Under 5 November/December 2018

Under 5 WINn’s

Magazine of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

November/December 2018

re 25 child r your o f T-shirts g with n i t set of Samuelsorth w Norfolk 5 £8

Season’s greetings Festive craft ideas

Perfect packed lunches Healthy ideas for lunchtime

Q&A: Tracy Brabin An update from Labour

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Contents 4

News round-up

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My Under 5

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All the latest news, research and policy updates from the early years sector A chance for Alliance member settings to share news of recent events and projects

10 Letters to the editor

Under 5 readers share their views on the early years sector

12 Meningitis and your setting

How you can help spread awareness in your setting

14 Q&A Tracy Brabin

Labour’s shadow early years minister shares more detail on her party’s plans for the early years sector

17 Change ahead

An update on the Alliance’s plans for the future

19 Managing short-term absence

Tips for dealing with sickness and other shortterm leave in your setting

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20 Working for you

A look back at some of the biggest events for the early years sector in 2018

23 Date for your diary

Get ready for the Alliance annual conference 2019

24 Perfect packed lunches

How to work with parents to create healthier packed lunches

26 Protecting our children

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Working with communities to reduce the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

27 The importance of self-evaluation

Reflecting on your own practice without Ofsted’s Self-Evaluation Form

28 Working with a care home

RSA explains some of the key considerations before you start partnering with a care home

29 Ready, steady, SENCO

A quick quiz about working with children with SEND

30 Season’s greetings

Ideas for celebrating the festive season in your setting

32 10 tips for feeding babies

Healthy eating ideas for babies and young toddlers

33 Competition

WELCOME & CONTENTS

Welcome Welcome to Under 5 It hardly seems possible that I am now putting the final touches on the last issue of Under 5 for the year.

2018 has been another eventful year for the early years sector and seems to have passed quicker than ever – from the departure of Robert Goodwill, to the introduction of the GDPR, and the reintroduction of the baseline test.

As always, the Alliance has been on hand to help throughout.

This issue includes a look back at some of the new resources and campaigns we’ve been working on to help you in the past 12 months (page 20). To keep up-to-date with all the latest benefits that come with your Alliance membership, remember to visit the members’ area on our website for all the latest guides and updates – www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area.

This issue also brings exciting news about the future of the Alliance and our plans for next few months (page 17). Please feel free to get in touch if you have any comments or questions on this – you can email us at feedback@pre-school.org.uk.

The changes won’t start taking place until early in 2019, but restassured, you’ll still get 10 copies of Under 5 every year as usual.

Don’t forget that you can also access an online version of Under 5 in the members’ area where you can flick through the most recent issue of the magazine on your computer.

Looking to the year ahead, we’ve also got some news about the Alliance’s next annual conference (page 23). Be the best: sharing early years excellence will take place on 31 May 2019 and we’d love to see you all there. More details about the day will follow in the next few issues of Under 5.

After hearing about Labour’s ambitious plans to expand funded childcare in England, we’ve caught up with shadow early years minister Tracy Brabin (page 14). Please do get in touch to let us know your thoughts on Labour’s proposals and feel free to share any questions you have.

As always, this time of year is also the source of much excitement for children with Christmas, New Year and Hanukkah just around the corner. Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher has shared some fun craft ideas to try in your setting (page 30).

The end of the year is also a great time for reviewing your practice and getting ready to start afresh in January. This issue also includes some ideas for self-evaluation without Ofsted’s form (page 27). We’ve also got some helpful ideas from improving lunchboxes in your setting from the Early Years Nutrition Partnership (page 24).

Please do keep sharing your good news for our My Under 5 pages as well as your views for our Letters to the editor. We’re always keen to hear from you at Under 5 – editor.u5@preschool.org.uk.

Rachel Lawler, editor UNDER 5

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in brief...

UNIVERSAL CREDIT: The Commons Work & Pensions Committee has been told that paying for childcare upfront while waiting for universal credit claims to be processed is stopping parents from returning to work.

Maintained nurseries are at risk, according to LGA survey

round-up Ofsted to drop outcomes from inspection framework Children’s outcomes will no longer be a focus in Ofsted inspections, under proposed changes revealed in October. Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman has outlined some key changes planned for the Common Inspection Framework in a speech to the Schools NorthEast Summit. The biggest change includes the removal of the “pupil outcomes” section. The proposals suggest the judgement headings change from: effectiveness of leadership and management quality of teaching, learning and assessment personal development, behaviour and welfare outcomes for children and learners to:

quality of education personal development behaviour and attitudes schools’ leadership and management

Ofsted confirmed to Under 5 that these changes will also apply to early years settings, with a new individual inspection handbook for each sector. The changes are

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due to come into place in September 2019, but a consultation on each of the sector handbooks, including for early years settings, will be held in January. Spielman said the proposed changes will “allow teachers and leaders to focus more of there time on the real substance of education”.

“We know that focusing too narrowly on test results can often leave little time or energy for hard thinking about the curriculum, and in fact can sometimes end up making a casualty of it. The bottom line is that we must make sure that we, as an inspectorate, complement rather than intensify performance data,” Spielman said.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “We have long called for a shift in the focus of Ofsted inspections away from outcomes and towards the quality of what is being delivered, and so this aspect of today’s proposals does feel like a step in the right direction.

“That said, it’s hard to see how this shift aligns with the DfE’s increasingly outcomefocused approach to early years, not least the impending introduction of revised Early Learning Goals which are likely to focus on narrower, easier-to-measure skills like literacy and numeracy over broader development indicators.”

Children with special needs will miss out on early support if the government doesn’t promise additional funding for maintained nursery schools, according to a new survey from the Local Government Association (LGA).

Since the launch of the new early years funding formula in 2017, the government has granted maintained nursery schools an additional £55 million in funding to make up the shortfall. However, this additional support is due to come to an end in 2019/2020.

61% of the local authorities asked said that they were concerned that maintained nursery schools in their area would close if this funding was not extended. While 52% of local authorities said that the reduced funding would also mean that children with SEND might not get the same level of support.

The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, is asking the government to commit to extending the additional funding until a long-term solution can be found. There are currently 397 maintained nurseries in England with more than 40,900 children on roll – 13.8% of these children have SEND. Antoinette Bramble, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “As our survey shows, councils have grave concerns about the future of maintained nursery schools if the current funding does not continue beyond 2020. This could have a detrimental impact on children with special educational needs, for whom maintained nurseries provide a lifeline of support.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We share the LGA’s concerns about the impact of inadequate government funding on the ability of childcare providers to provide the best possible support to children with SEND. It is absolutely vital that these children have the same access to quality early years provision as their peers – and yet we know that providing the quality care and support that children with SEND need often comes at a significant cost to providers.

“This is true for the 397 maintained nursery schools currently operating across the country, but it is equally true for the 60,000-odd private and voluntary pre-school, nurseries and childminders providing the majority of places for the 85,000 two-, three- and four-year-olds in England estimated to have SEND. That’s why it’s so important that the DfE ensures that it is funding all early years providers equally – and that is simply not the case at the moment.”

HEALTHY START: Sadiq Khan has launched Healthy Early Years London, supporting settings in the capital to encourage healthy eating and exercise.

SOCIAL MOBILITY: A report from the OECD has highlighted the importance of early education in helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds gain essential skills.

Ofsted updates guidance for staff waiting for a DBS check Ofsted has updated its safeguarding inspection guidance to make it clear that members of staff without a DBS certificate should not be left alone with children.

Previously, Ofsted’s guidance said that practitioners should ensure that staff without a DBS certificate should be “appropriately supervised” until all the checks have been completed. Now, Ofsted’s “inspecting guidance” states that any staff who have started work before their certificate is available should not be given any unsupervised contact with children at the setting.

The change comes shortly after the government announced that childcare practitioners will no longer be disqualified

from providing or working in nondomestic childcare settings because someone who lives or works in their household is disqualified. However, this does not apply to childcare practitioners working on domestic premises – including childminders.

Access to childcare falls in areas of disadvantage The number of available childcare places has fallen in areas of disadvantage, according to Ceeda’s annual report – About Early Years.

The report found that the average number of available childcare places in areas of disadvantage has fallen from 33 per 100 children in 2016 to just 25 in 2018. Meanwhile, the wealthiest areas have seen the average number of places available per 100 children rise from 32 in 2016 to 43 in 2018.

The quality of childcare available also differs in areas of disadvantage.

The report reveals that 7% of nurseries and pre-schools in the most deprived areas are rated as ‘requires improvement’, compared to 4% in the least deprived areas.

Ceeda used data from Ofsted’s Early Years Register as the basis for its analysis, alongside provider surveys.

Surveyed providers told Ceeda that the average hourly pay for a childcare practitioner was just 2p more than the average wage for bar staff or cleaners at £8.47. 84% of providers who said they were recruiting also reported struggling to find new staff to fill the vacancies.

Jo Verrill, managing director at Ceeda, said: “Declining sector capacity in areas of disadvantage is a major cause for concern, and it is set to get worse as provider costs increase and funding rates stand still.

“Providers operating in deprived areas are least able to offset losses on funded hours with private fee income, and it is children who stand to gain the most from high quality early education that are at risk of losing out.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, added: “How can the government talk about the importance of social mobility when chronic childcare underfunding has meant that those families with the greatest need, and those children who would benefit most from high-quality provision, are the ones who face the most difficulties accessing places? If ministers are genuinely serious about ‘closing the gap’ and improving the life chances of the most vulnerable children, it simply must invest what’s needed to support a quality, accessible and sustainable childcare system in this country.”

“Providers in deprived areas are the least able to offset losses on funded hours with private income.”

More children reach a ‘good’ level of development More children are achieving a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, according to the latest statistics released by the Department for Education.

The statistics show that 71.5% of children in England achieved a good level of development in 2018 – up 0.8 percentage points from 2017. The average total point score on the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile has also increased to 34.6, up from 34.5 in 2017.

Girls continue to perform better on the test than boys, but the gap between genders has decreased to an average of 13.5 points – down from 16 points in 2013. The statistics also showed regional variations in the test results, with just 63.9% of children in Middlesbrough achieving a good level of development compared to 80.5% of children in Richmond upon Thames.

71.5% of children in England achieved a good level of development in 2018 – up 0.8 percentage points from 2017 Neil Leitch said: “It’s very positive to see that the number of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage has increased yet again. The fact that these figures continue to rise year on year is a testament to the dedication and hard work of early years practitioners working in often-challenging circumstances, not least due to financial constraints.

“The government needs to look again at why the EYFS Profile was first introduced, remind itself that early assessment is not, and should not be, a tick-box exercise and look to develop policies which focus on the way children actually develop, not the ease with which their learning can be measured.”

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Childcare vouchers scheme closes to new applicants RoSPA asks practitioners to help prevent accidents

homes safer, by referral to home safety assessments and equipment schemes.

Between 2013-2016, the top cause Childcare practitioners are being asked to of deaths from accidents for children help prevent accidents at home, as part of under four-years-old was threats to a new nationwide strategy from the Royal breathing – such as choking, suffocation Society for the Prevention of Accidents or strangulation.

(RoSPA).

Errol Taylor, chief executive at RoSPA, RoSPA said that under fives are one said: “Serious accidental injury to children of the age groups most is a significant health issue vulnerable to accidents, that often gets overlooked “Serious especially in the home as a public health issue – in accidental and that they are overEngland each year, an average represented in injury of 132 children aged 0-14 die injury is a statistics. and more than 100,000 are significant RoSPA’s priorities in admitted to hospital – but this health preventing accidents in the doesn’t have to happen. issue that home included threats to “For under fives, the home often gets breathing, falls, poisoning, is the key area of concern from overlooked.” drowning and burns/scalds. an accidental point of view, It suggests that early years and it is that there is support practitioners are well-placed to support and training for practitioners working with parents and carers in making their young families.”

The government’s childcare voucher scheme has closed to new applicants. Originally due to close in April, the scheme was kept open to new applicants until 4 October after pressure from campaign groups.

However, despite continued efforts to keep the scheme open, no new applicants will now be able to join. Instead, parents will be able to sign up to the tax-free childcare scheme, which launched in April 2017. Those currently receiving childcare vouchers will be able to do so as long as they continue to be employed by a company that is signed-up to the scheme.

Most parents expect providers to seek nutritional advice Most parents expect their childcare provider to seek expert advice on nutrition, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by the Early Years Nutrition Partnership.

YouGov surveyed 800 parents with children aged one- to four-years-olds this summer. 82% of those asked said that they expected that their childcare provider would seek expert advice on nutrition.

The survey also revealed that 90% of parents believe that it is important that their childcare provider has a good understanding of children’s nutritional needs.

Annie Denny, nutritional development manager at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership, said: “We’re impressed to see that parents and carers have high expectations about nutrition in early years settings as we believe childcare providers have a responsibility to get nutrition right in the early years.

“Our message is that by upskilling practitioners we can help them engage with parents on an exciting nutrition journey, that results in healthier and affordable meals in the setting, and likely inspiration and help for home too.”

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Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, added: “What I want settings to realise is that nutrition is the bedrock to delivery of the EYFS. A well-nourished child will have a better physical, educational, social and emotional development journey through the early years system.”

Tax-free childcare is available to all eligible parents, whereas childcare vouchers are only available to eligible parents whose employers are signed up to the scheme.

However, some parents say they will lose out financially under the tax-free childcare scheme. The Childcare Service website, used to access tax-free childcare, also struggled with technical issues in the months after its launch last year.

The #SaveChildcareVouchers campaign has been calling for the scheme to remain open to new applicants since January 2017. It says it will keep putting pressure on the government to re-open the scheme to new entrants.

WW1 tribute

Walton Pre-sc hool in Essex has commem orated 100 years since th e end of WW 1 with a specia l appearance at the Waltonon-the-Naze Town Carniva l. The children learnt about th e history of the war and w hy poppies are used to sy mbolise fallen heroes. Child ren dressed as soldiers, nurs es and pilots from the war, helping to brin g the stories to life.

Outstanding for Joeys Nursery

Autumn wa lkabou

t Children from Weaverthorpe Weebles Tots invited childre in North York n from nearby shire W eaverthorpe to join them on School Nurse an autumnal ry walk through children colle the village. Th cted items in e cluding conk and sticks to ers, leaves, fe fill their autum athers n pots.

e Family Centre, has been Joeys Nursery, based in the Milnthorp d report. The inspector praised graded ‘Outstanding’ in its latest Ofste expert ability to steer children’s the staff’s “excellent questioning and that the setting helped “extend learning in different directions” and said Katie Smyth, manager at the setting, children’s learning across all areas”. with pride as our team of highly commented: “I am thrilled and bursting dedicated staff work so hard.”

National Eye Health week Children at Boys and Girls Nursery in Rickmansworth and Stanmore were paid a visit by local opticians to coincide with National Eye Health Week. Sachin from Boots Opticians and Poonam, a locum optometrist, explained what happens in an eye test, why it’s important and how children can keep their eyes healthy. Natasha, director of Boys and Girls, said: “The children really enjoyed themselves and also learned a lot.”

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Playgroup bake off

Play Days Playgrou p and Active Kids at St Stephens in money for Macm Rednall has raise illan Cancer Supp d ort with a week-long older children he bake sale. Some lped their parents/ carers make some younger children cakes to sell, wh were given cut-o ile ut teapot shapes to cupcakes in the me de corate and ssy play area.

National Library Week Children from Elim Church Day Nursery, Little Stars Shoebury Day Nursery and Ready Teddy Go Pre-school in Southend celebrated National Libraries Week by visiting their local libraries. They searched for their favourite books and shared stories and nursery rhymes, while their parents were given library registration forms to help encourage children to use the services.

lebrated in Rednall ce ival St Stephens at s Harvest fest id K e tiv so y with ngs and Ac

ip stor ay Days ormous Turn Children at Pl They also g out the En tin ac by al ith the story. iv st up to tie in w so the harvest fe ip rn tu , leader at d ot ite-Lightfo ey also enjoye urch. Jules K ch e and props. Th th at ren to the nk ild duced the ch to the food ba s tro m in ite ch d hi te w n dona lped them to lovely sessio rience – it he id: “It was a learning expe the setting, sa od go a em and gave th church setting ve.” e food they ha appreciate th

What’s been happening in your setting?

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

HAVE YOUR SAY

Letters to the editor STAR LETTER Screentime The news that children are watching more online content than ever before is something that will always spark a debate as people are, for obvious reasons, very passionate about kids education and outcomes. We are also learning about how children’s mental wellbeing cab be affected by digital content.

I can’t say with certainty what is right and wrong, but I can offer my own observations with regards to my own child. I would say that having access to a device and control of the device definitely changes his behaviour in that he becomes impatient and uncooperative. The instant gratification he gets when pressing the button and seeing something awesome happening is addictive for him.

While there are times when he picks up new words from Sesame Street, or similar, he only knows them as a learned phrase and doesn’t necessarily know how to apply them in a new context.

I previously read some comments from Steve Jobs about his concerns for the imaginative capabilities of the next generation, because they never seem to be bored. In his opinion, boredom was the only key to new ideas.

I guess only time will tell what impact this new level of technology is having on children. But what I do know is that my son doesn’t like digital books, yet will happily listen to me reading to him from a physical book all day long.

Fiona Hill, Rayleigh Book Nook, via Pre-school Learning Alliance Facebook page Funding cuts hurting the poor Is anyone in the early years sector surprised by the recent Ceeda report’s findings? [The most recent report revealed that more than two in every five settings is receiving less funding than they were five years ago.]

I know many settings have made cost savings by various means, but there comes a point that you cannot make any more savings without impacting quality.

I am aware that many owners, and even staff, do extra hours for free, including taking work home. Some practitioners also purchase resources in their own time but never get round to claiming back the costs. Staff sometimes fund training out of their own pockets and many do not get time off in lieu or any overtime for attending evening or weekend courses.

We would not be in this position if the early years was sufficiently funded. Listening to the sector would be a good place to start finding places where savings could be made by cutting red tape and removing pointless but time-consuming policies.

Together we could get it right for the children and families in this country. Sadly, those currently making government policy are showing a complete lack of knowledge and understanding.

Penny Webb, via Pre-school Learning Alliance Facebook page

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

This issue’s star letter wins a decopatch post box from Hope Education (worth £113.99). Little ones will love letting their imagination run wild and expressing themselves through art. The post box can be decorated with pens, crayons, paints or collage materials and when finished will make a great festive decoration in any setting. At 1.3m high, with a slot on the front and small door at the back, it is perfect for posting Christmas wish lists to the north pole or seasonal cards to all the little ones in your setting.

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BEST PRACTICE

Meningitis and your setting Kelly Archer, information and projects coordinator at Meningitis Now, explains how you can help spread awareness of this disease in your setting

M

eningitis is a disease that parents fear. Recently, there have been a few high profile cases in the news about meningitis affecting young children.

Each case is a tragedy for the child, their family and friends. Awareness really can save lives and improve outcomes.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is a life-changing and serious disease that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord. In the UK, the most common causes of meningitis are viruses and bacteria – with around 8,000 cases each year.

Viral meningitis can make babies and young children very unwell, but it is rarely life threatening. Most children will make a good recovery, but this can take time.

Bacterial meningitis is life threatening, so urgent medical attention is essential. Most

people who have meningitis or meningococcal disease will make a good recovery, but some will suffer physical, neurological and emotional after-effects, due to various areas of the brain being injured. Some bacteria that cause meningitis can also cause septicaemia, or blood poisoning, which can lead to skin scarring and limb loss.

Meningococcal disease is a term that is used to refer to an invasive illness caused by the meningococcal bacteria – so this could be meningitis on its own, meningitis with septicaemia or septicaemia. It is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK.

fade under pressure.

If you ever suspect that someone is ill with meningitis or septicaemia, trust your instincts and get immediate medical help.

Signs and symptoms

Prevention

As an early years practitioner, it is vital that you, your staff and parents are aware of all of the signs and symptoms of meningitis. You should seek urgent medical help if you ever suspect that a child may have meningitis. Early recognition and treatment reduces the likelihood of meningitis and septicaemia being lifethreatening and resulting in lifelong after-effects.

The early symptoms of meningitis can be similar to flu or a viral infection – including fever, often with cold hands and feet, headache, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and muscle pain.

More specific signs include drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, a stiff neck, a dislike of bright lights and a rash that doesn’t

We have a great immunisation schedule in the UK. Many of the children in your care are likely to be vaccinated but vaccines do not protect against all types of meningitis. Therefore awareness, and knowing the action to take if meningitis is suspected, can save lives.

Meningitis Now has launched the UK’s first recognition mark for childcare providers.

Registering, completing and displaying the mark shows parents that you know which signs and symptoms to be aware of and what action to take, should you suspect that a child has the disease.

Raising awareness in your childcare setting can help to save lives. More cases occur in this age group than any other, so awareness is key. If every childcare provider in England completed the steps to achieve the recognition mark, the impact of meningitis could be greatly reduced.

Spotting meningitis in babies In babies, symptoms include being floppy and unresponsive, a dislike of being handled, rapid breathing, an unusual, moaning cry and a bulging fontanelle – a soft spot on the top of a baby’s head.

It is not always easy to recognise the signs and symptoms in young babies, therefore it is important to trust your instincts.

Find out more For more information, or to register visit www.meningitisnow.org/marm or call 01453 769030. Once registered, you will receive access to a toolkit. You can then start working towards becoming a ‘meningitis aware’ setting.

On completion of the checklist, your recognition mark can be used in your marketing and publicity materials.

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Tracy Brabin Editor Rachel Lawler speaks to Tracy Brabin, shadow early years minister, about Labour’s proposed plans for the early years sector

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INTERVIEW The Labour Party has promised a “radical expansion” of the current government’s childcare offer if elected at the next general election. The party says that it will help to “dramatically raise standards of childcare” in England.

First unveiled in a speech by leader Jeremy Corbyn at the party’s national conference in September, the plans include: an extension of the 30-hours offer to all two-, three- and four-year-olds an increase in the national funding rate to £7.35 an hour a subsidy for additional hours purchased by parents, with lowincome families paying nothing and those on the highest incomes paying £4 an hour creating a new online portal for all funding, which will be paid directly to early years providers a requirement for all practitioners to have at least a level 3 qualification, or be working towards one a gradual increase in the number of staff qualified to level 4 or above from 20% to 45% a movement towards a “graduate-led workforce” for the early years establishing a national pay scale for all early years staff introducing a requirement for one SENCO for every 100 children recruiting 150,000 additional staff over seven years to help increase he ratio of staff to children Corbyn said: “Opportunity matters most in the earliest years of life. It is a crucial time to open up children’s life chances. Driving up standards of childcare will make that vital difference for millions of children.”

This issue, Under 5 has spoken to Tracy Brabin, shadow early years minister, for some more detail on these proposals and how the party plans to bring about these changes if elected.

The current 30-hours offer has come under criticism from many providers. Do you think the Labour Party’s plans will get a better response?

I fully understand that many providers have found the introduction of the

government’s 30-hours policy difficult.

I’ve been one of your biggest supporters in your campaigning efforts for support and a better deal. And those meetings I’ve held and those visits I’ve made have informed an important part of our policy-making process.

We’ve really listened and produced an exciting package of policy which pays providers a fair rate – £7.35 an hour, provides for families with the introduction of subsidised childcare, and makes sure that no child is left behind by making our funded hours universally available.

It’s for all these reasons and more that I believe that we’ve had an excellent response from the sector so far, and if in government, those same policies will prove popular in practice.

30-hours offer, transitioning to supplyside funding, introducing subsidised childcare and more.

It sounds like a life-changing amount and it is. We’re incredibly proud to be the only political party offering this investment in our future generations.

“This bold policy will radically change and improve SEND provision in the early years.”

Do you think Labour’s new policy will be beneficial for children?

Absolutely. We have a social mobility crisis in this country. There’s concrete evidence to show that children who show up to their first day of school, having already fallen behind their peers, may never catch up.

I’ve said many times that when in government, I’ll put opportunity at the heart of what we do. Better paid staff to help with retention, higher funding rates to support providers and transitioning to a graduate-led workforce are all intended to help children achieve as much as possible in the early years and beyond.

Of course, the biggest single difference is that our funded hours will be available to all children, meaning the poorest – who are often the very ones who benefit the most from early years education – are no longer excluded.

How much do you estimate that this policy will cost?

We’ve been very open and transparent about the figures. We’ll invest an additional £5.3 billion a year in the early years. That’s £500 million on Sure Start and £4.8 million on extending the

How will the subsidised childcare offer work in practice?

Labour will be providing subsidised support for the hours that families require.

We won’t put an upper limit in place because we know that families will use what’s best for them and their children. It will be up to PVI settings to decide whether they want to partake in government policies, including free hours and subsidised childcare. I certainly expect that the majority will offer these incredible opportunities.

Will early years settings be able to charge for additional services?

Additional costs on funded hours is certainly something I am very aware of – providers have told me that they wouldn’t be in business without them, but on the other hand I’ve had families tell me that they struggle to take advantage of funded hours because of them.

“We want to promote the early years as a career choice and improving training opportunities is a great way of doing that.”

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The truth is that this is something we’re still looking at and considering.

We should have an answer soon, but I would say that I think the funding on offer is a very significant uplift and I certainly wouldn’t expect the need for additional fees to be as high.

How does Labour plan to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

I’ve heard some truly heart-breaking cases of children who have high levels of need being sent straight to the bottom of the waiting list and staying there. That’s not right and it has got to stop. But equally, we need to make sure that settings have the right resources in place to support these children.

Our modelling shows that one special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) per 100 children would sufficiently cover all children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, as well as being able to support children with additional needs that have not yet been diagnosed.

This bold policy will radically change and improve SEND provision in the early years.

“We’re incredibly proud to be the only political party offering this investment in our future generations.”

How will you support current staff that aren’t yet qualified to level 3 or working towards this?

Current staff working in the sector are absolutely crucial to our plans.

Their experience and passion must be retained. I’m aware that 79% of staff in group-based settings are already qualified to level 3, and there aren’t going to be any sudden, overnight changes.

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As the funding rates are increased, we’ll give settings the opportunity to invest in upskilling and training staff.

This will take place over several years and qualifications are unlikely to become compulsory until the last two years of the sevenyear transitional period.

How do you plan to increase the number of staff qualified to level 4 and above?

I think having more staff in training and trained to a higher level is good for children and supports staff so they enjoy their work and perform better.

It’s a win, win.

There’s also clear evidence that having higher qualified staff improves outcomes, which is in everyone’s interest. But we also want to promote the early years as a career choice and improving training opportunities is a great way of doing that.

Likewise, how do you plan to ‘shift to a graduate-led workforce’?

Much like with the level 3, there won’t be any sudden changes out of the blue.

There will be time for these changes to be implemented.

For graduates entering the workforce, they need to know that there will be jobs for them once they’re qualified and with the increased funding there will be.

We also need to make sure there are progression opportunities for graduates.

But there is a wider opportunity here to really sing about how rewarding a career in early years education is – much like what already exists for teachers.

Alongside increasing job opportunities and pay, we need to encourage the best and brightest to come and stay in the sector.

I believe with our policies we have a real chance of achieving that goal.

Do you plan to consult with the sector further?

Of course.

We’ve laid out our intentions for government, but we are absolutely determined to get this right. I’m hoping to survey settings soon. I regularly meet with key stakeholders, including Neil Leitch from the Alliance, and visit settings across the country.

“There won’t be any sudden changes out of the blue. There will be time for these changes to implemented.”

What I would say to anyone reading this who has something to say about our proposals is: please don’t be a stranger.

My email address is tracy.brabin.mp@ parliament.uk and I’m always happy to listen. The response to what Jeremy Corbyn laid out has been overwhelmingly positive but I know that this brilliant early years sector is diverse in the way it works and it’s requirements and I am always happy to listen.

Change ahead!

Share your views on our future plans

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ou will be well aware of the changes and challenges we as a sector have faced over the recent months and years.

In such uncertain times, it becomes even more important for us to prioritise and regularly review our support to Alliance members. We want to make sure that our services and offers remain relevant to you.

That’s why we are planning to make a number of exciting, positive changes, including improving our internal membership systems and reviewing and updating our membership services and benefits to ensure you get the advice, guidance and resources you need for your early years business.

As always, you play a critical part in making sure that this happens and we want to ensure that the improvements we will be making are informed by what you really want and need. u To thank yo That’s why we would like e, for your tim you to spare a few minutes oose to to complete this simple you can ch free a to in d re online survey at www. be ente up in w to w surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ prize dra e th f o h rt AllianceMembers2018 by to £60 wo e c n Friday, 14 December 2018. test Allia

la s!* publication

A new name The Alliance is committed to supporting an everwidening range of early years providers. But our recent research has found that many in the sector, including current Alliance members, don’t feel that our current brand accurately reflects this fact.

For this reason, as part of this strategy refocus, we will also be updating the organisation’s name from the

Pre-school Learning Alliance to the Early Years Alliance. This change is likely to take place early next year, and will reinforce our commitment to providing a united voice for the sector, and the best possible membership services for all our members: from preschools to childminders, day nurseries to baby and toddler groups, and beyond.

We are very excited about these plans to further improve our ongoing support to you, and look forward to hearing your views! *All responses will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with any external organisations or companies. Your email will not be shared: it will only be used to enter into the competition, and will be removed once the competition ends on 14 December 2018.

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t: 0800 195 4255

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LAW-CALL

Managing short-term absence The team behind Law-Call, the legal helpline for Alliance members, explains how short-term absences can be managed

separately. If the employee has reached the point where a meeting about their absence is required, you should ensure that you have your data to hand – the number and frequency of absences and the percentage of overall working time lost.

It can often come as a surprise to employees that those ‘odd’ days off have added up to an unreasonable amount of time.

Disciplinary action may be appropriate if you are experiencing short, persistent and unconnected absences. This should be considered after an appropriate investigation to establish facts. For example, that there is not an underlying health condition that may suggest a disability. This may also be the case for staff who repeatedly fail to report their absence correctly.

Disciplinaries Dealing with short-term, short-notice absences is an issue that affects organisations of all sizes. However, for very small businesses, short-term absences can cause the biggest amount of disruption The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development estimates that absences cost businesses an average of £522 per employee. In small businesses or charitable organisations, where margins can be slim, this represents a huge cost.

Unfortunately, coughs, colds and flu cannot be avoided, but you can do much to reduce unwarranted absences and the costs associated with them.

Taking a sensible approach to occasional unauthorised absences can help to build trust with your employees. It will also show flexibility on your part and this can be really effective if backed-up with a good framework of culture and policies to help prevent escalating absences.

Top down culture The first thing you’ll need when managing absences is a written policy, containing the procedures that will be followed and the expectations on both sides for any type of unscheduled absence. Make sure you follow this whenever any staff are unexpectedly absent from your setting.

The culture of your organisation should come from the top down. How you view absence and how it is consistently dealt with needs to be established. Remember, frequent absences can be infectious, resulting in a domino effect that can damage staff morale. If you don’t consistently follow your procedures, or expect staff to, you create a culture that implies that “it doesn’t really matter”. This can erode trust in your

team and make it more difficult for you to draw a line under frequent absences.

As is the case with much of employment relations and law, there is a balance to be struck between positive reinforcement and sanctions. You should promote a positive attendance culture, where staff know that they can comfortably approach their line managers.

If staff feel that they can bring up a problem and be listened to, this may help to reduce the number of absences they take, where the underlying issue is work- or home-related rather than illness.

This should be balanced with staff understanding that unwarranted or excessive absences will not be tolerated. Staff should be aware that sanctions exist via your disciplinary procedures, and that this could potentially even include dismissal.

Timely and compliant reporting is particularly important in childcare settings, where ratios are critical and an unanticipated absence can have serious consequences. Remember that you are still taking a disciplinary action, even if you are invoking an absence management policy, and correct procedures compliant with the ACAS code of practice should be used.

With good use of policies and procedures, laying ground rules and a positive approach to supporting staff, you can do much to protect your business from the negative effects of shortterm absences.

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 member’s area at www.pre-school.org.uk/members-area.

Clear expectations You should consider the use of return-to-work interviews. It can help identify patterns or potential problems with absence at an early stage. It is also useful to see the employee face-to-face. If there are concerns about whether an absence or absences are genuine, that may become apparent if they have to give a one-toone account of the absence to their manager.

When a staff member fails to attend work and doesn’t make contact – call them. You are entitled to do so. If you reach a stage with an employee where their absence levels are creating a cause for concern, you should review their absences to see if they appear to be linked or if they perhaps have an underlying condition that requires further investigation.

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Working The Alliance often asks its members to share their views on upcoming changes and current concerns affecting the early years sector. Here are some of the ways we have responded to your feedback in the past year

You said that the DfE’s cost template was not helpful for calculating the cost of delivering a funded childcare place…

In February, the Department for Education (DfE) asked providers to share evidence of how much it costs you to deliver a funded childcare place. However, many of you said that the form provided was too broad and would not offer an accurate assessment of the costs.

In response, the Alliance created its own cost calculator that you could use instead. Comprising a word document and Excel spreadsheet, it allowed providers to get an accurate estimate of the average hourly cost of delivering a funded place for different age groups. The DfE confirmed that it would accept evidence submitted using this format instead, giving them a more accurate assessment of average hourly costs for early years providers.

You said you needed help understanding how new data protection rules would affect your setting…

The General Data Protection Act (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018. But in the lead up to this change, a snap poll on Twitter revealed that 79% of our followers didn’t even know what GDPR was and only 1% said that they were prepared for the new rules.

To help get our members ready, the Alliance launched a new free course, Implementing the GDPR, in partnership with online training provider EduCare. We also created several mini-guides on the changes and a quick GDPR quiz, which are all available free for Alliance members in the members’ area of our website.

Alliance members can also access Law-Call, a 24-hour legal helpline, for support when implementing the regulations. Please visit the members area to find their contact details – www.pre-school. org.uk/members-area or visit www.pre-school.org.uk/educare to access the EduCare course.

You said that the current rules for claiming funding for related children for childminders were unfair…

At the moment, childminders are unable to claim funding for any children who are related to them, even though this is not the case in group setting, which can claim funding for children related to staff members. Nearly 2000 childminders shared their views on this topic through our online survey in March.

31% of those that responded currently had a three- or four-year-old related child who was eligible for the 15 or 30 hours offer. 35% of those childminders’ related children were accessing their entire entitlement with a different provider, but most (90%) said that they would rather look after the child themselves if they could receive the funding.

Since then, the Alliance has been in regular contact with the DfE about this concern, and the results of the survey have proved vital to the discussions so thank you to all that responded. As always, we will let our members know as soon as we have any further updates on this issue.

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2018 IN REVIEW

g for you You said that funding for the 30-hours offer continues to be a real concern…

Since its launch in 2017, the 30-hours offer has attracted criticism from the sector, particularly surrounding funding rates, which the government currently plans to freeze until 2020. With rising costs, including the national living wage which is due to increase to £9 per hour in 2020, many providers argue that this is unsustainable.

The Alliance has continued to campaign on this issue. As a founding sponsor of the APPG, we helped host a Lobby Day in Parliament in July where more than 100 childcare providers met with their MPs and peers to discuss their concerns.

We asked for your views in August to mark the first anniversary of the 30-hours scheme in September. We also surveyed Mumsnet users to hear about parents’ experiences of the offer. Almost half of the providers who responded (48%) said that they had increased their fees as a result of the 30-hours offer, while 45% of parents asked said that they had been asked to pay increased fees for non-funded hours since the introduction of the offer in 2017.

We shared these results far and wide, with chief executive Neil Leitch appearing on BBC Breakast, news bulletins and The Victoria Derbyshire Show. The story also appeared in The Independent, The Financial Times and many other national news outlets, helping to raise awareness of our concerns.

We’re continuing to campaign relentlessly in this area, both through the APPG and beyond, with the help of nearly 7000 Fair Future Funding campaign supporters (see box-out).

You said that the stress of working in the early years was having a detrimental impact on your wellbeing…

In April, the Alliance launched a survey on mental health in the early years sector. The results were revealed at our annual conference in June, with 57% of practitioners saying that they had suffered from anxiety as a result of their work and a quarter saying they were considering leaving the sector.

The Alliance is now working with the Department for Education and Ofsted on a new sector-led initiative to help reduce workloads, particularly administration, for early years practitioners, which we’ll be announcing more about soon. We’ve also pulled together all resources we have on promoting positive wellbeing in the early years – including a mini guide to paperwork, a business plan and budget, and several blogs and articles – on our website at bit.ly/2qcYCh7.

What next?

As we head into 2019, the Alliance will continue to support the early years sector through all the challenges it faces. If you’d like to share your experiences on thoughts on any of these concerns, please get in touch at feedback@pre-school.org.uk Our Fair Future Funding campaign will continue to call for an annual review of the free entitlement funding levels and better data on the cost of delivering funded places.

How can I help?

If you’d like to support the campaign, visit www.pre-school.org.uk/ fairfuturefunding to: sign up as a supporter encourage parents to join as parent supporters download a template letter to help you write to your local MP and a 30-hours factfile to help inform your arguments about the 30 hours offer

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LIVING WAGE UPDATE

Increasing wages, static funding rates At the end of October, the government announced another increase in the National Living and National Minimum Wages. Here, we look at how this could affect the sector

T

he National Living Wage will increase from £7.83 to £8.21 an hour in April 2019, the government has confirmed. Chancellor Philip Hammond announced the 4.9% increase last month as part of the government’s latest Budget.

The National Living Wage is the minimum hourly rate that must be paid to workers aged 25 and over. When this increases to £8.21 in April, full-time employees will get a pay rise of around £690 a year – although the cost to employers could be higher once National Insurance and pension contributions are taken into account.

The minimum rate that must be paid to employees aged under the age of 25 – the National Minimum Wage – is also due to increase in April, as well as the minimum hourly wage for apprentices.

“How much more evidence does the government need before it finally commits to addressing this issue? How many more pre-schools, nurseries and childminders need to close their doors before someone at the DfE has the courage to say: ‘We need to look at this again’?

“At a time when the financial pressure on the sector is continuing to rise, the fact that the government has done nothing to support the sector, and make sure a policy that it chose to introduce is actually viable in the long term, is nothing less than shameful.”

Neil has also written an open letter to Nadhim Zahawi to share his concerns about this latest development.

The new minimum rates wills be as follows:

@dillydolly4 Oh dear gods! That’s possibly going to see the end of our playgroup ☹ There are no more cuts to make and no more fundraising we can possibly do that will make up for that on current funding levels. So sad ☹

Increases to the National Living and National Minimum Wage from April 2019 Age of worker

25+

21-24

18-20

Under 18 Apprentice

Current Level

£7.83

£7.38

£5.90

£4.20

£3.70

From April 2019 onwards

£8.21

£7.70

£6.15

£4.35

£3.90

Your comments

@mrscabey Government push staff to be trained to Level 4/5. Should individuals put themsevles under stress for no reward? @Mr_PaintPots I seem to remember we were told this was factored into the funding rates which were front-loaded to take these increases into account in 2016, based on figures from 4 years earlier? I imagine parents will be delighted to make up any shortfall!

Early years funding

How can I help?

The Alliance had called for additional funding for the early years sector to be announced as part of the government’s latest spending review, but no further update on the current funding rates was given.

Despite being introduced in 2017, when the minimum wage rates were lower, the current Early Years National Funding Formula is due to remain in place until 2020.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, called the Budget another “missed opportunity”. He said: “Survey after survey and study after study has shown that there is simply not enough funding in the childcare system.

The government’s own commissioned evaluation of the 30 hour offer found that the scheme isnot only having a negative effect on many providers’ finances, it’s also resulting in higher fees and charges for a significant proportion of parents.

The Fair Future Funding campaign is calling for the government to introduce a mechanism to ensure that funding covers the cost of delivering funded childcare places in the years to come. Specifically, we are calling on the government to:

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• introduce a statutory requirement on local authorities to collect annual data from local providers on the cost of delivering free entitlement places • undertake an annual review of free entitlement funding levels and how they compare to the cost of delivering places using this data, increasing funding when and where necessary.

The approach would ensure that, as the cost of delivering free entitlement rises, government funding does too.

Visit www.pre-school.org.uk/FairFutureFunding to sign up as a campaign supporter.

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2019 EVENT

date for your diary

EARLY B super-D IRD ISC for me mbers O U N T £35 pe r

– on ticket ly !

friday 31 may 2019 Hilton Bankside in Southwark, London, SE1 0UG

Be the best: sharing early years excellence Want practical advice and information that will support your professional development and help you deliver outstanding care and education at our provision? Make sure you attend the Be the best: sharing early years excellence’ Alliance Conference 2019!

We’ve given our usual agenda a complete overhaul, focusing more on the issues you told us were important to you.

The day will cover implications of GDPR on safeguarding, business sustainability and how to achieve an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted inspection outcome.

Next year’s programme will also be even more dynamic, informative and practical. Plenty of opportunities to share

best practice, ask questions and interact directly with experts across the day. It will give you even more specialist, practical business support to take away and use in your provision.

You can enjoy: valuable insight and advice from leading experts on delivering outstanding childcare services opportunities to share outstanding practice and best approaches with other practitioners in-depth workshops on specific areas of early years business including Ofsted inspections, implications of GDPR for safeguarding practice and improving your sustainability

generous discount on ticket prices – only £35 for members or £49.95 for non-members at the early bird rate (10% discount).

PLUS! New Early Years Lifetime Achievement Awards celebration Specialist exhibition with selected early years market-leaders Amazing networking opportunities throughout the day If you are a nursery owner or manager, preschool, baby and toddler group or crèche leader, childminder, early years educator, Ofsted or local authority early years advisor this event is for you.

Book now!

It’s easy: find out more about the conference and book your place here: www.pre-school.org.uk/conference2019 UNDER 5

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NUTRITION

Perfect packed lunches Annie Denny, nutrition development manager at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership, explains how to speak to parents about healthy lunchboxes

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arents often ask: “What makes a good lunchbox?” At the Early Years Nutrition Partnership, we believe that it’s important to ensure that packed lunches contain all the key nutrients needed for a child’s growth and development. They also offer providers an opportunity to engage with parents.

More than one in five children are currently overweight or obese by the time they start primary school and we know that early years practitioners play a vital role in helping families establish positive eating habits early on. The role of the humble packed lunch has never been more important, but effective partnerships can lead to improved provision and outcomes for children and their families.

Many settings provide a healthy, wellbalanced hot meal at lunchtimes. But for some settings, this is not a possibility. Some parents may also choose to provide a packed lunch for a variety of reasons.

The nutritional value of the foods provided in packed lunches can be varied. I have come across more than one instance of a child being sent to a setting with a cold Happy Meal to be consumed at lunchtime. So how can we start engaging with parents on this topic?

Sustain Address any issues that are preventing parents from getting involved. Use healthy packed lunch guides – get them translated if needed and ensure that parents know they are available. Try to accommodate working parents and use social media to seek, evaluate and act on the views of parents and staff to drive continual improvement.

What makes a healthy packed lunch?

A packed lunch should provide a similar amount of energy, nutrients and variety as a cooked meal. The key is variety and the right balance of the main food groups.

A balanced packed lunch should include: at least one, but no more than two, portions of starchy food (such as pasta, bread or potatoes) one portion of protein (eggs, meat, pulses, etc) at least one portion of vegetables one portion of fruit one portion of dairy (or calcium-fortified alternative) plain water or plain milk to drink

Make a connection Establish a relationship with parents and carers. Talk to parents at open days or parents’ evening and make the case for healthy eating in your setting. Encourage staff to work with parents to support and improve children’s learning, development and health.

Involve parents in specific activities at your setting. For example, invite parents to bring a packed lunch in and share this during a discussion forum about packed lunches. Make it fun – ask parents to take part in a ‘best packed lunch’ competition making sure you explain why the winner was chosen.

Help parents understand the potential impact of inappropriate packed lunch choices on the mealtime environment, staff and other children – including those with food allergies. Enable parents to provide their own suggestions for how your setting could improve and explain how they can help.

This may seem like a long list, but appropriate portion sizing is key. For young children, half or even a quarter of a wrap, bagel or pitta will be sufficient.

The remainder can be used up the next day. Encourage parents to check that their portion sizes are right by placing all the food on a child-sized plate and making sure that they are using a child-sized lunch box.

Encourage parents and carers to: Provide an appetising rainbow of vegetables and fruits. Try vegetable crudités for dipping, vegetables added to a pasta or rice salad, a Spanish omelette or softly cooked carrot and courgette batons.

Swap sandwiches for pittas, bagels, wraps, or pasta/rice/potato salads.

They could also try sweet potato wedges, bulgur wheat, cous cous, bread sticks, or crackers and oat cakes.

Parents should try to include wholegrain

varieties such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta or brown rice.

Look for lower-sugar yoghurts, or better still mix plain natural or Greek yoghurt with fresh or canned fruit. They can mix things up with custard, or rice pudding.

Make a change from ham and cheese by using protein sources such as beans, fish, lentils, chickpeas, soya products such as tofu, nut butters or hummus. Try a salmon or mackerel pâté as a dip or sandwich filler.

Lunchbox hacks Keep a selection of wraps, bagels and pitta breads in the freezer. Parents can then take out exactly what they need for the day ahead.

When cooking pasta or potatoes for tea, cook a little extra that can be used for packed lunches.

Try DIY lunches with items packed separately for the child to assemble themselves.

Try using pastry cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes for fussy eaters.

Pack an icepack into lunchboxes to keep food cool – particularly if refrigerator space is limited.

Find out more If you’d like to find out more about healthy packed lunches, healthy portion sizes and to understand the sugar content of popular foods, you can complete the ‘Providing a healthy food environment in early years settings’ EduCare course, available free to Alliance members, at www.pre-school.org.uk/educare.

The Early Years Nutrition Partnership The Early Years Nutrition Partnership is working to improve the future health of outcomes of young children by setting a standard for nutrition practice in early years settings. It is an independent social enterprise created in partnership with the Alliance, the British Nutrition Foundation and Danone Early Life Nutrition.

To find out how the Partnership can help your setting, visit: www.eynpartnership.org or email hello@eynpartnership.org.

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SAFEGUARDING

Protecting our children Dr Pam Jarvis, reader in childhood, youth and education at Leeds Trinity University, explains how we can help empower communities to protect children

Y

ou may have heard of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, which are stressful events that effect children’s physical and mental health.

Traumatic events such as abuse, neglect and household changes have a negative and lasting effect on their health and wellbeing.

This can lead to social issues, physical and mental health problems and even early death.

Evidence also suggests that ACEs also have an immediate impact on children, increasing their levels of stress hormone cortisol.

Adults who have experienced a significant number of ACEs, and endured overwhelming stress in childhood, enter adulthood with a stress thermostat that is chronically set at a high level – much like a central heating system that has been permanently set on the maximum setting. This puts a person under constant pressure, causing them to become overwhelmed by everyday stressors that other adults would typically manage.

How you can help Your role as an early years practitioner in providing a positive environment for children who may be experiencing ACEs is vital. Some of the most recent research on ACEs indicates that childcare practitioners in high quality settings can be instrumental in offering children a high quality of care that can help mitigate the effect of ACEs within the home.

As earlier attachment research found, human beings are flexible to the extent that non-parental adults can moderate the negative effects of difficult or absent parental relationships. Just one stable, supportive adult-child relationship could reduce a

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previously toxic stress load to a tolerable level, mitigating the future impact of ACEs.

Positive environments Research has also found that while children’s cortisol levels are likely to rise throughout the day in satisfactory early years settings, they tend to fall in high quality settings. Factors present in high quality settings include: Relationships: a happy, engaging atmosphere where staff positively guide children’s behaviour and work as a collaborative team; effective exchange of information between staff and parents; delivering continuity of care for each child

Respect: staff initiate and maintain communication with children, accommodating their individual needs, including the recognition of social and cultural differences, adult and peer encouragement for children to make confident choices and take on new challenges

Positive care: staff supervise children carefully at all times; paying attention to individual needs for safety, rest and comfort; the setting ensures that children are appropriately dressed for indoor and outdoor play and that toileting and nappy procedures are calm, positive experiences

Helping families Where support is provided for the whole family, parents may also be able to better process stress stored up from their own childhoods, moving their ACEs load from ‘toxic’ down to ‘tolerable’ with the aid of a caring supporter.

Once this has been achieved, it is usually much easier for them to develop more competent

parenting skills so that they too can act as a more effective supporter for their own children.

In an ideal world, such support would be provided by dedicated family support workers in local community centres, but in lieu of such facilities, schools and early years settings may wish to consider how they might offer support to families facing difficulties impacting upon the quality of relationships they have thus far built with their children.

What happened?

With both adults and children, it is important to take a curious approach, aimed at finding out: “What happened to you?” rather than a judgement or diagnostic approach, such as: “What is wrong with you?”

“How adversity affects you is not a referendum on your character. We don’t need to play the shame game.”

(Burke Harris, The Deepest Well: healing the long-term effects of childhood adversity, 2018) The ACEs arena is an exciting new area for research and practice, which continues to open up new challenges and opportunities for practitioners and families.

“Resilience starts with relationships…we can disrupt the cycle of intergenerational adversity by ensuring that children have a buffer of protection, love and support. And it’s only by supporting parents and carers, as well as their children, that we will truly transform their children’s lives.”

(Mary Glasgow, Children’s 1st interim CEO)

More information For more information, watch the Resilience video at kpjrfilms.co/resilience or visit www.70-30.org.uk

TRAINING

The importance of self-evaluation How to keep self-evaluating and reflecting on your practice after the removal of Ofsted’s self-evaluation form In April 2018, Ofsted announced that it would no longer provide its optional selfevaluation from (SEF) in move designed to reduce some of the administrative burden on early years providers.

However, self-evaluation remains an important element of best practice.

Providers will still need to demonstrate that they “evaluate their service and strive for continuous improvement” to Ofsted inspectors. All practitioners should still make efforts to reflect on their work as part of their long-term planning.

What should an evaluation cover?

You’ll need to think about what you are already doing well, as well any areas you think you could improve on. Note these down alongside how you plan to improve upon these areas. Refer back to this repeatedly to make sure you are still working towards these goals.

Who should be doing selfevaluation?

Everyone who works in your setting should be involved in self-evaluation – as well as staff, or any assistants you employ, remember to ask parents and children for their thoughts, too.

You may also want to speak with other professionals you work with including your local authority, healthcare professionals you are in touch with, your local children’s centre or any other providers you have regular contact with.

Publication update

How should you keep a record?

Webinar

If you’d like to keep using Ofsted’s SEF, keep your saved copy or print some additional copies off for future use. You can share this, or any other written selfevaluation forms you are using, with your Ofsted inspector when they visit.

However, your self-evaluation practice does not necessarily need to be in a written format. Inspectors will still want to discuss the quality of your provision with you, and how well you think you are meeting the needs of children.

If you have the Alliance’s publications Observation, Assessment & Planning, you can download an updated section on selfevaluation from our website at shop.pre-school.org.uk/downloads.

You can also view the Alliance’s webinar, hosted by Alliance director of quality and improvement Michael Freeston and quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher, The importance of self-evaluation, online at bit.ly/2PVReli.

Find out more EduCare course The Importance of Self-Evalution, a course created in partnership between the Alliance and our training partner EduCare, is now available free to all Alliance members, alongside a suite of courses available to Alliance members. Visit www.pre-school. org.uk/EduCare for more information

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INSURANCE

Working with a care home

RSA explains some of the key things to consider before you start working with a care home

L

ast year, Channel 4 debuted a TV show following what happened when a retirement village in Bristol opened a nursery on its site. After attracting millions of viewers, and several award nominations, Old People’s Home for Four-year-olds returned earlier this year for a second series. The show highlights the positive benefits of intergenerational activities for many practitioners, with both children and adults benefitting from these partnerships.

The pensioners welcome the new energy of the children, with clear improvements to their activity levels and mood. The children enjoy the attention the older adults give them and develop better communication skills.

Intergenerational care has a long history dating back to 1970s, where it was widely practised in Japan. There are already a number of these types of settings around the world, but it remained relatively rare in England until the past few years. Now, early years settings and parents are keen to explore how they can bridge the gap between older and younger generations.

While organising these activities has clear benefits for both children and adults, there are a number of considerations that need to be given to ensure that these interactions take place in a way that keeps both vulnerable groups safe. These considerations will need to be adapted to suit your setting’s individual needs and are designed to be a starting point, rather than an exhaustive list.

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Things to consider before partnering with a care home Find the right type of care home to partner with. Many care homes will specialise in caring for adults with particular needs – a home providing care for individuals with challenging behaviour, for example, would not be a good fit.

Who should participate? You should work closely with the care home to make sure that the residents selected to participate do not raise any concerns about suitable behaviour and appropriate language around the children.

Think about how the children will travel safely to and from the home.

Keeping both the children and care home residents safe will require high levels of constant supervision. Does your setting and the selected care home have enough staff to ensure this?

How will you structure the shared sessions? Think of activities such as singing, storytelling, crafts or games that can be mutually enjoyable for both the age groups, while still supporting the early years foundation stage framework. Will these be safe for everyone to enjoy?

Is there enough space in your planned meeting area? You’ll have to think about any mobility concerns of the care home residents as well as the children’s needs.

Think about the additional needs of the

care home residents. As well as accessible facilities, you may also need to think about the furniture, decorations, electrical equipment, hot drinks, food (including potential allergies), cleaning products and medicines. A care home will be safe for its resident as it is, but you’ll need to think about how this could change with lively, inquisitive young children about.

Are there any additional medical needs that you need to consider? The immune systems of elderly home residents can be fragile and they may be more susceptible to catching illnesses from the children.

Ask the care home you are planning to work with if you can see evidence of their public liability insurance policy. You should also check that your insurer is happy for you to partake in these activities. If you are insured through the Alliance, your insurance should cover these visits if you have purchased cover levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as 7 and 7a.

Make sure you have allocated responsibilities for staff both at the setting and the care home. When everyone knows what they are individually responsible for, oversights are far less likely to occur.

Speak to parents and carers before you get started. You’ll need their consent before the children can participate.

More information If you have any questions about your Alliance arranged insurance and intergenerational activities, you can contact the Insurance Team on 020 7697 2585.

SEND

Ready, steady, SENCO The responsibility for supporting children with additional needs doesn’t lie solely with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). Everyone at each setting is responsible for identifying and meeting their needs. However, group providers are expected to identify a SENCO and childminders are encouraged to identify a person to act as a SENCO. The early years SENCO role is an interesting, varied and rewarding one that opens the way to further qualifications and career opportunities.

Prior knowledge and hands-on experience will be helpful of course. But, just as working with any child, a good understanding of child development is essential.

It is a misconception that anyone undertaking the role of a SENCO must be highly experienced and knowledgeable about working with children with SEND. However, without certain qualities they may struggle to be effective.

SENCOs need to be flexible, as provision will need to change to meet the specific needs of each child. SENCOs need to be willing to learn new ideas and ways of working, and have a welcoming and positive attitude so that they can develop close partnerships. Being open-minded and adaptable are also important for everyone who works with children with additional needs. A positive attitude is also essential.

Working with the staff team and external

professionals, SENCOs make a meaningful and lasting impact on the development and learning of children with additional needs.

Test out your SEND knowledge with this miniquiz (answers are at the bottom of the page):

made available nationally for those with special educational needs c) information about provision expected to be available locally for those with special educational needs

1. Which year was the most recent Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice first published? a) 2001 b) 2014 c) 2015

5. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2017) states that providers, in group provision…: a) are expected to identify a SENCO b) must identify a SENCO c) are encouraged to name a SENCO

2. When was the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice updated? a) 2018 b) 2017 c) 2015

6. Responsibility for working with children with SEND in early years settings sits with…: a) the early years SENCO b) the setting manager c) all early years practitioners

3. Which sector(s) needs to have regard for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice? a) maintained sector b) maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors c) private, voluntary and independent sectors

Over the years, the role of the SENCO has evolved but fundamentally, their work must ensure that those with SEND are valued, respected and given every opportunity to reach their potential, just like any other child. As a SENCO, you can play an influential part in establishing a positive trajectory early on in a child’s life, making sure that equality is at the heart of your early years practice.

4. What is the Local Offer? a) information about local early years services b) information about provision expected to be

Early bird offer: 10% off Ready, Steady, SENCO! Nicola Gibson Pre-school Learning Alliance (Ref: A055). £13.65 members, £19.50 non-members New Alliance publication, Ready, Steady, SENCO!, is an indispensable guide for all practitioners on the path to becoming a SENCO or wanting to develop their knowledge of special educational needs and disabilities.

It supports practitioners in ensuring that children with SEND have equal access to learning opportunities and play in an accessible, inclusive early years environment.

Its underpinning principles and guidance will help inform understanding of the role and consider wider elements of inclusive practice in early years provision which go Please visit shop.pre-school.org.uk, call 0300 330 0996 or email beyond legislative requirements; shaping attitudes and developing the knowledge and shop@pre-school.org.uk. skills needed to be an inclusive childcare provider. Practitioners are guided in applying

Interested in buying?

interventions, adjustments and differentiation to ensure children with additional needs reach their potential. Also covered in Ready Steady, SENCO! are the processes needed to help gain additional external support.

Included with this publication is access to downloadable activities on models of disability and external agencies, as well as a ‘Graduated Support Flowchart’.

Order by 31 December, quoting SEN18 to receive this offer.

shop.pre-school.org.uk

Answers: 1 b), 2 c), 3 b), 4 c), 5 a), 6 c),

Season’s g Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, shares some ideas for celebrating the festive season in your setting

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ending greeting cards, and displaying cards in the home, has been an important part of our culture since 1843 when the first commercial Christmas card was sent by Sir Henry Cole, pioneer of the penny post and founder of the V&A museum.

In the UK, we buy more greetings cards per person in the UK than any other nation – an average of 33 each year.

Greetings cards are just one of many ways we communicate our thoughts and feelings to 30

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family and friends. They can mark an occasion, express an emotion, or convey a simple message such as “I am thinking of you”. In an increasingly digital world, where children are learning new ways to communicate at the touch of a button or swipe of a finger, there is still something special about sending and receiving a card in an envelope.

Seasonal crafts At this time of year, early years settings all

over the country will continue the tradition of exchanging greetings cards by making their own unique designs with children.

Practitioners will include seasonal crafts in their short-term planning and will be faced with the perennial challenge making sure that every child gets to ‘make’ something to take home – even if they only attend for two mornings a week.

It is important that as practitioners we make sure that the valuable process of

greetings ACTIVITY CORNER

making greetings cards does not get lost in the adults desire to get the task finished.

Completed cards are often strung across rooms, creating colourful displays that are dismantled on the last day of term before being sent home, where they may remain on display for several more days or weeks.

This generates further opportunities for discussion and learning at home. Whether your reasons for making cards this year are to send season’s greetings, celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or any other festival, then don’t forget to tap into the learning opportunities and make sure that the activity is meaningful for the child.

Be inspired together If you are making cards, then draw inspiration from the children first. Shops and other venues in local communities will have been displaying festive and seasonal items since at least mid-October. Even very young children are likely to recognise some of the traditional symbols of this time of year, including snowflakes, candles, penguins, robins or reindeers. Tap into what ever is piquing their interest – or whatever is relevant to their family’s culture and community – and use this as a basis for your 2018 card design. Experiment with shapes, materials and textures, but always follow the children’s lead.

Be inclusive Remember that not every family will celebrate Christmas but may still be taking part in other types of celebration. Children will still want to take part in a card-making activity if it ignites their curiosity. Settings that are surrounded by a rich and diverse community should tap into the many opportunities that it brings.

Ask parents to bring in examples of cards they exchange with family and friends from across the world. You could create a display and draw inspiration for your own cards from those that have been shared. Some settings choose to create a greetings card that is non-specific to an event or festival but still shares the intent and characteristics of any greetings card – communicating a message to another person.

Be kind to the planet Art cupboards will be stocked in readiness, with supplies of PVA glue, card, paint and, of course, glitter – although many of us are beginning to recognise the environmental impact of glitter as a micro-plastic and are seeking alternatives.

Remember that ‘all that glitters’ does not necessarily have to be plastic glitter.

It’s good to evaluate the amount of seasonal plastic waste that your setting might be generating and consider what can be recycled before placing that big art order. Each of the examples given here are made from recycled items, or things readily sourced in most homes.

Be aware of the learning opportunities Each area of learning and development is apparent, but some are less obvious.

For example, children are developing their confidence and skills in expressing themselves, or expressing an emotion when they think about the message they want to convey.

Opening a card and looking at it with an adult ignites their interest in written words and sounds.

First, they will look at the image and words on the front of a card as they remove it from the envelope. Then, they will hand the card to an adult for them to read the words written inside.

When grouped together on a mantelpiece or window-sill, these cards will display a repeated message or theme in a variety of fonts and styles – thus reinforcing important skills such as number and word recognition, for example, “Today you are two”, and mathematical language such as “Happy 2nd birthday”.

When children are given the freedom to be creative, they will use a variety of physical skills to achieve the desired effect. From hand-eye coordination as they stick buttons or place fingerprints, to pincer movements as they manoeuvre small materials to decorate their card.

Why not try…?

Babies and younger children will enjoy making handprints that can form the basis of other shapes. For example, two small handprints make credible reindeer antlers when adults provide the reindeer outline. For a more stylised look, little fingers dipped in poster paint and dotted across a folded paper card can be joined

up with a black marker to make a string of lights, or can become a candle flame on a menorah.

In the spirit of recycling, use large buttons stuck down with PVA glue to create baubles or let older children cut or tear shapes from magazine pages. Practitioners should be mindful that they do not take over or dictate the look of the end product. Their role is to demonstrate techniques and provide examples of what can be created, while maintaining a focus on scaffolding children’s learning.

Children should be prompted to make connections as they explore different ways to convey their message. All of this learning potential is possible through the visual representation and short sentences that are to be found in the good old fashioned tradition of the greetings card – long may it continue.

NUTRITION

10 tips for feeding babies The Infant and Toddler Forum shares information and advice on general healthy eating for babies and toddlers in early years settings and at home

D

uring the first year of life, the nutritional intake and the relationship a child develops with food can be critical in their health and development. From the introduction of complementary foods and the transition to family foods, these steps may have longterm consequences. Early years settings and parents have a vital role to play in encouraging positive habits and behaviour that will provide the best start to life.

A recent survey by the Infant and Toddler Forum revealed high levels of anxiety and feelings of guilt can leave some parents feeling overwhelmed when it comes to the challenges of parenting in the first year of their child’s life.

Stress and anxiety More than one third (35%) of parents reported that they often put more value on the feeding advice they received from online communities and social media, than that from healthcare professionals. More than one in 10 (11%) felt pressured and stressed by the volume of information they were being given.

There is a real need for simple advice that will help build parents’ confidence. There are different ways to nourish a baby and by following a flexible approach, following a few key principles, each family can be supported to find the way that suits them best.

Feeding can be a rewarding and enjoyable bonding experience for parents. In the first 12 months, babies will develop many fundamental skills and form a relationship with food. From initial milk feeds to the transition to solid food, all stages are critical in providing the best start to life.

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Feeding top tips Feeding skills take time to learn and perfect, so remember: babies develop skills at different rates practice makes perfect – but this can be tiring and a little each day is enough a smiling and encouraging face will help both spoon-feeding and finger foods should be offered gagging or coughing on lumps is a normal part of learning offering water from a lidded cup without a valve means learning to sip babies should always be supervised when they are eating or drinking begin with savoury tastes that are high in iron and energy – combine:

one third high iron foods (meat, fish, eggs, pulses, etc)

one third starchy foods (potato, rice, pasta, bread)

one third vegetables Keep the sweet tastes of fruit and yoghurt for a second course – don’t mix them into the savoury course.

The Infant and Toddler Forum has a new resource to help parents start this journey – the 10 steps for feeding babies:

1. Breastfeeding helps protect babies from

illness. It may take time for parents to learn how it works best for them – they can ask for help if they need it.

2. Babies should be given breast milk, the best option, or infant formula for at least the first 12 months.

3. A vitamin D supplement should be given

from birth onwards, as milk and foods do not necessarily provide enough.

4. Babies should be decide themselves how

much they want to drink. When they are hungry, they should be offered a feed, but parents should be reminded that babies cry for reasons other than hunger.

5. Food should be offered alongside milk feeds by the time they are six months old, but not before they are four months old, when their parents feel that they are ready for more.

6. High-iron foods should be offered from the start of complementary feeding, or weaning. This could include meat, oily fish, eggs, pulses and nut butters.

7. Spoon-feeding, soft finger foods and a cup of water should be given with all meals so that babies develop all of their feeding skills.

8. Feeding should be stopped when a baby shows that he or she has had enough – they might keep their mouth closed or turn away from their food or milk.

9. Allergenic foods should be introduced one at a time from age four- to six-months old. These include yoghurt, cheese, egg, nut butters, fish, wheat-based foods and foods containing soya or sesame.

10. Thick mash with soft lumps should be introduced from age six- to eight-months old. Mince and chopped family foods and firm finger foods can be introduced between nine and 12 months.

To read more about feeding babies see our Ten Steps for Feeding Babies (0-12 months) bit.ly/2PrMrv6, or visit our website 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.

COMPETITION

WIN

25 children’s T-shirts for your setting Samuels of Norfolk is offering Under 5 readers a chance to win 25 children’s T-shirts printed with their logo.

The T-shirts usually cost £2.99 each.

They offer all early years settings an easy, affordable and inclusive uniform option for children.

Samuels is a leading supplier of personalised, high-quality uniforms at great value prices. Embroidery and multicolour options are also available.

For a quote, contact info@ samuelsofnorfolk.co.uk or call 01603 710007.

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

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

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

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

For your chance to win, simply email your answer to the following question, along with your full name and postal address to: under5. competitions@pre-school.org.uk by 20 December 2018.

What are ACEs? (hint: see page 26) a) Adverse Childhood Events b) Abnormal Childhood Experiences c) Adverse Childhood Experiences

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

Under 5 Magazine 50 Featherstone street London, EC1Y 8RT T: 020 7697 2521 E: editor.u5@pre-school.org.uk Please quote your membership number on all correspondence.

ADVERTISING Jacob Holmes Fellows Media The Gallery, Manor Farm, Southam, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3PB T: 01242 259249 E: jacob.holmes@fellowsmedia.com

PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE CONTACT DETAILS

INFORMATION LINE T: 020 7697 2595 E: info@pre-school.org.uk NATIONAL CENTRE T: 020 7697 2500 F: 020 7700 0319 E: info@pre-school.org.uk 50 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8RT TRAINING CENTRE T: 01732 363070 E: training.centre@pre-school.org.uk 1st Floor, Bridge House, 97-101 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1DP

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT 50 Featherstone Street London, EC1Y 8RT T: 0207 697 2599 E: southdivision@pre-school.org.uk PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING ALLIANCE SHOP 50 Featherstone Street London EC1Y 8RT T: 0300 330 0996 E: shop@pre-school.org.uk W: www.pre-school.org.uk/shop

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To advertise please contact Sam Turner on 01242 259247 / sam.turner@fellowsmedia.com

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SCHOOLING & TRAINING AID

PAYROLL

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Tailor made for pre-schools and nurseries The complete PAYE service with professional payslips and reports, Complete management of your pension obligations Up to date legislative information Affordable, Friendly and Efficient.

Please can you check the following details are correct:

For an information pack, contact Nicci on 01392 438977 or email devon.payroll@pre-school.org.uk Find us on our website at www.pre-school.org.uk/devon/payroll-service

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