to feel by staff?

This first experience of your setting may be the deciding factor in whether a parent feels able and willing to send their child into your care.

Knowledgeable and understanding staff Your staff are your most important and valuable asset. How they interact with the children will make the biggest difference to whether children with SEND thrive and learn. Early years professionals tend to be very childcentred and are adept at understanding the unique characteristics of every child. Effective inclusion practice for children with SEND is an extension of this.

Children with SEND are first and foremost children, with their own personalities,

strengths, areas of need, interests and talents. You need practitioners who have the confidence and understanding to look past any label and see the unique child and be able to offer an appropriate learning environment for this child. You may need to invest in some professional development for staff, including your SENCO who needs to be able to support and advise staff.

Accessible environments Consider your physical environment. How easy is it for to navigate for a child in a wheelchair, with a visual impairment or who needs quick access to the outdoors? What are the sound levels like for a child with a hearing impairment or sensory needs? Is the environment too visually stimulating?

Many children will find it hard to focus if there are lots of visual or auditory distractions.

Consider whether you could make at least some areas more calm and minimal, especially if you need children to listen and talk in these areas. Think about how you could make it easier for all children to access resources and activities independently. This could mean changing how the coat pegs are organised, how children help themselves to snacks and how they request specific toys. Developing independence in children with SEND is one of the most important things we can do.

Communication Do practitioners listen to children in the widest sense of the word? We all communicate through our behaviour and, for some children, this is the only way they have of letting us know how they feel about something. Many of the ‘challenging’ behaviours we observe are caused by children using the only way they know to tell us that are anxious, unhappy or frightened. So as well as listening to what they say in words, we need to listen to what their behaviours are telling us and respond to this.

Many young children have delayed language and some will have long-term speech, language and communication needs. As well

as employing good listening skills, practitioners need to consider the language they use themselves. Is it at a level that children, including those with SEND, can understand?

For some children, you will need to simplify how you speak in terms of the words you use.

You can also support children’s developing understanding by using visuals, including signs, gestures, pictures and real objects. You can also use the child’s name at the beginning of whatever you want to say to them. This really helps them to gain their attention and let them know that you need them to listen.

Adjustments Under the Equality Act (2010) you have a legal responsibility to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for anyone with a disability – including children, parents and visitors. The definition of disability is wider than many people realise and you need to consider the reasonable adjustments you may need to make for ‘hidden’ or ‘invisible’ disabilities such as autism or ADHD. This could include how long you expect a child to sit on the carpet or use the ‘now and next’ boards, for example. These children have as much right to reasonable adjustments as those with more visible physical or sensory needs.

Continual process As children come and go, you will need to keep considering whether you are offering the best possible provision for all of them. Staff training needs to be regular, resources may need updating, policies need reviewing and so on.

Make sure that SEND and inclusive practice is on your radar so that you can feel confident that your setting is the best it can be.

Find out more NASEN offers free resources for early years practitioners. Visit www.nasen.org.uk to find out more.

Be the best: sharing early years excellence Alex will be speaking about removing barriers for children with SEND at the Alliance’s annual conference in London on 31 May 2019. Visit www.eyalliance.org.uk/conference2019 to book your place.

LAW-CALL

Information in the early years The team behind Law-Call, the legal helpline available to Alliance members, explains how you should deal with information requests

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he right to demand access to any information regarding a child clearly starts with their parents.

However, an individual who holds parental responsibility under the Children’s Act 1989 can also demand this information.

The Act recognises that the child’s biological mother and married couples hold parental responsibility and goes on to describe how this can be acquired by others, such as an unmarried father, a same sex parent or a third party such as a non-immediate family member or a carer with the benefit of a court order.

A person with parental responsibility has all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority of a parent by law. So a person with parental responsibility is also entitled to give consent to trips and medical treatment, be informed as to the child’s development and be contacted in an emergency, for example. The ability to recognise who holds parental responsibility for a child within your setting can be crucial.

What information can be given to parents?

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years offers some brief guidance to early years settings on the nature of information that should be given to parents. It explains that the parent or carer must be given access to information on how the EYFS is delivered to their child, usually through their education record. The parent is also entitled to see details of their child’s daily routine (food, drink,

activities, etc) as well as any information on additional experiences their child may enjoy.

Parents should be given details of their child’s key person and an emergency contact number for the setting. The Statutory Framework also recommends that copies of all policies and procedure be made available to parents on request, with particular emphasis on the policies for missing children and what happens if a parent is late or fails to collect their child. The setting should also make their complaints procedures accessible to parents and include information on how they can contact Ofsted if they have concerns about their child’s educational needs not being met.

The GDPR extends the rights of subject access requests. Since 25 May 2018, organisations must respond to these requests within a month and they cannot charge a fee. If the request is “unfounded or excessive” you may ask for reasonable administration costs. Parents may wish to request personal data that your setting holds in relation to their child.

What if there are parents with opposing interests?

Unfortunately, there are occasions where settings have received demands from parents who cannot agree. If this occurs, the setting should satisfy itself that the individual making the demand holds parental responsibility. Be mindful that this responsibility can be lost through court proceedings. If the individual does have parental responsibility

then the content of the request should be considered.

If part of the information request relates to the data of another person, usually the child’s other parent, but sometimes it will relate to staff, then this information cannot be disclosed unless there is express consent from the other party concerned. This can pose a problem if the subject access request is coupled with a safeguarding allegation – for example, if a child becomes distraught at the thought of seeing the parent in question. It is imperative that you decide for yourself if there is a safeguarding concern and that your setting follows its usual protocol. It does not mean that the information must be disclosed to the parent.

It can be difficult to manage expectations when there are two adults with competing interests. There may be a need to duplicate information, for example from the child’s learning journal. In addition to holding a clear policy detailing what information parents can access from the setting, it may be prudent to create an additional policy explaining the position the setting will take when parent relationships break down. This will explain that the setting will remain objective and will not be drawn into any dispute, drawing the boundaries on what is deemed reasonable requests. For example, it would not be fair to concede to a request for a written report on a child’s wellbeing. It is important that staff and managers are able to recognise that confidentiality may also apply to conversations with parents.

More information This article is a general guide only. If you need specific advice, please contact the Law-Call helpline. The contact details can be found on your membership card or in the members’ area of the Alliance website at: www.eyalliance.org.uk/members-area UNDER 5

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Listen and learn Sonia Mainstone-Cotton, early years trainer, consultant and author, shares some ideas for getting and using children’s feedback in staff recruitment and appraisals

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n the early years, we have some excellent practice for listening to young children.

Many of our colleagues in education are able to learn from the varied ways we listen to and involve children in decision making. However, one area that early years practitioners sometimes do less of is involving children in recruitment and staff appraisals.

For many years, I worked for a large children’s charity training children’s centre staff across the country and working with early years, social care, health and education settings in my local area, supporting them in their practice of listening to children.

I firmly believe that if a person works with children, then children should always be involved in the recruitment process. We know that taking care with staff recruitment is important with regards to safeguarding, by involving children in staff recruitment you are giving a very clear message that you take listening to children very seriously – which is a key safeguarding expectation.

I have also found that sometimes you can interview someone who is excellent

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at answering the questions but are not so good in their interaction with the children.

By involving children in the recruitment process, you are able to see this and watch how the children respond to the candidates. You are also acknowledging that children have a right to have their views and opinions and that these have a place to be considered alongside those of adults.

Here are some ideas and suggestions on how we can involve children in recruitment and staff appraisals:

setting have said that have said they would like a new staff member to…”

You could talk to the children about the qualities they would like in a new worker. Write down a list of their ideas, thinking about what makes a good key person or room leader. I have had children tell me that they want a key person who is good at reading books and doing voices, someone who can play football and someone who smiles a lot. Draw an outline of an adult and tell the children that they are looking for a new adult to work with them and write their ideas for what the person needs to be able to do inside.

“Children have a right to their views and opinions.”

Person specification (children aged two and above) Involving children in a person specification can be a good starting point for involving children in recruitment. On your person specification it can state: “Children in our

Question from children (children aged two and above) I know some early years settings that ask children for questions to ask at the interview.

BEST PRACTICE

They use their questions as part of the panel.

The staff will ask the children what type of answer they think the person should give. This is a very simple way of involving children’s ideas and it helps adults to find out what is important to them. I have heard questions like “What is your favourite book?” and “Do you know how to make a paper aeroplane?” You can then feedback to the children the answers from the successful candidate.

Activity for the children (children aged 18 months and older) As part of the recruitment process, you could ask each candidate to set up an activity with a small group of children in the setting. This will enable you, as managers, to see and observe how the candidates are with children and whether the type of activity they choose is appropriate for the age/stage of the children involved. It also offers you a chance to hear children’s thoughts.

Of course, it is important to ensure that existing staff members are always on hand to observe and assist the candidate throughout

this process. Afterwards, you can ask the children: • Did you like the activity?

• Did anything make you happy with the activity?

• Did anything make you sad with the activity?

• What did you think of the person?

“Children are wonderful at finding positives [...] but they are also really insightful.”

Use comments from the children as well as staff observation to feed into the panel and decision-making process.

Staff appraisals All setting staff should have annual appraisals and you may wish to try involving children in these too. When I worked for a children’s charity, I always involved the children in staff appraisals. First, I would explain to the children what the staff needed to do as part of their job.

For example, they may have needed to: play with children keep children safe give the children food and drinks

Then, I would ask the children to tell me how well each staff member was doing. For example, I would ask: “What did [staff member] do well at in her job?” or “Did [staff member] keep the children safe?” and “What could [staff member] do

better in their job?”

I loved asking for children’s comments.

Children are wonderful at finding positives and giving positive feedback but they are also really insightful. In one setting, the children told me that they wanted the head teacher to have lunch with them once a week. This was a simple idea to implement but it really demonstrated that we were listening to them.

Find out more Sonia Mainstone-Cotton has a new book: Listening to young children in early years settings – a practical guide, published

by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Visit soniamainstone-cotton.com to find out more.

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Layla Moran Under 5 catches up with Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West & Abingdon and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for education

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INTERVIEW

Do you think that the early years are important?

Definitely – we’ve got to give children the best start in life. Early years education helps children develop social skills and good patterns of behaviour and encourages them to collaborate.

For disadvantaged children, it’s absolutely vital. 40% of the attainment gap at age 16 has already emerged by age five, so investing in high-quality provision is fundamental to improving children’s life chances.

What are the biggest challenges for the early years sector?

The sector has coped with huge change in recent years. The government expects the sector to offer a huge number of hours, but to be frank there is neither the funding nor the staffing to even come close to achieving that.

From [the Alliance’s] surveys, I’ve seen the scale of the problem. Last year, over half of providers said that the cost of delivering free places was higher than the rate paid by the government. More than a third of respondents had introduced or increased charges for so-called ‘extras’, such as lunch and snacks in order to cover their costs. Food should never be an ‘extra’, not when our focus must be on disadvantaged children.

Staff have faced an average real-terms pay cut of 5% since 2013, with almost half relying on social security or tax credits to supplement their income.

I don’t want early years workers to be treated like this. It demoralises staff and it harms children. It’s why the Liberal Democrats want to transform the sector, by ensuring that most staff have, or are working towards, an early years qualification and that every setting is graduate-led in the long run. Brexit puts this goal at risk – over 5% of childcare staff are EU nationals. If these valued staff return home and cannot be replaced, the early years sector will come under further strain.

Can you tell us about the Liberal Democrats’ plan to triple the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)?

Currently, the EYPP gives providers an extra 53p for every hour they provide for a child from a low-income family or for a child in care.

Shamefully, the government has frozen this

since 2015, despite it costing around half of what they initially expected to spend.

We trust early years providers to spend the money in the way that they think it will best help disadvantaged children. Many providers bring in extra support for children who are struggling to communicate, such as speech and language therapists. Others want children to have a safe space to play, so they spend it on improving their outdoor spaces.

Meanwhile, some providers are investing in staff training.

Early years providers see the value that the EYPP provides and welcome the freedom to choose how to spend it. By tripling the EYPP, we would be making a proper investment in the life chances of our most disadvantaged children, not just a token payment.

prioritised giving 15 hours to all children aged two and to children aged between nine months and two years whose parents are in work.

In addition, as we’ve been reviewing our early years policy, I’ve recognised the need to offer parents the genuine choice whether to go back to work or to stay at home to look after their child. We need a bold, ambitious offer to support parents.

“We’ve got to give children the best start in life.

Early years education helps children develop social skills [...].”

Do you think that current funding rates for the 15/30 hours are adequate?

Freezing the funding rates is bizarre [rates are currently set to remain the same until 2020] and simply piles on the pressure on early years providers. According to Ceeda, the funding shortfall among private and voluntary providers stands at over £610 million.

The government needs to address this urgently. We [the Liberal Democrats] have been reviewing our policy on early years, looking at how we can provide a fair funding settlement to providers, so watch this space.

In 2017, the Labour Party pledged to expand the 30-hours offer to all two-, three- and four-year-olds in England.

Is this something that you would support?

It’s something that I’d love to see. In fact, the Lib Dems said in our last manifesto that it was a long-term ambition of ours. The problem is that it’s hugely expensive if done properly! So, I think the process will have to be more gradual.

First, we need to make sure that the current system works. That means giving providers a fair funding settlement for the hours they already offer and extending it to the school holidays too. Next, we should extend the offer. At the last election, we

Are you concerned about the closure of Sure Start centres?

Children’s centres and other preventative children’s services have both borne the brunt of cuts to council budgets. Because the number of children in care has risen at almost triple the rate of population growth, councils are diverting their children’s budge towards fulfilling their statutory duties, which means that Sure Start has been slashed. The Sutton Trust estimates that nearly 1,000 children’s centres have closed since 2009 – that’s appalling.

All parents should have access to children’s centre services and the government should look to reverse these cuts, investing in children’s centres or supporting councils to open new ones.

Is the government doing enough to support children with SEND in the early years?

In a word: no. I’m hugely concerned by the funding crisis in the early years. IPPR North [a Thinktank] told us that the high needs budget for schools has been cut by 17% per pupil in real terms. This matters for the early years too because children with the most complex needs will receive support through an EHCP, which is delivered through this funding stream.

While maintained nurseries have been given transitional funding to soften the blow, this funding is under threat after 2019/20.

The government should be focusing on improving the quality of teaching in all early years settings, not cutting the funding of nurseries that have the most qualified teachers and that cater for the least welloff families.

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DATA

GDPR: are you still up-to-date?

One year after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect, we revisit the rules to help keep your setting compliant

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ast year, data protection rules in the UK were strengthened by the GDPR, which came into effect on 25 May 2018. The government has confirmed that the law will remain in place after the UK leaves the EU. The new law gave individuals greater control over their personal data and obliged organisations to report any data breaches.

In the first nine months after the GDPR came into effect, around 60,000 data breaches were reported across Europe and organisations were fined a total of €55,955,871.

withdraw this consent at any time.

If you’re planning to share any pictures online – including on your website, social media or in a learning journal – you will need to mention this on your consent form.

If any parents wish to take photographs at the setting themselves, you will need to make sure that the parents of any other children in the photos have given their written consent first. You may choose to ask parents not to take or share any photographs of any other children taken in the setting on social media or elsewhere online.

Six principles

Safeguarding

The GDPR condenses the Data Protection Principles into six key areas, which are referred to as the Privacy Principles. They are:

If you need to share information with another organisation or agency for safeguarding reasons you should, wherever possible, seek consent of the child’s parent(s) or guardian.

However, you will not need the consent of the child’s parents if, for example, there is evidence or reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering or is at risk of suffering significant harm. You will need to decide whether sharing information is a necessary and proportionate response to protect the child in question.

For more information, Alliance members can complete the EduCare course Effective Safeguarding Training as part of the free suite of courses available through our training partnership. Visit www.eyalliance.org.uk/ educare to find out more.

Is it necessary?

Registering with the ICO

Remember:

1. You must have a lawful reason for collecting personal data and must do it in a fair and transparent way.

2. You must only use the data for the reason it was initially collected for.

3. You must not collect any more data than is necessary.

4. The data must be accurate and there must be a mechanism in place to keep the data up-to-date.

5. You cannot keep the data for any longer than it is needed.

6. You must protect personal data.

Alongside this, there is a further principle of accountability – this means that you must do the right thing with data and must be able to show that you have measures in place to ensure that you are complying with the GDPR.

Photographs One common point of concern for early years practitioners is the use of photographs in the setting. If you want to take any pictures of children you will have to ask parents for their consent first. It is best practice to use a standard form to document this consent – you’ll need to specify all the ways that the images will be used and allow parents to

Under GDPR, organisations must pay a fee to register as data controllers. The new data protection fee replaces the requirement to ‘notify’ or register, which was included in the Data Protection Act 1998. The registration fee you pay will depend on the tier that your organisation falls under and it will need to be paid when your existing registration expires.

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 that, 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 – held 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 – and most settings will.

Whenever you are collecting or sharing personal data, it is important to ask yourself whether or not it is necessary for you to have it. For example, is it necessary to share the names and addresses of new starters with your committee?

Or could you just share the number of new children? You should also consider the risk that any data could be seen by another parent and introduce steps to prevent this happening.

For more information, Alliance members can complete the free EduCare training course Implementing the GDPR – visit www. eyalliance.org.uk/educare to find out more.

You can also download the Alliance’s mini guide to the GDPR for early years settings from our members’ area at www.eyalliance.org.uk/ members-area

Settings need to register with the ICO as you will be handling sensitive data. The registration fee you pay will depend on the tier that your organisation falls under.

Parents will need to be informed about how you are going to use any data that you hold – including any photos you take in the setting. They also have the right to withdraw their consent at any time.

You are obliged to notify the ICO within 72 hours if you become aware that there has been a data breach at your organisation.

If the data released is sensitive or could leave the data subjects open to identity theft or fraud, you will also have to notify the people concerned.

INSURANCE

Day trippers RSA explains what you should consider ahead of any special trips out you have planned for this summer Summertime is fast approaching, hopefully bringing with it warmer weather. Early years settings are encouraged to use their natural environment all year round, wherever possible, but many settings will make the most of the better weather with summer day trips. But how can you make sure that you are insured for these outings?

If you hold an insurance policy with the Alliance, you will be covered for these events as long as you’ve carried out a risk assessment in advance. In the past, we have been contacted by settings about the following situations:

Beach school “I know how to risk assess the trip and carry out a safety sweep on the day – we got full training on my beach school course – but I’ve never taken a group of children to the sea before. I just want to ensure that our insurance covers everything we do from the coach trip, to the rocks, to the sand, to the sea and all the activities while we are there. This is a bit different from any other trips we’ve done. I want to know if there is anything extra I need to do or think about because of the particular dangers the sea presents. I need guidance for me and reassurance for my parents.”

We were able to tell this member that insurers will expect their risk assessments to give special attention to the children being kept safe near the water with adequate adult:child

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ratios and that children should be kept at safe distances away from the water at all times.

The qualified beach school leader would need to adhere to the training they had specifically received.

Regarding the coach trip we were able to let them know that under our scheme policies, Public Liability and Employers’ Liability covers continue for the setting at no additional cost.

Any risk linked to the coach itself, such as a road accident, is considered a motor risk, which is not covered under our scheme policies. As such, outing organisers should check that the coach company has their own motor insurance policy to cover this risk.

Teddy bears picnic Another childcare provider teamed up with a local baby and toddler group to host a teddy bears picnic in the park. They asked: “Do we need to take out additional insurance cover when we run an event like this? Does it make any difference that we are working with the baby and toddler group?”

Our insurance scheme policy covers groups when they take the children to the park for a picnic. If two groups are organising an event together, the staff and volunteers from each group are covered by their own policies. We were able to advise this provider that they would not need additional cover but should check that the baby and toddler group is also has its own insurance.

Outing risk assessment list Before you set out on our summer day trip, don’t forget to ask yourself these questions: 1. Do parents always need to sign consent forms before major outings?

2. Are adult:child ratios extra high for outings?

3. When some children are taken out of the group, is there an appropriate adult:child ratio for those left behind?

4. Is supervision sufficient to prevent unauthorised access to the children or to prevent children becoming lost?

5. If you are using transport other than public transport, is motor vehicle insurance in place? If you are using your own vehicle, please check with your motor insurer that your policy extends to cover these events as this could be considered ‘business use’.

6. What are your procedures for lost children and will you use special identity tabards or labels for the children?

7. Will there be at least one staff member qualified with a current paediatric first aid certificate accompanying the children on this outing or trip?

8. What is your plan for maintaining your usual hygiene procedures when using bathrooms, washing hand and eating?

9. Have you got a plan for washing hands if you are visiting a petting zoo or farm?

10. I f you are visiting a public park, have you checked that the area is safe from dogs?

11. Have you followed your usual procedure for using sunscreen and hats?

12. Will you have adequate supervision for crossing roads? Will you need high visibility clothing? Check for safe routes and ensure you have adequate supervision at the front, middle and rear.

13. Will children be near any water – including rivers, pools, ponds and seafronts?

HEALTH

Why vaccination matters Recent years have seen a growing number of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children – how should practitioners respond to this worrying trend?

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accinations are one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements, providing a safe and effective way of preventing some of the deadliest diseases.

Vaccines led to the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and a 99% reduction in the number of cases of polio worldwide.

However, recent years have seen an increasing trend for parents choosing to not vaccinate their children, leaving them at risk of catching potentially serious illnesses.

Earlier this year, Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, warned that inaccurate messages about vaccines are spreading online, contributing to a decline in the number of children being vaccinated in the last five years. Currently, 87.5% of children aged five had been given both does of the MMR vaccine – this is below the 95% target set by the World Health Organisation in order to prevent outbreaks.

Recent years have also seen an increase in incidences of preventable diseases. In 2018 there were more than 82,500 cases of measles in Europe – three times as many as many as in 2017 when around 24,000 people were reported to have the disease.

Unvaccinated children There will always be some children who will not be protected by vaccinations.

This could include: children who cannot be immunised for medical reasons (if they are being treated for cancer, or are taking a high dose of steroids, for example)

children who are still too young to be immunised against some diseases children who have missed their vaccine appointment or had a fever when they were due to be vaccinated and haven’t caught up A small number of children who have been vaccinated may still not be fully protected, as on very rare occasions a dose of vaccine may not work. That’s why it is important that all children who can be are vaccinated, as those who have not been treated may spread the disease to those who are not yet old enough or who are unable to have vaccines and are not protected.

Vaccine myths Some parents may be concerned about “overloading” a child’s immune system. Studies have proven that this is not the case – vaccines do not weaken a child’s immune system. Children are exposed to different bacteria and viruses as soon as they are born without any harm to their immune system. The viruses and bacteria used in vaccines are weakened or killed and are given in far smaller doses than the bacteria that babies routinely come into contact with.

According to the NHS, if a child was given 11 vaccines all at the same

time, they would still only need a 1,000th of their immune system to fight it.

Claims that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can cause autism have been completely discredited and disproven in a number of studies. An extensive study, announced in March 2019, confirmed again that there was no link, after following 650,000 children until they were eight years old.

Unvaccinated children It is best practice for early years providers to maintain a record of the vaccinations that children have had and to keep this information in their personal file, along with other important information – including any specific health needs. This record should be updated as further vaccinations are given as this could be important if there is ever an incident of a serious disease in your setting.

It would be wrong for early years providers to routinely refuse to offer a place to a child who has not been vaccinated, as not all children can be vaccinated, and ultimately the choice whether or not to vaccinate will always be down to a child’s parents/carers. However, parents should always be encouraged to have their child immunised wherever possible to protect their own child’s health as well as that of the other children in your setting. Any parent or carer who is concerned about vaccinations should be encouraged to speak to their GP or health visitor who can answer their concerns more fully.

MORE INFORMATION For more information about preventing the spread of illness in your setting, Alliance members can access the EduCare course ‘Infection prevention and control in an early years setting’ for free. Visit www.eyalliance. org.uk/educare to find out more.

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SAFEGUARDING

Creating a safeguarding culture Rachel Buckler, managing director at Safeguarding Training Ltd and co-founder at the Early Years Hub, explains how you could improve the culture in your setting

O

ne of the most influential and enduring tasks for any designated safeguarding lead is in establishing and maintaining an effective culture in their setting that promotes the very best outcomes for all the children.

The extent to which children are looked after and supported will always determine an outcome, whether good or bad. I’ve come across lots of examples where poor practice has resulted in children’s safety being compromised and they have been exposed to unnecessary risk. Sometimes this has been as a result of leadership negligence, with leaders choosing not to act when they should have done.

Sometimes their lack of general safeguarding knowledge and failure to identify risk prevents them from acting at all.

What also often concerns me is the lack of urgency applied. This can sometimes prevent children from getting the right support before a problem escalates further. We need to be acting in line with the expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and our response must be both appropriate and timely.

Weak leadership in safeguarding and child protection practice will always result in adverse outcomes for children. In early years settings, it can often be exhibited as part of a harmful culture embedded into practice that, if unchallenged, will continue to put children at risk in the future. The culture of a setting in my view reflects the attitudes, behaviours and expectations that translate into the responsibilities of all staff working there.

Enabling and responsive As designated leads we need to ensure that we foster a culture that is both enabling and responsive for children and families.

Such a culture therefore demonstrates the following principles that underpin effective safeguarding practice: The setting always focuses on and prioritises child-centred practice.

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Practitioners acknowledge that each child’s needs are unique and must be met accordingly.

Staff take time to listen, respect and, where possible, respond to the views of children.

All practitioners model supportive and respectful behaviour that nurtures and provides safe boundaries for children to develop and learn.

Caring and supportive interactions between adults and children demonstrate safe and healthy relationships.

All staff know, understand and follow procedures that safeguard and protect children.

Leaders take advice from and work with their Local Safeguarding Children Boards (or Safeguarding Partners) and understand and work with local protocols and priorities.

Leaders and staff work effectively with other professionals and parents/carers to promote good health and safe practice for all children.

Everyone in the setting takes personal responsibility to safeguard and protect all of the children.

Staff have opportunities to regularly update their safeguarding and child protection knowledge.

When safeguarding is effective in the early years, the culture of a setting will always centre on what is good for children and will capture the shared vision of like-minded people working together to achieve its ambition.

Proposed changes The new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework, currently in draft, is due to come into effect in September 2019. This new framework makes it clear that safeguarding arrangements should enable leaders to create a culture that identifies, helps and manages all aspects of safeguarding.

Leaders have to ensure that staff are able to identify when a child may be at risk and what

those risks present as. While training plays a key role in enabling this to happen, staff must be kept up-to-date regularly on issues that arise for children, families and within their specific communities. Often themes and lessons from serious case reviews help us to apply knowledge that, where relevant, can be used to inform early years practice.

It is important that leaders are knowledgeable about how they use and apply their local authority’s threshold of need document, provided by children’s social care. These thresholds will determine the levels of needs for a child and, more importantly, indicate the appropriate help that children will require so that they receive the right support. For some, this will result in them accessing early help services. For others, the level of concern will indicate that it meets the threshold for statutory interventions.

There are of course many elements of the role of a safeguarding lead that will require us to manage ongoing processes.

Depending on your setting, this may involve staff recruitment, managing ongoing staff suitability checks, dealing with allegations and working with multiple agencies. The role is often challenging and it can be scary at times. It has its complexities and can lead to frustrations.

However, by keeping children our main focus, we are already demonstrating that we are competent and capable safeguarding leads.

Find out more The Early Years Hub delivers safeguarding and child protection training. Visit www.earlyyearshub.co.uk to find out more

Be the best: sharing early years excellence Rachel will be speaking at the Alliance’s annual conference on 31 May 2019. She will cover recent changes to LSCBs due to come into place in September, alongside other updates.

Book your ticket at www.eyalliance.org.uk/ conference2019

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LANGUAGE

The music of language The view that language is innate is supported by the fact that babies seem to be ready to learn language before they are even born and before they have experienced the powerful communicative aspects of language.

Language consists of more than just a sequence of phonemes (units of sound that distinguish one word from another) or words. Languages have a musical signature and there is evidence that babies’ musical abilities nurture language development rather than there being a type of hardwiring of neural networks in the brain that are purely language focused.

Before birth and very soon after birth, it is feasible that babies are more attuned to the musical aspects of language such as rhythm, pitch and melody or prosody rather than to words and the sounds making up these words.

This makes sense in view of the fact that when in the womb, sounds from the outside environment are muffled as they make their way through the mother’s body and through the amniotic fluid to the baby’s ears. When listening to conversation or speech, the words are perhaps initially less important than the overall shape or melody of the speech.

They continue to use these features in early infancy to help them discriminate between different languages, which in turn helps them attend to what is important in the noisy world around them. Some babies as young as three months old are capable of identifying and remembering the usual pattern of particular

syllables and sounds in spoken language, an essential skill for learning a language.

As babies initially focus on the musical aspects of language before they focus on language as a complex system to communication, practitioners working with babies and toddlers should be providing ample opportunities for children to hear and explore the non-word based aspects of language.

How can practitioners use music to support children’s language development in early years settings?

Babies and young children appear to pay particular attention to the music of language, such as the pitch, rhythms and stresses they hear when adults speak. This is why small babies benefit from the use of infant-directed speech or ‘motherese’ which is high pitched and exaggerates certain sounds and words, and which most of us use instinctively to communicate with babies As babies grow into toddlers, songs and rhymes continue to stimulate their interest and gain their attention, helping them to share activities with an adult and extend their expressive skills as the tune and words (particularly the end rhymes) become familiar and they are able to join in. In this way, songs, poems and rhyming stories will develop children’s attention and listening skills, and ultimately support

early literacy skills by helping them to focus on the sounds that make up words. Action songs are particularly good because the meaning of the words is supported by the gestures, helping children to develop their understanding of spoken language.

Musical instruments such as bells and shakers are also invaluable props for supporting attention and listening, and turn-taking. Very young children can be encouraged to share attention with an adult when the adult shakes a rattle, and will learn to request ‘more’ if the adult pauses and waits for the baby to reach for the rattle, or look at the adult, before shaking again.

If each participant in an interaction has a rattle, they can take turns to shake as long as the adult waits for the baby to copy or initiate the exchange.

Older children can be encouraged to develop their listening skills by identifying which instrument (hidden behind a cloth or screen) has been played, or playing sound lotto games using environmental noises such as a baby crying, birdsong or traffic noise. Although these activities are based on non-verbal sounds, they focus on auditory discrimination skills which will support language and, later on, literacy development.

[This is an edited extract from Early Language Development.]

OFFER: 20% OFF EARLY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT Eary Years Alliance (Ref: A017) £11.55 members, £16.50 non-members This fundamental Alliance publication considers babies’ first steps in language learning and looks at the role of interaction with adults and other babies, as babies take their first steps in language learning and move from exchanges which are adult-initiated to their own attempts to begin a conversation.

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Understanding the w Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher shares ideas for exploring the theme of space in your setting

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ACTIVITY CORNER

world… and beyond E

ven very young children are aware of the sun, moon and stars in the sky. From an early age, children will represent these in drawings and role-play.

Despite this, the idea of exploring space in more detail may at first seem like science that young children cannot possibly comprehend, but why not? We know that the best way to instil knowledge and understanding is to spark children’s curiosity and build on ideas and concepts that are familiar to them.

A child who knows that the moon can be seen at night and the sun is visible during the day already has the basis for further enquiry as they ponder why this is the case. With so many children’s films and TV programmes linked to space, children should have the opportunity to build upon these ideas.

There is an effect similar to ripples in a pond with activities that involve space, as young children begin to understand their local environment and their place in their home and family. As children’s horizons broaden, they start to become increasingly aware of places and begin to discover the concepts of travel, time and distance. Practitioners can expand on these experiences by providing opportunities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.

Our moon The moon is a natural satellite that orbits the Earth. During the long dark evenings of winter, it is usually visible and on a clear night many of its features will be discernible to the naked eye. The moon is a good starting point for space themed activities as it is easily recognisable to young children who may have had it pointed out to them by their parents.

Activity ideas: Look at the phases of the moon. This opens up opportunities to explore maths concepts as the moon changes shape from the perfectly round full moon to the crescent shape visible as it waxes and wanes.

Create a moon calendar, and try one of the many apps that track the moon’s cycle.

Introduce gravity. Have a look at the footage of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969 or videos of Tim Peake during his time on the International Space Station demonstrating the effects of gravity.

Think about what it must be like to walk on the moon – a really engaging role play activity for young children as they take giant steps and try very hard not to float away.

Children can try their own experiments with gravity by dropping different objects to see which fall the quickest or by rolling different items down a ramp.

Create a lunar landscape. Using paper plates and crumpled tissues you can make a realistic landscape of the moon complete with craters and footsteps. Turn your sand tray into the moon’s surface, adding painted lunar rocks, or stones covered in foil. Make sure there are areas with soft clay so that children can leave footprints.

Get some facts and figures. The moon is approximately 384,400 kilometres or 250,000 miles away from Earth. If you were travelling by car it would take at least 130 days to go that far. Travelling by rocket would take just 13 hours. Try walking 1km with the children – how long does that take?

Make jet packs. Two empty two-litre bottles, duck-taped together and painted or covered in foil can be used to make a realistic-looking jet pack for imaginary play. Add some paper tissue flames to the bottom and children can go on their own space walks.

Create space helmets. Cut a circular hole in the front of a cardboard box big enough to fit a child’s head inside. Add bottle tops as dials and paint or cover them with tin foil. Remember that not every child will be happy with having a box placed on their heads. They could make a smaller version for their favourite toy instead or could use paper plates decorated the same way with holes cut into the front.

Other planets Space is actually a very busy place. There are countless stars, asteroids, comets and satellites.

There are also eight planets in our solar system – nine if you include Pluto. Each planet has features that are easily replicated by using a variety of paint techniques such as marbling or wax crayons and poster paint. Painting the planets gives young children the opportunity to experiment with colour and pattern.

Space travel

Take a virtual trip

Ever since space travel became a reality, and even before, children have always been fascinated by the idea of travelling to space.

On a clear night, it is even possible to see the International Space Station pass over our heads as a tiny white dot moving rapidly across the sky. So it’s even possible to see live space travel in action.

A child’s imagination is powerful and as infinite as space itself. Children will create an imaginary world using very few resources if they are given ample opportunity to explore ideas and experiences as they learn through play. When you have made your jet packs or space helmets, draw the curtains, switch off the lights and set the scene.

Start with an idea: “Today we are going to visit the moon.” Organise chairs and climb aboard the rocket together, close your eyes and off you go! Once you reach your destination, ask the children what they can see. Have a look back at the Earth (maybe have a picture ready). Will you meet an alien?

Once the children have landed safely back on Earth, give them plenty of resources to continue exploring their idea.

Activity ideas:

Design and launch your own rockets. Old washing up or fabric conditioner bottles make a good basis for the body of a rocket.

They can be painted or covered in paper.

Add a paper cone (more maths language) and some cardboard triangle shapes at the base and you will be ready to launch. Don’t forget the countdown!

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NUTRITION

Preventing tooth decay in toddlers The Infant & Toddler Forum provides information and advice on promoting good oral health in toddlers in early years settings and at home

R

ecent figures published by Public Health England show that more than 100 children are having some teeth removed in UK hospitals every day due to decay. Nine in 10 of these cases are thought to be preventable. It is therefore vital that oral health is seen as a priority for young children and tooth brushing should start as soon as teeth appear. Early years practitioners are well placed to share information with parents and carers on how to protect toddlers’ teeth from decay.

Dental cavities Dental cavities, also known as tooth decay, occur when the bacteria in dental plaque breaks down sugar, making acids that damage the hard tooth structure. This eventually softens the tooth enamel, and ultimately forms a hole in the tooth. There are many reasons why children develop dental cavities, including excess and frequent sugar intake, poor oral hygiene and low levels of fluoride in drinking water.

Dental cavities can cause toothache, distress and discomfort to toddlers, disrupting their sleeping, eating and behaviour.

Some of the main causes of tooth decay in children: Diet high in sugar – Toddlers should eat three regular meals a day and two to three nutritious snacks in between. It is important for toddlers to have a routine, as those who graze on food throughout the day are more likely to suffer from tooth decay.

Fizzy and sugary drinks – Fruit juices or soft drinks are a significant contributor

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to dental caries, due to both their high sugar content and acidity, so should be avoided. If given, fruit juice should be well diluted (one part juice to ten parts water) and served with a meal. Before going to bed, toddlers should only be offered water and not milk or juice.

Hidden sugars – Parents should be encouraged to check the ingredients list in their children’s food and be aware of those that contain hidden sugars. This includes honey, sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, hydrolysed starch, corn or maize syrup, molasses, raw/brown sugar, treacle and concentrated fruit juice.

Promoting oral health Early years practitioners should highlight the importance of good oral health and encourage the correct brushing technique from a young age. Toddlers should be helped to brush their teeth twice each day, to establish healthy habits. Toddlers should use a child-size toothbrush with soft bristles, which should be replaced every three months. Children should be encouraged to brush their own teeth, but should be supervised until at least the age of seven. It should be stressed that the first teeth, also known as baby or milk teeth, are as important as adult teeth. Establishing a good oral health routine as a toddler should help to embed healthy dental habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Seven tips to protect toddlers from tooth decay: 1. T oddlers’ teeth should be brushed twice a day, in the morning and last thing in the

evening before going to bed. Brushing should begin as soon as teeth appear.

2. The enamel that coats the teeth can be protected from damage with regular brushing and using a toothpaste containing fluoride.

3. Pacifiers, soothers or dummies should not be dipped in anything sweet.

4. Foods and sweet drinks should be avoided at night. After brushing in the evening, toddlers shouldn’t eat or drink anything except water. If they wake up during the night, they shouldn’t be offered milk or juices.

5. Prolonged bottle-feeding with sugary drinks or milk should be avoided, particularly when a toddler is allowed to fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth, as this can contribute to dental decay. Toddlers should be offered drinks in beakers or cups, instead of bottles, from the age of one onwards.

6. Sugar consumption should be limited and grazing on food and drink should be restricted where possible. Frequent eating and drinking is associated with the build-up of plaque on a toddler’s teeth.

Food should be limited to three meals and two healthy snacks each day.

7. Toddlers should preferably be given sugar-free medicines. If none are available, the medicine should be given at meal times and not last thing at night.

For more information on tooth decay in toddlers, read our guidance & tips and download the Protecting Toddlers from Tooth Decay Factsheet at www. infantandtoddlerforum.org.

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

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