Under 5 October 2020

Under 5 the magazine of the early years alliance

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October 2020

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Evolution or depreciation?

Considering the new Development Matters

Going bonkers for conkers Autumn activity ideas

SSP and coronavirus A guide to the changes

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contents 4

welcome

Welcome to Under 5

News round up

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

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My Under 5

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SSP in the coronavirus crisis

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Development Matters: evolution or depreciation?

A chance for Alliance member settings to share news of recent events and projects Answering common questions about sick pay and self-isolation

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A look at the new Development Matters and what it could mean for the reformed EYFS

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Coronavirus update: FAQs

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Settling-in sessions

We answer some of your most common questions as the DfE updates its coronavirus guidelines

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How to settle in children, and reassure parents, alongside coronavirus guidelines

20 What’s in a question?

Using open-ended questions to inspire learning

24 How safe are Halloween costumes?

A look at the fire safety regulations on fancy dress costumes

27 First class first aid

St John Ambulance launches a new blended course in partnership with the Alliance

28 Going bonkers for conkers

Activity ideas using one of autumn’s many natural resources

30 Have a healthy Halloween

Alternative ideas and recipes to share with children and families

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Competition

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WELCOME & CONTENTS

While working on the final few pages of this issue, we passed the milestone of six months since the country went into lockdown on 23 March 2020. After such a strange and difficult time, we decided to take a look back at all the work the Alliance has been doing in the time since to support our members (page 16). With many providers still under local lockdown restrictions and others struggling around the current guidelines and legislation, we know that there is still much to do so please do keep sharing your questions and feedback with us – you can get in touch at feedback@eyalliance.org.uk.

In this issue we have also looked at the common concerns around settling new and returning children in to your setting while still following the coronavirus guidelines (page 18). We’ve also taken a look at the latest update to the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidelines for providers and summarised some of the key changes (page 14). We’ve also answered some of your most common questions around Statutory Sick Pay and the changes introduced to help deal with selfisolation (page 10).

Despite the strangeness of this current year, October is still an exciting month for children and practitioners.

We’ve got some activity ideas to help you make the most of this year’s crop of conkers (page 28). If you’re celebrating Halloween with the children this month, we have also shared some sweet-free alternatives to trick or treating (page 30).

Last month, the DfE released the updated version of Development Matters. Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher has shared her verdict on the new document (page 12) as well as the latest instalment of her series on the reformed EYFS (page 22).

With more settings open to more children, it’s been great to see more pictures of the celebrations and special activities taking place in settings again. Please do keep sharing your stories and pictures with us – you can get in touch at editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk.

Rachel Lawler, editor

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in brief...

MENTAL HEALTH: Disadvantaged children are at a greater risk of poor mental health due to rising inequality caused by COVID-19, according to a group of 200 charities.

Informal childcare exempt from local lockdowns

round-up Government supplies maintained nurseries with testing kits but not PVI providers Children and families minister Vicky Ford has confirmed that maintained nursery schools have been provided with home testing kits, while PVI providers were left out of the scheme.

Answering a Parliamentary Question from shadow children and early years minister Tulip Siddiq, Ford confirmed that the coronavirus test kits were given to schools with nurseries and local authorityrun nursery schools.

A total of 9,730 schools and 388 maintained nursery schools were provided with the test kits. The minister also confirmed these providers were able to order additional test kits using the online portal that opened on 16 September.

Private and voluntary run nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have not been supplied with any coronavirus test kits to date. Recent reports have shown evidence that providers are struggling to access tests through the NHS Test and Trace system.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “It was bad enough when it seemed as though schools and colleges had been given home testing kits and the early years sector had been left out - but it is an absolute scandal that such kits have in fact been made available to maintained nurseries, with only private and voluntary early years providers left to go it alone.

“Staff working in PVI nurseries, preschools and childminding settings are putting themselves at risk day in and day

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out providing care and early education for young children in the middle of a global pandemic. How on earth can the government justify providing such critical support to one part of the sector but not another? There is simply no excuse.

“Government must now, without delay, address this appalling inconsistency and ensure that all early years providers PVI or maintained - have the resources they need to ensure they are able to continue operating, and operating safely, throughout this pandemic.”

Children under the age of 14 can be cared for by individuals outside of their immediate household in areas with additional local restrictions.

The health secretary announced the policy change last month, confirming that informal childcare may continue despite the ban on mixing households in parts of the North West, North East, Bolton and Leicester.

Informal childcare may continue, despite the ban on mixing households in parts of the country under local lockdown restrictions.

Informal childcare arranged between households must be part of a “consistent” relationship and “one-off” playdates are not permitted. The exception also allows for households to share caring duties for vulnerable adults.

Matt Hancock said: “I know how vital all types of childcare are for family life. Whether a friend, relative, or a professional carer, it is essential that our children or dependents are well looked after and loved.

“I have listened to concerns that have been raised around the ban on interhousehold mixing in place for local areas of intervention, and have now introduced a provision for those looking after children under the age of 14.

“Informal care can also continue for vulnerable adults. I truly sympathise with everyone who lost those vital extra hands to care for a child or loved one, and I hope that this eases their burden.”

Exemptions for formal childcare arrangements are already in place.

COVID-19: Children are half as likely to be infected with coronavirus as adults, according to a study by the UK’s Institute of Child Health.

CHILD HEALTH: Unicef has warned that the coronavirus crisis could reverse progress in child health as vaccinations, check-ups and post-natal care are delayed.

One in six councils ignores DfE guidance on funding One in six councils in England is ignoring the Department for Education’s (DfE) guidance on early years funding that would help to protect providers from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The DfE is providing early years funding to all councils in England based on the number of children who were attending childcare settings in their areas last year.

Local authorities have been instructed to fund providers as though the pandemic had not occurred until the end of 2020, in a bid to protect the sector from the detrimental impact of the virus on occupancy rates.

A freedom of Information request filed by the Alliance to every local authority in England has revealed that of the 120 councils that responded, 20

were not following the DfE guidance.

Seven local authorities said that they were only following it in some circumstances – such as by using last year’s attendance records for pre-schools and nurseries but not childminders.

Three local authorities were sill yet to decide what they would do with this term’s funding.

The government has previously described the move as: “‘block-buying’ childcare places for the rest of this year at the level we would have funded before coronavirus, regardless of how many children are attending”.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “We have been contacted by many providers who had budgeted and planned on the basis of the government’s reassurances that their funding for the

autumn term wouldn’t be affected by the pandemic, only to find out at the last minute that this isn’t the case. For many, this could be the difference between surviving the next few months, and being forced to close their doors.

“It cannot be that councils can simply choose to disregard government guidance, when that guidance has been issued to ensure the sustainability of the early years sector at such a difficult time. As such, we urge the Department to tackle this issue as a matter of urgency and make it clear that it is a requirement, and not an option, for all councils to fund all providers fully and fairly.

“The next few months are going to be difficult enough for the sector – neither central government or local authorities should be making it any harder.”

New Job Support Scheme announced Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the launch of a new scheme that will replace the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which is coming to a close at the end of October 2020.

The new Job Retention Scheme aims to protect “viable jobs” in businesses that are still facing lower demand in the winter months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The scheme tops up the wages of employees who are still working fewer hours than normal.

Employees on the new scheme will be paid for two-thirds of any hours that they are not able to work, with the cost of this split between the government and their employer.

Under the new scheme, employees will receive at least 77% of their usual pay.

Employees must be earning at least 33% of their normal hours to qualify for the scheme and the level of government support will be capped at £697.92 a month.

All small and medium-sized businesses will be eligible for the scheme but large businesses will need to demonstrate that their business has been adversely affected

by Covid-19 in order to access it.

The scheme will start on 1 November

and will last for six months.

The Chancellor also announced that its Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant will be available. Eligible workers will be able to claim 20% of their average monthly profits – up to a total of £1,875.

This will be available as one lump sum payment to cover November, December and January.

A second grant, which “may be adjusted to respond to changing circumstances” will cover the period from February 2020 to April 2021.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “While we welcome the news that the government will be continuing to provide financial support to protect jobs once the Job Retention Scheme ends, it remains unclear how exactly this latest announcement will benefit the early years sector – Eand in particular, providers who currently receive early entitlement funding.

“With many providers still feeling the impact of the last-minute government U-turn on the furlough scheme, it is absolutely vital that the Department for Education provides clarity on exactly how nurseries, pre-schools

and childminders employing assistants are able to access this scheme now, and not weeks down the line.

“With so many in the sector struggling to remain afloat as a result of low parental demand for places, the increased costs of operating safely during a pandemic, constant staff shortages as a result of a lack of testing availability, and of course, inadequate government funding rates, the next few months are going to be incredibly difficult for many providers.

“As such, it is vital that the government steps up its support for the sector and ensures that providers can operate sustainably, both now and in the long term.”

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Coronavirus test shortage hits sector The Alliance has received a number of reports of childcare staff being unable to work after experiencing difficulties accessing coronavirus tests, causing widespread staff shortages.

According to government guidance, practitioners working in nurseries, preschools or childminding settings should be given priority access to tests as critical workers. However, many childcare providers have reported being unable to access any test at all.

Tina Reynolds, a childminder based in Littlehampton, explained: “On Monday morning, one of my sons developed a cough and I was advised keep him off school until he has been tested. This meant our house being put into self-isolation.

“Since then I have had no luck obtaining home tests, drive-through or even walkthrough tests and have now been advised to just stay at home and prepare for the 10 days isolation time. This has meant upsetting parents and letting them down at short notice. Sadly, this isn’t a unique story.”

Cathy Walker, nursery manager of Treasures Nursery in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, added: “We are having major problems getting staff tested and have had three staff with symptoms who have had

to take time off work. It has taken one staff member four days and the others three days to even get a test, and the results won’t be back for 24 -72 hours. It is just not good enough.

“We can’t get test kits to keep at nursery for staff. I looked at a company who wanted to charge £113 per test, which we cannot afford.”

The Alliance has called on the government to urgently ensure that early years staff are given priority access to testing and to provide all childcare settings with home testing kits to align with the approach taken with schools and colleges.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “Early years providers have been on the frontline throughout this crisis, putting themselves at risk in order to continue providing the care and education that families need for little reward and even less recognition.

“The absolute least the government could do is to ensure that those working in the sector who need a test can access one without delay – and yet, it is clear from the reports that we are receiving that despite being promised priority testing status alongside other key workers, in too many cases, this simply isn’t happening.”

Government shares updated Development Matters The Department for Education (DfE) has published a revised version of Development Matters. The new non-statutory guidance that supports the delivery of the new EYFS Framework, which early adopter schools can use from September 2020 onward.

The current version of the EYFS Framework is still available for all other non-early adopter schools and providers to continue to use. From September 2021 onwards, early years providers and schools will need to use the new version of the EYFS Framework.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “While we recognise that there was a need to review and refresh Development Matters after nearly a decade, we are both concerned and disappointed by the revised guidance, which mainly serves to highlight the serious flaws contained within the new Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.

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“Early education should be about supporting the needs of each individual child and ensuring that they are at the centre of their own learning, something that was championed in the previous version of Development Matters, but is sadly lacking in this latest guidance.

“As a result, those more experienced early years practitioners will find little in the new document to help improve their practice while, even more concerningly, those who are new to the early years will now be presented with a narrow and limited view of how children learn and develop, and their essential role in supporting this.

“With so many educational experts expressing concerns about the current direction of travel of the early years curriculum, we urge the government to listen, take stock, and acknowledge that it needs to change its approach on this critical issue sooner rather than later.”

Alliance calls for unspent tax-free childcare funds to be reallocated The Alliance has called on the government to reallocate the unspent funds set aside for its tax-free childcare scheme to support childcare providers facing closure.

Last month, the government published figures in response to a Parliamentary question from shadow early years minister Tulip Siddiq that showed a significant underspend on the policy. In the past three years the government spent just £385 million on tax-free childcare, compared to its initial forecast of £2.1 billion.

In the past three years, the government has spent just £386m on tax-free childcare.

The Alliance has called on the government to put this £1.7 billion towards supporting struggling providers as many continue to face rising costs and lower occupancy after the coronavirus crisis.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said: “At a time when nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are in such desperate need of a significant increase in funding, it beggars belief that the government would look at a huge underspend like this – money that was always intended to support parents to access childcare – and choose not to use it to support the early year sector.

“With the take-up of tax-free childcare continuing to fall far below original estimates, we urge ministers to reallocate the unused funding for this policy to where it is clearly needed. If the government genuinely cares about early education and ensuring parents have access to the childcare they need, then supporting the sector that provides both is surely an obvious political choice.”

New hand hygiene teaching resource for Under 5’s Free to download Hand hygiene has never been more important, but it’s not always easy to teach younger children how to do it. A new, free Hand Hygiene teaching pack has been developed specifically for the under-5s. The pack contains everything needed to explain to young children when, why and how hands should be washed, as well as how germs are spread and where germs hide.

The aim of the teaching aid is to enable children, particularly younger ones to feel confident about hand hygiene. The materials have been designed so they can be adapted to suit a range of ages and abilities. They can be used in a group situation or for a one-to-one session.

The advice is based on the latest NHS guidance and has been written and designed by healthcare professionals with input from early years educators.

The project is supported by schülke – experts in infection prevention – and the materials are free to download at: https://www.schuelke.com/gb-en/ news-media/news/New-hand-hygieneteaching-pack-kids.php

www.gopak.co.uk

0800 195 4255

National Fitn

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Children at Je llybabies Nur sery and PreNational Fitn school in Red ess Day with nal, celebrat a day of exerci ed to bring peop se . The occasi le of all ages on aims , ba ck grounds and to remind them abilities toge about the im ther portance of children’s ac physical activ tivities were ity. The ba se d on Disney ch 10 minutes ea aracters and ch. They all re lasted just ceived a certi achievemen ficate to reco t. gnise their THIS IS OLD

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Garden makeover Staff at Wigginton Pre-school in Hertfordshire gave their garden area a wonderful makeover after closing early in the summer. “Being unable to fulfil the transiti on period for our July leavers left us practitioners deflate d,” staff member Wendy Docherty explains. “We were determined to come back in September with a bang!”

The team spent a week revamping the space with a new mud kitchen, sensory path and windmill allotment for the children. “We hope our returning and new children enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed creating it,” Wendy adds.

Health and w

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Portland Nur series Group , based in Hud on staff wellb dersfield, ha eing and men s been focusi tal health afte ng group has ho r the lockdow sted group se n period. The ss ions, one-on coaching staf -one advice f members to time and is become men working clos tal health am ely with psyc ba ssadors, ho logical therap Deputy man ist Mary Fran ager Shonag kl in-Smith. h Th omson said: and unexpect “It’s been a ve ed journey fo ry personal r m e. […] It’s he which in turn lped me in m has helped m y personal lif e at work.” e

What’s been happening in your setting?

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

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NEW FREE Welcome back bundle available NOW!

This vital, three-pack practical resource offers you support to manage opening up your setting after lockdown.

It covers; putting the needs of children first in the opening up process creating an environment to ensure the health and safety of children the government’s proposals and considers implications for the sector how to best support the physical and emotional wellbeing of children, staff and parents pedagogical issues, offering practical advice and guidance

How to access Each pack includes facilitator notes, templates and useful information links.

Available as FREE download for Alliance members in the member’s area.

Non-members can buy here for a special price, only £40.

Early Years Alliance

SSP in the coronavirus crisis The team at Law-Call, a legal helpline available to all Alliance members, explains the most recent guidance on sick pay and Covid-19

S

tatutory Sick Pay (SSP) in its usual form continues despite the coronavirus pandemic. It is still available as usual for non-Covid-related illness absence. The eligibility criteria remain the same in terms of minimum earnings to qualify, the three unpaid waiting days from the first day of sickness still apply for non-Covid illness and your organisation’s requirement for evidence of illness still apply. SSP is still paid at £95.85 per week for up to 28 weeks.

So what has changed?

At the start of lockdown, the existing SSP regulations were modified to stretch the definition of absence from work so that it

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would include self-isolation, which staff could be required to do whether or not they had symptoms of the virus.

Usually a person must be unable to work because of an illness in order to qualify.

However, the modified regulations allow for self-isolation in line with government requirements. The new measures include a modification to the existing SSP regulations to remove the three unpaid days, meaning that employees off sick with coronavirusrelated illness could receive pay from the first day of absence.

For the benefit of employers, a change was made that allowed for up to 14 days of coronavirus-related illness sick pay to

be recovered from the government by the employer per eligible employee. You can make more than one claim per employee but cannot claim for more than two weeks in total.

One of the most frequently asked questions about the new regulations is: In what circumstances are we obliged to pay SSP? An employee must: have coronavirus symptoms (i.e. a high temperature and/or a new and persistent cough and/or loss of taste or smell) be self-isolating because someone they live with has coronavirus symptoms be self-isolating because they have been notified by the NHS (for example by Track and Trace) or public health bodies that they

LAW CALL

have come into contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus be shielding and have a letter from the NHS or GP telling them to stay at home for at least 12 weeks (note that although shielding was generally lifted in August, certain critically vulnerable people were advised to continue shielding on an individual case by case basis) have been notified by the NHS to selfisolate for 14 prior to surgery

My employee says they are self-isolating for a different reason. Do I still pay them SSP? An area of confusion seems to be around employees not attending work and wishing to self-isolate for reasons outside those listed above. For example, if a child in your setting is exhibiting the symptoms and kept away by a parent. In this case, the employee should continue to attend work unless the employee themselves start to display symptoms or the child is later confirmed as having the virus, or a member of the employee’s own household has symptoms.

Similarly, if your employee’s child has been sent home from school due to a child or teacher having a confirmed case of coronavirus, your employee will not fall within the criteria above and SSP would not be payable unless their own child is also exhibiting symptoms. However, remember in these circumstances, other matters may need to be considered such as emergency dependent leave.

What if I think my employee is not following social-distancing guidelines at home?

You cannot refuse to pay SSP if your employee has symptoms or develops coronavirus and you feel they were to blame for catching the virus. If they fit the eligibility criteria, you should pay them SSP. However, you may want to have a conversation with your employee about the guidance and how it also fits with your own workplace Covid policies and risk assessments.

What if I have to ask an employee to go home because I believe they are

showing the symptoms of coronavirus or they are refusing to self-isolate according to the criteria?

If your employee in anyway falls within the criteria under the modified government guidance, they are not able to work and you can reasonably instruct them to comply and pay SSP. If you are sending them home and they can work from home, they should receive their normal pay rather than SSP. Importantly, if an employee has been instructed to self-isolate, they are legally obliged to tell you as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event, before they are next due into work within any compulsory isolation period. Employees breaching self-isolation requirements may also be committing a criminal offence.

As an employer, if you are aware that your employee has been so instructed to selfisolate you must not allow them to attend work. An employer who knowingly allows an employee to work or fails to prevent them from attending work when they should be self-isolating is liable to a fine of a minimum of £1,000.

What about pregnant employees?

In May 2020, pregnant women were added to the list of clinically vulnerable people, meaning they should take extra care with social distancing and hygiene. This did not mean that they were clinically extremely vulnerable and should be shielding. This meant that sensible measures to help implement social distancing and hygiene such as working from home where possible, but they remain subject to the same criteria for SSP described above.

It should be noted that pregnant women with certain heart conditions are treated as clinically extremely vulnerable. You are of course obliged to undertake health and safety risk assessments specifically for pregnant staff and this will include considering coronavirus risks. You may need to consider other measures for pregnant staff.

What can I do if staff are planning on going abroad during half term?

You may want to consider covering this point in your Covid policy. Citizens are

obliged to quarantine for 14 days on return from any of the countries listed by the Foreign Office – remember that this list is regularly updated. This is distinct from selfisolation, which is specifically connected to symptoms or direct contact. On this basis, those quarantining on return from foreign destinations will not be eligible to receive SSP. You should clarify in your policy that staff will not be paid during a period of quarantine unless by other agreement, such as taking time from their annual leave entitlement.

What should I include in my Covid-19 policy?

Your Covid-19 policy should cover: when staff and/or children should not be attending the setting but self-isolating when you may require an employee to leave the setting for a Covid-related reason what evidence you require of the reason for absence (it may differ slightly from the conventional GP fit note) when SSP will be paid requiring staff to get a test without unreasonable delay and providing evidence of any test result whether positive or negative requiring staff to inform you without unreasonable delay if they have been lawfully required to self-isolate discouraging staff from taking foreign holidays during leave and reminding them that this falls outside the SSP regulations and may be unpaid. You cannot insist that your staff don’t take foreign holidays but understanding the possible financial consequences may help them make informed decisions.

The policy should also be clear about how important these matters are and employees should know that disciplinary action may be taken if they do not adhere to them.

Find out more This article is not a substitute for legal advice.

If you are worried about the sick pay related to coronavirus, please get in touch with LawCall. Their contact details can be found online in the members’ area of the Alliance website at www.eyalliance.org.uk/members-area.

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Development Matters: evolution or depreciation?

Melanie Pilcher, quality and standards manager at the Alliance, reflects on the evolution of Development Matters

A brief history In 2008 the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was introduced accompanied by non- statutory guidance to support its implementation. The Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage set the standards for learning, development, and care for children from birth to five.

Its contents included more detail on how to implement the EYFS, guidance on children’s development, what to look out for, effective practice and planning and resourcing.

As an appendix to the guidance, the areas of learning and development in the EYFS were further explained within the context of the overarching principles: the unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development, all of which still underpin today’s EYFS. Each area of learning and development was tabled against age bands and four headed columns: development matters - the developing knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes children need to achieve the early lea r ning goals look, listen and note – observations effective practice – supporting children’s learning planning and resourcing – sustaining a successful learning environment

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Despite the guidance stating that the sections were “not intended to be exhaustive – different children will do things at different times – and they should not be used as checklists”, they became just that. The table was dismantled and re-configured into a checklist by those who sought to simplify assessment and provide evidence of children’s progress. This trend for evidence-gathering was further perpetuated by providers who felt the need to produce paperwork that could provide indisputable proof of compliance with Ofsted’s Inspection Framework.

Tickell review In 2012 a major review of the EYFS driven by Dame Clare Tickell’s report saw significant changes, with revised early learning goals and a new guidance document, Development Matters. The new non-statutory guidance gave welcome prominence to the characteristics of effective learning as the means by which the unique child “reaches out to relate to people and things” and moves through all areas of learning. A focus on observation, assessment, and planning with the unique child at the heart of the process was also a welcome addition.

Meanwhile the table, laid out as previously with age bands against each area of learning and development, was accompanied by three columns against each age band: unique child – what a child is learning positive relationships – what adults could do

enabling environments – what adults could provide Again, despite stating: “The development statements and their order should not be taken as necessary steps for individual children. They should not be used as checklists. The age/stage bands overlap because these are not fixed age boundaries but suggest a typical range of development,” the checklist approach continued.

In 2013 the Department for Education (DfE) published Early Years Outcomes which was wrongly assumed to be a replacement for Development Matters. It was in fact, an extract from Development Matters, leaving out the positive relationships and enabling environments columns as well as the characteristics of effective learning.

Thankfully, this document was largely ignored by the sector as its stripped-down format could only perpetuate the tick-box approach to assessment and did not meet its stated aim of “supporting an understanding of child development”.

EYFS reforms In 2020 following consultation with the sector, the DfE went ahead with its overhaul of the EYFS, despite the overwhelming misgivings of early years experts. The reforms specifically cover the early learning goals and educational programmes. The revised EYFS will become

EYFS

statutory in early years settings from September 2021 and is being used by early adopters from September 2020 onwards.

With such fundamental changes to the EYFS taking place, a revision to the current Development Matters was inevitable. Dr Julian Grenier, headteacher at Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre and co-founder at the East London Partnership Teaching School Alliance, was commissioned to undertake the task. The new document was published in September 2020 with the stated aim of offering “a top-level view of how children develop and learn”.

Constructing new non-statutory guidance to accompany flawed reforms to the EYFS was never going to be straightforward. This has proved to be the case as the revised Development Matters serves only to highlight the imperfections of the reforms. The new version lacks the vision of the current publication, which champions each child as “born ready, able and eager to learn in enabling environments in which their experiences respond to their individual needs”.

Throughout, the new Development Matters moves away from the child being at the centre of their learning, responding to interests and experiences and towards them being the recipient of what is presented to them by adults.

The “key features of effective practice”

section includes the following statement: “Practitioners carefully organise enabling environments for high-quality play.

Sometimes, they make time and space available for children to invent their own play. Sometimes, they join in to sensitively support and extend children’s learning.”

This is just one of several statements that sees ownership of the characteristics of effective learning taken away from the child and handed over to adults and teachers.

The focus throughout seems to on adultled activity. The essential role of learning through play is diminished into something that adults steer.

Meanwhile, the role of observation is reduced to being able to: “help you notice whether a child is at risk of falling behind in their development”. This contrasts the current Development Matters which highlights observation as an essential and skilled element of the observation, assessment and planning cycle that practitioners use to create a curriculum that responds to each child’s interests and needs.

Observation checkpoints are only given for the prime areas of learning. They make no reference to the progress check at age two, where emerging concerns are further reviewed and a targeted plan is shared with parents and other professionals. Instead, the guidance identifies random things to watch out for that may indicate that further support is needed.

Heading into 2021…

Experienced practitioners will find little in the new Development Matters to help improve their practice. Those embarking on a new career in early years will be presented with a limited view of how children learn and develop and their essential role in supporting this. Earlier drafts of the new version were supported by an additional document, which summarised the underpinning knowledge and research evidence which may help practitioners in their work. Without this additional guidance, the new Development Matters can only be partial and limiting.

Whether the reforms will achieve the DfE’s aims and finally move us away from the tick-list and data-generating approach, which has dogged the sector for so many years, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the new Development Matters misses the vital point that practitioners who tune in to children’s natural desire to learn and are already confident in what they know about them, have little need for tick boxes and paperwork in the first place.

In preparation for September 2021, providers will of course read the new Development Matters, but are likely to find themselves looking for something more to help rather than hinder the children in their care who are born ready, able and eager to learn.

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Coronavirus update: FAQS Last month, the Department for Education updated its coronavirus guidance for early years and childcare providers. Here, we have answered some of your most common questions on the recent updates Do I have to close if my local area goes into lockdown?

Are children allowed to attend more than one setting?

It is possible, but unlikely. Government guidance states that “in local areas where restrictions have been implemented for certain sectors [...] education and childcare will usually remain fully open to all”.

The guidance outlines four levels, or ‘Tiers’, of local lockdown restrictions, ranging from Tier 1 (the most relaxed) to Tier 4 (the most restrictive). The tier of local lockdown enforced in a particular area will depend on the level of local outbreak.

Under Tiers 1-3, early years providers will be able to remain open to all children. Only under Tier 4 would settings be asked to close to all but key worker children and vulnerable children.

Essentially, this means that when an area is placed into local lockdown, it is unlikely that early years providers will be asked to (partially) close, and this will only happen in limited circumstances, if deemed absolutely necessary.

Yes, although this should be avoided where possible. The DfE guidance says: “Parents and carers should be encouraged to limit the number of settings their child attends, ideally ensuring their child only attends the same setting consistently.”

The guidance adds that children may need to attend more than one setting, for example, children attending a childminder before their nursery opens so that their parent or carer may go to work.

It says: “Settings, parents and carers should work through the ‘systems of controls’ collaboratively, to address any risks identified and allowing them to jointly deliver appropriate care for the child.”

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A child has been showing symptoms of Covid-19 but a GP/111/119 has told their parents that they are able to attend the setting without getting a test. Should they be allowed to come back?

It depends who has given the medical advice.

The DfE has told the Alliance that: “A GP’s confirmation regarding whether a child has COVID-19 would be valid evidence for deciding on whether a child should attend a setting, however, a telephone helpline would not be able to provide evidence that someone does not have COVID-19.”

Are we allowed to take children out to the park/other outdoor spaces?

Yes. The DfE has confirmed to the Alliance that early years providers can take children to outdoor spaces in groups larger than six “as this reflects the exception to the Health Protection Coronavirus, Restrictions legislation [which] states that gatherings of more than 6 can take place for the purposes of early year childcare”.

The DfE additionally stated that: “Settings can take children outdoors provided they remain within the EYFS staff-child ratios, conduct a risk assessment (if applicable) in advance and remain socially distant

COVID-19

(2m) from other people. They should ensure good hygiene throughout and thorough handwashing before and after the trip” and that: “Setting leaders (such as childminders) will be best placed to understand the needs of their settings and communities, and to make informed judgments about how to balance delivering high quality care and education with the measures needed to manage risk.”

Are we allowed to sing?

Yes. Updated government guidance states that: “Government guidance also states that: “Both professionals and non-professionals can now engage in singing, wind and brass in line with the performing arts guidance”.

According to the latest DfE guidance, providers should take the following safety precautions: playing instruments and singing in groups should take place outdoors wherever possible if indoors use a room with as much space as possible, for example larger rooms. Rooms

with high ceilings are expected to enable dilution of aerosol transmission if playing indoors, social distance each child 2 metres apart limit the numbers to account for ventilation of the space. It is important to ensure good ventilation. Advice on this can be found in Air Conditioning and Ventilation During the Coronavirus Outbreak singing and wind playing should not take place in larger groups such as choirs and ensembles position wind players so that the air from their instrument does not blow into another player use microphones where possible or encourage singing quietly.

Are we allowed to continue our toothbrushing programme?

Yes, but you must use a dry brushing method. The DfE guidance states: “The wet brushing model is not recommended because it is considered more likely to risk droplet and contact transmission and offers

no additional benefit to oral health over dry toothbrushing.”

Can we take children on outings in the car?

Yes, if it can be done safely. The DfE has confirmed to the Alliance that: “When deciding whether to take children on outings and using their cars, settings (including childminders) must comply with health and safety law, which requires them to assess risks and put in place proportionate control measures.

“Setting leaders (such as childminders) will be best placed to understand the needs of their settings and communities, and to make informed judgments about how to balance delivering high quality care and education with the measures needed to manage risk.

“The guidance on private cars and other vehicles provides some useful information about how to travel in cars safely. Elements of this guidance can be applied when childminders need to travel with children by car.”

Find out more For the latest and most up-to-date information about coronavirus, please visit our website at www.eyalliance.org.uk/coronavirus.

Six months since lockdown: how we have supported you On 23 March 2020, England entered a nationwide lockdown period in response to the coronavirus crisis. Six months on, we look back at how the Alliance has been working to support members in this difficult time

O

n 18 March 2020 early years providers in England were asked to close to most children, with only those from vulnerable or key worker families allowed to continue attending in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Several days later, on 23 March, the Prime Minister announced that people must stay at home, starting a nationwide lockdown.

In the six months that have passed since then, the early years sector has continued to support children and their families across the country. Dealing with unprecedented challenges, practitioners have shown inspirational courage and creativity as they adjust to the ‘new normal’.

To help support our members in this time, the Alliance has been hard at work to respond to the sector’s needs. Between moving local meetings online, chasing the government for clarity on its guidance and sharing updates during our evenings and weekends, it’s been a very busy six months!

Here is just some of the ways we have been supporting you since the lockdown started six months ago on 23 March…

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485 We have posted 485 tweets – including breaking news updates, answering questions and sharing guidance. Our tweets reached more than 1.7 million people in the past six months.

43 We have sent 43 email updates to our members and subscribers. This includes our usual busy newsletters and more than 30 breaking news updates – often sent late at night or over the weekend, depending on when government guidance was announced!

Social media and email updates

239 We have posted 73 times on Facebook – with 40% of these updates being posted outside of our usual office hours. We reached 1.5 million people and received more than 360,000 engagements – including comments, likes and shares.

COVID-19

With many providers concerned about While we were unable to host our usual

the impact of closing on their business, our 24-hour legal helpline was even busier than usual in this time. Our LawCall team dealt with a total of 3,888

Alliance Connect

in-person events, and of course had to postpone our Annual Conference this year, we found new ways to connect with members. This resulted in the launch of our online Alliance Connect

Legal helpline

events, hosted on Zoom.

queries in six months, with many of these connected to closures, parent fees and the job retention scheme.

We hosted a total of 70 events, offering providers a chance to chat through common problems together.

While our members took advantage of our free training

Online training

courses with EduCare in record numbers, the Alliance team was also busy creating new training materials. In May we launched five new online courses dedicated to helping improve wellbeing during the outbreak.

Our popular FAQs page on operating in the lockdown and beyond answers 49 common questions and has been one of the most

FAQs

popular pages on our website throughout.

As ever, our team has been busy calling for better support for early years providers throughout the pandemic. More than 3,000 providers and parents contacted

Campaigning

Next steps

their MP about the government’s u-turn on giving providers full access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Going forward, we will be keeping up the hard work to support our members – and the wider sector – however we can. Please do keep sharing your questions, thoughts and concern with us – you can get in touch at feedback@eyalliance.org.uk.

Thank you as well to those who have shared their kind comments and words of thanks in the last six months. We love hearing how our work has been helping you!

While raising concerns about the early years sector, the

Press coverage

Alliance appeared in more than 3,000 separate pieces of press coverage, including 182 national newspapers, TV and radio programmes.

This has all helped to keep the early years sector on the agenda and help our push for better funding and support.

Your comments Thank you for all the work you are doing and the support you are giving to groups at this difficult time.

[Your] information is always up to date and on point. It always comes before any other organisations. So I would just like to say it is really appreciated – well done!

Keep up the great work. I really appreciate it and have throughout. It’s always a calm voice in this storm but you are also prepared to fight for us all, too. A real rainbow to give us all hope for the future.

Settling-in sessions Richard Knight, early years service officer at the Alliance, shares some ideas for settling new children into your setting following new coronavirus rules and restrictions

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BEST PRACTICE

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hen children are starting at a new

childcare setting or with a new childminder, each provider will have their own settling-in policy, and might approach the process slightly differently.

However, some of the usual steps will be the same. Most nurseries, pre-schools and childminders will agree there is usually a twoto four-week settling-in period.

But how do we do this now during the ongoing pandemic, when we need to socially distance in order to keep everyone safe?

play and learning environment. This is proving a popular idea with some and leaders are booking families in for multiple 20-minute sessions in some cases.

Picnics and outdoor sessions Other settings are thinking about picnics and sessions with new families in the setting grounds before they start. Obviously these meetings should be scheduled in order to keep numbers low and allow families to practice social distancing.

Different life - different ways

Using outdoor space

The usual settling-in process might previously have involved lots of short visits and stay and play sessions so that parents, carers, practitioners and children can all get to know each other and share that allimportant information before the child starts their usual routine at the setting. But it is inevitable that, much like everything else at the moment, settling-in sessions will need to look different in this new way of life we are all adjusting to.

All children cope with change and new experiences in their own way, and some do better than others. It is important to consider this transition and value that it is a time when families and key person need to work together in partnership to meet children’s new needs.

Childcare providers are working hard and thinking creatively to develop dynamic ways to make the settling-in process as personal as possible in these somewhat difficult times.

Prior to children starting at new childcare, it is still crucial for parents to ‘meet’ with the setting manager or childminder to discuss children’s details, and for the child to spend time with the key person in some way. So how can we do this?

Making the most of the outside space has been the key to success for many providers who have welcomed new children during the pandemic. Parents and carers are bringing children into the outdoor play area, where key persons will take over and join the children to say, ‘See you soon’ and wave families off.

This has been working to good effect for many settings so far.

By appointment Some providers are looking at having series of days before the children officially start at the setting, opening the doors by appointment only so children can come in for a 1:1 meeting with their key person and explore their new

On the doorstep Other ways to meet new families is to do doorstep visits to all the new starters’ homes.

So far proving successful for the providers who have tried this idea out.

Doing the ground work Now more than ever it is important to get to know children A ll About Me forms — Nurseries, pre-schools and childminders are still providing new families with their versions of ‘all about me forms’ to gain as much background information as possible. This is then being followed up by a lengthy telephone call with them.

Using technology — Recording and sending out virtual video tours to new parents is working well for some. Others are inviting new starters to video calls to meet existing peers and key persons.

Lots of providers are using video conferencing platforms to have virtual

settling-in sessions. It’s a great way for parents, children and staff to meet up and exchange information while keeping completely safe.

O nline story time — Key persons can do a story time at the open setting while new starters can watch the session through a smartphone or tablet at home.

S ocial media and websites — Use of social media and websites has never been greater. Providers can easily upload video clips and pictures onto the sites for new families to look at as often as they want. This way children can become more familiar with the people and the environment if it is not an option to have a face to face visit. Conversations can happen about the pictures and videos between children and parents.

The reason for doing this preparatory work is to build up to a stage where parents and carers can leave children with practitioners at the front entrance - keeping in line with guidance that parents cannot enter the building.

After initial worries about how the children would cope without parents physically coming into the environment. Many providers are now reporting that children have actually settled in quicker than before and key persons are noticing how resilient children are in the face of all these challenges.

How it works for us “We invite new families into our setting to visit and have a look around when all the other children have gone home for the day. These after-hours visits are working well for us and it means we can meet children face to face and lots of information can be shared between us and the parents and carers.

“We social distance and the settling-in visits only happen one family at a time.

“We also follow strict cleaning and hygiene practices to ensure the setting is a safe place.

We are hoping to prepare a virtual tour clip for our website soon.”

Embsay with Eastby Pre-school Playgroup in North Yorkshire

What’s in a question?

Nicky Sanford, who worked as an early years teacher for 15 years and currently works in a village pre-school, shares some ideas for making better use of questions with children

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BEST PRACTICE

T

hroughout each and every day, our

all the blocks of that colour.”

conversations and discussions with other people are full of questions.

“Can you show me a block that’s bigger than mine?”

Why? Where? What? Who? Which? and How? But as well as these openers to questions there are so many other reasons to use them too: questions to build relationships, such as: “How are you today?” questions to build knowledge, such as: “Why is the grass green?” questions to test knowledge, such as: “What number is this?” questions to offer choices, such as: “What would you like for dinner?”

“How big can we make the tower before it wobbles over?”

“What can we do to make it more stable?”

“What do you think will happen if we put this block right at the top?”

“What do you think this might be used for?”

The conversation that follows these types of questions might be more engaging, interesting and provide the opportunity for longer conversations and introducing new vocabulary.

Using questions to extend learning

Promoting thinking and problem-solving

As early years practitioners, our days can be full of questions just like these. But there are also different ways for adults to use questions to extend children’s learning and thinking skills and there are some easy ways to think about how to do this. It’s often easier to present a questions as ‘closed’ - in other words, one that can be answered by a single word, often ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Clearly these questions do not help to build vocabulary, or choices or allow children to grow and expand in their knowledge - or for adults to really think about what the child is learning.

Imagine a scenario where a child and adult are building together with the wooden blocks.

While not strictly ‘questions’, there are many other ways and words you can use to promote children’s thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. For example: “Tell me about your picture”, “Explain to me why you like football so much”, “Describe the best thing that happened at nursery today”, “Show me what you could do with this”. Using such an approach has many benefits for young children as it helps them to construct more meaningful answers, and enables a deeper exploration of specific topics that might interest them.

Children learn from the adults around them and so by asking leading questions parents and other adults will move children on to be more naturally curious and engaged — after all if you are interested they will be to.

Modelling how to ask questions is an essential skill as children grow, particularly as they enter formal schooling, and by learning how to structure questions children will then begin to use these skills later on when talking and playing with others.

Here are some closed questions: “Shall we put this block here?”

“Do you want the red one next?”

“Is this the biggest block you have?”

“Shall we knock it over now?”

While the shared experience may be enjoyed by both parties, there are many learning opportunities that might be missed!

Now consider the same scenario with more open questioning: “Where shall we put the next block?”

“Why did you choose to put it at the top?”

“Which colour shall we add next? Let’s find

Finding out the answer together In my view, one of the most valuable experiences is exploring and finding out together, so ask questions that you don’t know the answer to, explore and test theories, experiment and find out together — it’s ok to say that you don’t know the answer!

Discovering the answers together can be fun too, whether it’s by taking a trip to the library, asking other people or searching the internet. Learning how to carry out research is also a valuable lifelong skill for a child to help them understand and learn.

So often, I hear parents ‘testing’ what children know… “What colour is this?”, “What number is this?”, “How many have you got?”, “What’s your name?, and they can only answer these if they already know the answer!

While there is, of course, a place for checking children’s knowledge, often it becomes a chore for children as they are aware that you know that they know the answer!

So, by simply turning around the ways these questions are phrased, children can feel more involved and may be happy to impart their knowledge and understanding, building their confidence and extending their communication skills.

For example: “Can you fetch me the pink pencil?”

“Let’s have a look and see what colour the sky is today.”

“I can see something the same colour! Can you find it?”

“How many bananas do we need so everyone can have one?”

“This letter needs to be posted to the house with a number 4 on it. Can you show me which house it is?”

Keep asking and answering Once children have experienced lots of questions, it’s only natural for them to start asking them too. Take the time to answer their questions, even if you feel it has been asked a hundred times! And don’t stop at the simple answer — children often love the complex explanations, and will absorb all the information that is passed to them.

So when presented with “Why is the grass green?”, don’t be afraid to share details of chlorophyll and pigments! Keep answering the questions and you’ll soon hear this newly gained knowledge coming back in different situations. And lastly, always remember that we can continue to learn from our children so asking and answering questions can be good for you both!

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ra m m es

y

M our e at du he ca m tion at al p ics ro g

Co ns id er in g

Getting mathematical In this latest part of our series on the EYFS Reforms, we look at the new mathematics educational programme

A

ccording to a report by the Early Intervention Foundation, children’s understanding of number during the early years is closely linked to their mathematical achievement in primary and secondary school.

Mathematical achievement in turn is consistently found to be the strongest predictor of children’s overall school achievement and their success in entering the workforce.

It was therefore welcome news when from the government declared that changes to the educational programmes and early learning goals for mathematics reflected “a continued commitment to strengthen the teaching of early numeracy so that all children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are able to start year 1 with a strong and confident foundation in number” as part of its reforms.

Despite this, early years experts were quick to raise concerns that the revised Early Learning Goals (ELGs) place too much emphasis on numbers, number patterns and children’s auto recall of numbers. In particular, the removal of space, shape and measure as an early learning goal was thought to be a mistake. The Early Years Coalition voiced their concerns in their response to the consultation, stating that “the evidence on the importance of locating maths in real world contexts that have meaning for the child, and the importance of spatial thinking for building understanding and skills in science, technology, engineering and

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maths do not support the removal of the ELG shape, space and measure”. The final version of the EYFS at least saw them referenced in the suggested educational programme but lacked any further detail.

Considerations for your Mathematics educational programmes/curriculum The vital role of the practitioner Opportunities for mathematics will naturally occur in a well-resourced and enabling early years environment. However, these can be missed, especially by practitioners who lack confidence in maths themselves. Where this is the case there is a risk that that the educational programme will be limited to only that which is specifically referenced, i.e. number acquisition.

Arguably, this narrowing of the curriculum is evident in other areas of learning and development. It is important that practitioners feel confident to compensate for this through their awareness and well-rounded knowledge of child development.

Unfortunately, mathematics is an area in which many of us already struggle. There is a danger that without opportunities to access high quality professional development in the subject, maths will continue to be an area in which children are not getting the rich and varied experience that will underpin later learning.

Not many of us would readily admit to not knowing what subitising is, what manipulatives are, or what maths mastery looks like in an early years context, but this is the language that is being used in the suggested ELGs and educational programmes. Continuing professional development in this area must be a priority if we are to give children a strong foundation in mathematics.

Practitioners and parents must also be aware of the negative language that is often used to describe their own maths capability.

How often do we hear phrases like: “I hate maths, I cannot do maths, or I was rubbish at maths at school?”. Such attitudes are embedded from a very young age and once established are very hard to undo. If we want children to be confident in maths, we need to model confidence and portray a positive attitude to the subject ourselves.

Providing a well-rounded educational programme Practitioners should focus on an educational programme that encourages children’s curiosity about number, shape, space, and measure as the key concepts on which future maths learning can be built. Opportunities for maths must not be restricted to, or even centred around activities such as counting rows of objects, recognising the shape of the

EYFS

week, or answering closed questions such as “what shape is this?” or “how many red bricks are there?” These activities will only perpetuate rote learning that has no depth and is often restricted to a single resource.

Practitioners considering opportunities for maths activities to take place, need look no further than the real-life situations that demonstrate how mathematics support their everyday lives. Maths is already part of a child’s world, in the forms of weight and measure in supermarkets and shops to the numbers on dials, keypads, and remote controls in the home. It is evident in nature too, as children explore and investigate patterns on leaves, the symmetry of the petals on a flower, the spiral on a snail shell, or the ripples found in a puddle. It is here that children experience the importance of pattern that takes them beyond the ‘Numerical Patterns’ of the new early learning goal and where the characteristics of effective learning extend the experience and ignite children’s curiosity and their desire to discover more.

Clearly children should have every opportunity to constantly engage with numbers, patterns, space, shape measure and other maths concepts in an enabling environment. The role of the practitioner as teacher is to support this with resources and real-life opportunities that bring maths to life.

Children should first be immersed in maths that is meaningful to them, in other words that they can play and experiment with if they are to go on to develop an appreciation of it as a subject with rules and methods to be applied throughout their school-days

Proposed Early Learning Goals Number Children at the expected level of development will: - Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number.

- Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to five.

- Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to five (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.

Numerical Patterns Children at the expected level of development will: - Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system.

- Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity.

- Explore and represent patterns within

numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.

Proposed educational programme Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers.

By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space, and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, have a go, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

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How safe are Halloween costumes?

As Halloween approaches, Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher explains how providers can help ensure children’s costumes are safe

W

hile this year’s celebrations are likely to look a little different than usual, Halloween fancy dress costumes are always a favourite with children at this time of year. A huge selection of costumes aimed at all ages are, as ever, readily available on the high street and online. Families with young children will be getting ready to take part in Halloween celebrations across the country.

However, while families will be looking to make the most of any celebrations going ahead, as always there is a need to be careful with fancy dress costumes.

Many costumes can become a real threat to children due to the lack of fire safety regulations on these garments. Made with cheap fabric, many of these costumers will easily catch fire if exposed to a naked flame, such as a candle in a lantern on a doorstep, or a stray spark from a bonfire.

This is because, astoundingly, children’s dressing up costumes are marketed as

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toys and do not have to meet the rigorous safety standards that are imposed on children’s clothing.

which is considered to be slightly safer than some other fabrics but is still flammable.

Toys or clothing?

Added risks

In 1985, mandatory Nightwear (Safety) Regulations were introduced to control the fire safety performance of nightwear, following many horrific cases of children being badly burned when their nightwear was accidently set alight by an open flame.

As a result, these rigorous UK and European flammability performance safety standards were introduced to control the safety of fabrics used in nightwear and to raise public awareness of the dangers. The number of fire-related accidents involving children’s nightwear has considerably reduced since.

Meanwhile, the design of many dressing-up costumes often means that they are made from cheap materials.

These items are often 100% polyester

The costumes are generally loose fitting, and often include lots of openweave netting with trailing ribbons and trims – all of which contributes to their combustibility. Add to this the fact that they are frequently worn at a time when lanterns, candles and bonfires are key components of the celebrations, and the fact that young children who are excited and less aware of their personal safety and they become a clear and present danger.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has been working with the British Retail Consortium and its members to develop a new testing standard for the flammability of children’s dress-up costumes, which goes beyond the current legal levels. The

SAFETY

new voluntary codes of practice aim to offer improved safety standards until new European standards can be developed and introduced.

Voluntary standard The voluntary standard calls for fabric that burns at a rate of 10mm per minute – 300 per cent slower than the current 30mm per minute standard. Products that have been tested to the improved standard can now use the label: “This garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability”.

Instructions and warnings about flammability should also be displayed more prominently on packaging and sew-in labels.

What can early years providers do?

One of the key factors when improving the safety of children’s nightwear was parental awareness. There were advertising campaigns that graphically demonstrated

just how quickly a child’s clothing could catch fire or melt in the proximity of an open flame. Parents were educated in which safety marks to look out for and what safety products, such as fire guards, they should have in their homes to reduce the risk.

Early years practitioners have an important role to play in highlighting the dangers to all parents and offering advice that will support them in keeping their children safe. Here are some steps that you can take in your setting: Lead by example by ensuring that your dressing-up box only contains clothes that have undergone additional safety testing. Or make your own using old children’s clothes, which already meet the stricter standards placed on children’s clothing.

Display the Voluntary Code of Practice appendices developed by RoSPA for Halloween and Dress-up safety.

Encourage parents to buy only from retailers that comply with the Voluntary Code - they should display this information in store and remind them to check packaging and labels.

Avoid dressing-up wigs as they are often not covered by any safety regulations.

Highlight the dangers of lanterns lit by candles – offer alternatives such as LED candles with the correct kite mark.

Practice a ‘stop, drop and roll’ technique with children – there are lots of example videos on YouTube that you can watch together.

Raise awareness and don’t assume that everyone knows about the fire risks of dressing up clothes.

Nobody wants to spoil the fun at this time of year, but we must not be complacent. It can never be acceptable for another child to be burned (or worse) to bring this issue back to public attention.

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NEW

Alliance CPD-recognised online course available Creating an effective communication and language environment will benefit anyone working in a setting or supporting families in the early years.

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It explores; creating language-rich learning environments stages of language acquisition interacting with children developing relationships with parents and carers conversations with parents and carers

Available FREE to Alliance members as part of their membership package.

Non-members can buy for a special price, only £10.50

Creati n Comm g an Effecti ve unicati on a n d Lang

The ph ysical enviro nment Think ab out your own lea rning environ ment, the resour ces in it and the ph ysical layout of the room.

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uage E

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ildre portuni n see by th em ties fo r play? selves Are th e reso urces words labelle and pi d with ctures ?

Are th e reso ur attract ively pr ces well orga esente ni d to th sed and Are th e child e child ren? re resour ces re n’s self-chos cognis en lear ed ning and va Are th e child lued? ren of reso urces? offered a br eadth Do the resour of tact ce ile expe s give a va riety riences ?

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Access here: https://bit.ly/2Oohg1m If you’re interested in enjoying this and many more amazing FREE Alliance member offers, simply visit www.eyalliance.org.uk

Early Years Alliance

TRAINING

First class first aid Working in partnership with the Alliance, St John Ambulance has launched a new Blended Online Paediatric First Aid course. Here’s a look at the course

S

t John Ambulance has launched a new two-day Blended Online Paediatric First Aid course in partnership with the Alliance. The course focuses on emergency scenarios than can happen when looking after children and infants and is tailored for people who work with young children and those working towards an early years educator qualification. It meets the Ofsted Early Years and Childcare Register requirements.

This course runs in two parts, in order to be fully qualified you must ensure both the online and face-to-face part of the course are completed.

The online section of this course must be completed before attending the face-to-face training.

Part 1: Online This part of the course is self-directed and is expected to take roughly one day to complete.

You can complete the modules at your own pace in your own environment providing you the flexibility you need. The online training must be completed within the 6 weeks prior to your face to face training.

Attendees do not require any specific software to complete this part – just an internet connection.

Part 2: Face-to-face This part of the course takes place in small groups with fellow blended course mates. The day will be led by a specialist trainer who will teach you about the essential lifesaving skills required for your qualification. Throughout the day you will take part in small group activities, practising essential lifesaving skills and have the chance to ask your trainer any questions. You will also complete a small number of practical and

written assessments, this will include assessment on your online training topics. Please note that any group or practical activities will take place with social distancing measures in place.

Who should attend?

This course is for people working with young children and those working towards an early years educator qualification. This includes: people working in day nurseries people working in private nursery schools people working in pre-schools people working in before and after school clubs for children in the early years age group childminders carers of children at home

Do attendees need any training or qualifications?

Candidates need a basic command of English (defined as Level 2). While we are often able to provide support to people who do not have English as a first language, our ability to do so is limited by the time available and the number of people who require assistance. We may be able to make special arrangements if requested in advance. Please contact us if you need any guidance.

How long is the course?

Two days – one online and one face-to-face.

The online training must be completed first.

What does the course cover?

Online topics include: managing an emergency stings and bites bone, muscle and joint injuries head, neck and back injuries burns and scalds

Alliance members get 5 % off course pric * e *5%

discount is avail able to all members who su bmit an enquiry form using the lin k at the end of th is page. Alternative ly, contact St Jo hn Ambulance at wo rkplace-trainin g@ sja.org.uk, quot ing: BPFA5

extremes of heat and cold fainting meningitis poisons and what to do if someone has been poisoned asthma low blood sugar ears, eyes and nose injuries sepsis Face-to-face topics include: managing an emergency (practical) role of the first aider (including knowledge of health and safety regulations) communication and casualty care child and baby resuscitation (cpr) unresponsive baby unresponsive child choking baby choking child allergic reaction minor and severe bleeding seizures shock

How are attendees assessed?

With a combination of online knowledge checks, continuous observation by the trainer and written assessments.

What certification will attendees be given?

Successful candidates receive a St John Ambulance certificate, valid for three years.

Results from your online training may also be checked against your face-to-face results before a certificate is issued.

Find out more To find out more and book your place on the new Blended Online Paediatric First Aid course, visit bit.ly/EYfirstaid.

UNDER 5 27

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Going bonkers for conkers Alliance quality and standards manager Melanie Pilcher shares some activity ideas using conkers

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UNDER 5

ACTIVITY CORNER

W

e often talk about nature as an endlessly replenishing resource that changes with the seasons.

A really great example of this is the humble conker. Conkers are in fact seeds produced by the horse chestnut tree – not to be confused with sweet chestnuts, which are from a different species of tree, of course.

Conkers can be found in abundance during autumn and are unsurprisingly irresistible to young children. The prickly outer shell splits open when the conker falls to the ground revealing a glossy brown seed that fits perfectly into small hands. Conkers are both superbly visual and tactile. No wonder generations of young children have been compelled to fill their pockets to bursting point!

It always seems a shame that such a glorious looking seed is inedible and has little use, other than to grow a new horse chestnut tree! It is bitter-tasing and mildly poisonous, even to most animals. There is some folklore attached to them, which has elements of truth. Conkers can indeed keep spiders out of your home and moths out of your wardrobes.

They release a chemical which acts as a repellent for the insects. It is also worth noting that conkers pose no major risk to nut allergy sufferers, although handling them can sometimes cause a mild rash.

Here are some ideas for making the most of this abundant natural resource with children this autumn:

Collect Young children have great fun searching among the crisp autumn leaves for conkers or trying to spot the biggest conker still clinging to its branch, tantalisingly out of reach. Make sure every child has their own bag to put them in – along with any other exciting finds.

Although children will be engrossed in their search, don’t forget to notice the horse chestnut tree itself. Observe the leaves that will have dropped already. They are palmate in shape, with between five and seven leaflets.

Ask children to splay their fingers wide and compare the shape with the leaves. If you happen to be in a wood, look for other similar shaped leaves such as the ash and the elder.

Gather a few leaves, some empty conker casings, twigs with the horseshoe spur intact and a conker that is still inside the prickly green shell.

Think about the biodiversity of life that all trees play host to. The horse chestnut is

a particularly welcoming habitat. Children should be able to find insects, birds, squirrels, fungi and other evidence of creatures who have left their mark. These incidental observations stimulate children’s curiosity and take the learning potential in unexpected directions, depending on what captures each child’s individual interests.

Compare Collecting your conkers is just the start. Once you have come back together as a group – either indoors or outdoors – it is time to empty your bags and sort the contents. The children need little prompting to start scrutinising the conkers and before you know it will have found one that is different. Children will experiment with how they can be manipulated or moved and, inevitably, some children will favour a conker because it is the shiniest, heaviest or biggest. Many children will line up their conkers in a row.

Practitioners can start to scaffold learning with verbal prompts. Ask children: “Can we find the biggest/smallest/roundest/shiniest conker?” Or: “Can anyone find a conker that will fit back inside this prickly case?” These are all mathematical concepts that can be meaningfully explored as children begin to problem solve and experiment with space, shape and measure.

Consider What other seeds can the children collect at this time of year? Ask parents to join in and see how many different tree seeds they can gather with their children. Look out for the seeds that have the means to transport themselves, such as sycamore helicopter seeds that have blades to spin themselves through the air, or ash seeds that hang in clumps known as ‘keys’.

Children will have great fun gathering up helicopter seeds and throwing them up in the air. Watch how the wind spins and turns them in every direction before they eventually reach the ground. The conker, meanwhile, is heavy and falls straight to the ground. Compare the different ways that seeds are transported and how their casings facilitate travel. Berries are seed casings too and often digested by birds and then ‘deposited’ elsewhere in their droppings – although this is definitely one to observe rather than collect!

Plant any tree seeds that you can find now to keep in an outdoor container. Label them

carefully and see which ones develop shoots next Spring. Some will, providing a great lead in ahead of the springtime favourite topic of life cycles and growing.

Create As a medium for creative development, the conker offers a wealth of possibilities! Here are just some ideas: Create transient art by placing a canvas such as a square of hessian cloth on the floor and add a frame using sticks and twigs or a large hula-hoop. Let children use their imaginations to create a picture or pattern.

Make conker prints using poster paint and incorporate other parts of the tree such as the horseshoe spurs, twigs and leaves for further mark making.

Prepare conkers by making holes through them with a screwdriver and then giving them to the children to thread into necklaces or conker snakes. These can then be given to babies to play with – under close supervision of course.

Add conkers to babies’ treasure baskets for heuristic play or add them to plastic bottles and tubs to make shakers.

Play conker skittles or marbles – they won’t be very accurate but will still have fun!

Make conker creatures by adding googly eyes, twig arms and legs. Use plasticine or PVA glue to secure.

Play The commonly held belief that the Health and Safety Executive has banned the game of conkers is actually a complete myth. Sadly, as a result, a generation of children missed out on the pleasure of selecting a potential winner from their autumn horde before challenging an opponent to a conker duel.

Now is the time to reclaim children’s right to refine their hand-eye coordination, dexterity, reflexes, and resilience in a traditional way.

Of course, your pre-schoolers are a little too young to partake in a full-on conker contest, but you could let them select what they think will be their biggest and strongest conker which can then be strung by an adult. The aim could be for one child to hold their conker completely still whilst their opponent swings their conker towards it with the aim of striking it gently. See how many times out of 10 they can achieve a strike. Will anyone achieve a ‘niner’ or a ‘tenner?’

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29

NUTRITION

Have a healthy Halloween Lucy Jayne, registered nutritionist at the Early Years Nutrition Partnership, shares some snack ideas to celebrate Halloween without sweets and sugar

H

alloween is just around the corner and many little ones will be looking forward to dressing up in their best spooky outfits and enjoying sweet treats.

This time of year can often become focused on trick or treating and coming home with a mountain of sugary treats. But with social distancing measures still in place and many areas still in under local lockdown restrictions, this year’s celebrations are likely to look a little different.

But there are plenty of things you can do with the kids to still enjoy Halloween with children – and not all of them have to involve sweets! Here are some ideas to share with families that won’t make the kids shout: “boo!”

1. Healthy snacks If you’d like to give children a little treat, but don’t want to offer them too much sugar there are plenty of exciting healthier alternatives.

A small handful of chocolate buttons, or similar mini single chocolate items make a great treat for children. This usually creates a smaller portion than a traditional sweet bags or pre-packed sets. Plain chocolates are also less likely to get stuck in between little teeth than some of the gummy alternatives.

Plain pretzels work well when offered to children in a bowl, or fruit chips such as dried apples or bananas chips. You could even try making a mixed bowl of your own

selection to vary things up. If you don’t mind putting in a bit of prep time – and are feeling creative – you could make ‘wands’ for the children using bread sticks and pieces of reduced fat cheese cut into mini stars and stuck to the top!

Don’t forget the simplicity of a juicy piece of fruit. Satsumas are a good option as they don’t need any prep and won’t make a mess.

You could also draw spooky pumpkin faces on the skin before handing them out using a non-toxic pen.

2. Fun without the food Something that has been catching on for trick-or-treats over the past few years is displaying a blue pumpkin in the window.

This shows parents that this house is offering alternative, non-food based items as treats.

You could try recreating this concept in your setting and encourage parents to try this at home and offer children non-food treats.

This helps to make Halloween more inclusive for children with allergies or those with additional needs. Focus on small simple items that don’t cost a fortune. Look online for multipacks, which are normally cheaper, or in discount shops that often have multibuys. You could try: stickers or iron on transfers which you can get in sheets (or bags) and cut up into single items packs of small multi coloured pencils mini sachets of cress or seeds

If you are happy to dedicate a little more time you could make your own items, such as mini bath bombs, mini muffins or even make your own low-sugar jelly sweets.

3. Creepy crafts Use paper plates or card to cut out spooky ghosts, pumpkins or bats, decorate, pop a hole in the top and hang up with string. Twist four pipe cleaners together, bend the legs and glue a couple of pompoms on top to make creepy crawly spiders. Or paint stones with a selection of wicked Halloween pictures to put out on the doorstep.

4. Get creative with Halloween themed fruit and veg art Make spooky pictures with fruit and veg pieces such as kiwi witch fingers with dried coconut finger nails, banana ghosts with raisin faces, spiders using apples and satsuma segments, or even a skeleton out of assorted chopped fruit/veg.

Don’t forget to carve up a pumpkin or two with the children. The kids can draw their own designs on the front and get messy helping to scoop out the flesh. You can find lots of healthy recipes online that you could try cooking with the children. Even if you don’t expect to see any trick or treaters this year, you can still display the pumpkin in your window.

See? It doesn’t all have to be about sugary sweets. Have a fangtastic Halloween, however you celebrate this year!

Find out more

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For more recipe ideas and healthy tips, visit www.eynpartnership.org.

UNDER 5

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The Giant Stack and Build Block can be used as part of children’s small world play to create miniature play spaces with homes for their own imaginative

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