Magazine November 2018
This month’s magazine is packed with so much advice - including how music can improve children’s confidence, how to help with boys’ literacy, and how to safeguard your staff in your setting. We have some great tips on how you can take part in Road Safety Week and find out how settings celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali. We take a look at the history of Remembrance Sunday and have a wonderful poppy craft for the children to do, in this 100th anniversary year of the end of the First World War.
This month’s magazine is packed with so much advice - including how music can improve children’s confidence, how to help with boys’ literacy, and how to safeguard your staff in your setting. We have some great tips on how you can take part in Road Safety Week and find out how settings celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali. We take a look at the history of Remembrance Sunday and have a wonderful poppy craft for the children to do, in this 100th anniversary year of the end of the First World War.
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Issue 48
NOVEMBER 2018
FREE
INDUSTRY
EXPERTS
Spectacular setshifting
activities
Empowering
children through
stories
Creating
environments that
develop potential
+ lots more
HOW MUSIC CAN
IMPROVE CHILDREN’S
CONFIDENCE
Write for us
for a chance to
WIN
£50
p 27
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY • CELEBRATING DIWALI • ROAD SAFETY WEEK
Hello and welcome to the November edition of the Parenta magazine!
There have been lots of heart-warming stories in the news this month. A couple which have caught our
eye have been inspired by the Channel 4 programme ‘Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds’ which shows
nursery children visiting retirement homes. The show’s purpose is to demonstrate how encouraging the
younger and older generations to mix and share stories can transform the physical, social and emotional
well-being of both age groups.
From ages 60 to 102, residents from the largest retirement community in the UK, Lark Hill Village, and four-year-old
children share daily activities created by experts - including a physiotherapist, a gerontologist and an early years specialist. The
effect that the youngsters have on the behaviour, movement and mobility of the older group will be monitored and measured
over a period of 10 weeks. You can read more here about this fantastic initiative, as well as learning how the children of
Northgate House Nursery got on when they visited the elderly residents of Bradbury House.
This month’s magazine is packed with so much advice - including how music can improve children’s confidence, how to help
with boys’ literacy, and how to safeguard your staff in your setting. We have some great tips on how you can take part in Road
Safety Week and find out how settings celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali. We take a look at the history of Remembrance
Sunday and have a wonderful poppy craft for the children to do, in this 100th anniversary year of the end of the First World War.
Congratulations once again to sensory specialist, Joanna Grace, who has won our guest author competition for a third month
with her incredibly popular article “a sensory look at the fussy eater” – clearly a subject close to many hearts! We are so grateful
to all those who send in their articles for publication. If you have written on a topic relevant to early years and would like to be in
with a chance to win £50 in shopping vouchers, turn to page 27 for details.
Christmas is not too far away – how this year has flown by! Turn to page 23 for details on how to win 1000 Christmas cards for
your setting – printed with your own design!
Happy crafting and best wishes,
Allan
hello
WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY
ROAD SAFETY
It’s vitally important to
help shape children’s
understanding of road
safety from an early
age - take a look at
our activities to get
you started 20
INSPIRING
A special bond is
forming as toddlers
and pensioners
enjoy weekly get
togethers as nursery
inspired by Channel 4
documentary
4
BOYS’ LITERACY
10
Tamsin Grimmer discusses methods
of encouraging little boys to read and
write more
NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE 48
IN THIS EDITION
REGULARS
14 The Adventures of Rocket Rabbit & Sidekick
Squirrel Part 4
22 Spotlight on... Bryony Abbott
26 Remembrance Sunday hand-painting poppy
craft
27 Write for us for a chance to win £50
34 What our customers say
38 Parenta job board
NEWS
4 Northgate House Nursery inspired by television
documentary
6 Little green fingers at Tops Day Nurseries
Salisbury Gardening Club
7 Parenta Trust news
ADVICE
8 Recycling Week: Support sustainability in your
setting
12 Celebrating Diwali in your setting
20 Teach your children about road safety with Beep
Beep! Day
24 Remembrance Day - We will remember them
30 Safeguarding staff
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
10 What are little boys made of?
18 How music can improve children’s confidence
28 Spectacular set-shifting activities
32 Empowering children through stories
36 Creating environments that develop potential
and the ideas of Reuven Feuerstein
Support sustainability in your setting 8
Activities to mark Remembrance Day in your setting 24
Win 1000 Christmas cards for your setting 23
Stacey Kelly discusses the benefits of storytime and
how stories can be used to empower children 32
Northgate House
Nursery inspired
by television
documentary
A special bond is forming between the young
children of Northgate House Nursery and the
elderly residents of Bradbury House as they
enjoy weekly get togethers, inspired by a
television documentary.
Nursery, remembers the
exhilaration of the young
children: “When the
children returned after
the first visit I asked them
did they have fun, they all
spoke at once and were
so excited about meeting
a man who was the “same
age nearly”. I asked how
that could be so and they
replied: “well, we are 4
and he is 104 so it’s nearly
the same!”
In modern times, where
families are often
scattered hundreds
of miles apart, the
opportunity to spend time
with different generations
is not always possible.
Paul Bosson reflects, “It
is important that elderly
people can meaningfully
engage with the young,
and vice versa, for the
benefit of society as a
whole. We are delighted
with this intergenerational
partnership and the
pleasure it brings to both
the children of Northgate
House and our residents.”
This wonderful
collaboration has proved
so successful that both
parties are looking at
increasing the visits
and thinking of other
ways to strengthen their
relationship.
After watching “The
Old People’s Home”
for Four-Year-Olds, the
heart-warming Channel
4 documentary, the
trustees and managers
at Bradbury House, in
Beaconsfield Old Town,
relished the opportunity
to provide their residents
with a similar experience.
Manager of the home,
Wendy Stallwood explains:
“Many of us watched the
Channel 4 documentary
and we were inspired to
see the positive impact
this had, particularly the
improvement in happiness
and health of the
residents. We now have
the opportunity to do the
same for our residents.”
Paul Bosson, Chairman
of Trustees for Bradbury
House, contacted
Northgate House
Nursery, also based in
Beaconsfield. They didn’t
hesitate to get involved in
this wonderful initiative.
Sarah Fahey, director of
the nursery explains: “We
are always looking to
provide our children with
enriching experiences and
recognised how beneficial
this partnership could be
for everyone involved.”
A small group of children
from the nursery visit
the Activity Centre in
Bradbury House every
Thursday morning and
Tuesday afternoon to
engage in speciallychosen
activities that the
different generations are
able to enjoy together.
Beverly Nash, social carer
for Bradbury House,
devises a variety of crafts,
games, imaginative play
and singing activities
for everybody to share.
She explains: “We are
so pleased to see how
involved our residents are
when the children arrive, it
makes them smile; seeing
them all together reading,
singing, reciting nursery
rhymes, brings back fond
memories for us all. You
can really feel the warmth
in the room.”
On the children’s first
visit to the home, they
encountered Ken Medlock,
a gentleman aged 104
years. The children were
four years old, so to
meet somebody a whole
hundred years older than
themselves was hugely
exciting and memorable.
Nadine Higley, manager
of Northgate House
4 Parenta.com November 2018 5
Little green fingers at Tops Day
Nurseries Salisbury Gardening Club
Tops Day Nurseries in Salisbury has recently been inviting their children to experience the
cycle of growth through the implementation of a thriving Gardening Club.
NEWS
Parenta Trust news
Parenta Trust Charity
Balls, Maidstone and Bath
Change a
life for as
little as
56p a day
Party-goers enjoyed fabulous food and danced until the early
hours at this year’s Parenta Trust charity balls.
Every week, the children aged from
3 months to 5 years are getting
involved in a host of gardening
activities. Babies and toddlers
are being encouraged to explore
different growing environments by
planting seeds and transferring
seedlings to a specially-designed
area of the show-stopping garden.
Pre-school children are being given
the opportunity to take responsibility
for their own growing projects and
have autonomy over nurturing their
plants.
The focus of the Gardening Club
is not just about planting but also
places a strong importance on
caring. The children are actively
engaged in tidying the borders of
the garden and weeding. They also
take charge of watering, feeding and
protecting their plants.
As with all events at Tops Day
Nurseries, Gardening Club will
run all year round. Tops Salisbury
is fortunate to have a fantastic
canopied area within the garden
which allows the children to continue
planting, monitoring, and eventually
harvesting, whatever the weather.
According to Deputy Nursery
Manager, Sally, there has been “a
definite increase in our children’s
interest in nature. They love growing
various plants and have also been
really interested in finding out
more about insects and animals.
It’s delightful to see!” Since the
implementation of the Gardening
Club, the nursery has also been
pleased to see an increase in
children’s engagement during
mealtimes. Recipes are often
created by the children using their
own hand-grown produce in Tops
Cooking School.
The two sparkling fun-filled evenings – held on 22nd September at the Great
Danes Mercure Hotel in Maidstone and 20th October at the Hilton in Bath
– raised an incredible £7,000 for Parenta Trust - with all proceeds going
directly to help provide an early years education to the children who need it
most in deprived areas of the world.
Details on how you can support Parenta Trust by way of making a donation,
sponsoring a child in a Parenta Trust pre-school or taking part in a
fundraising event can be found at www.parentatrust.com
Our sponsorship programme gives
orphaned and disadvantaged preschool
children the chance to lay
the foundations for their learning
in a safe and loving environment.
Having a basic education means
these young children can break
out of the cycle of poverty and look
forward to a much brighter future.
Find out more at:
bit.ly/PTsponsor
6 Parenta.com November 2018 7
Recycling Week: Support
sustainability in your setting
How we dispose of plastics has become a contentious issue lately, especially with images
circulating on social media of the effects that plastic waste has on marine life and the
environment. Documentaries such as Blue Planet II have also helped bring the problem to the
public’s attention, as well as the work of charities like Surfers Against Sewage.
The lessons and habits laid down for youngsters in early childhood can last a lifetime, so
what better time to teach them about sustainability? Here are some ideas to celebrate
Recycling Week in your setting:
Introduce recycling stations in all your pre-school rooms and teach children how to sort
recyclable materials from items destined for landfill
Back in October 2015, the
Government introduced a 5p bag
charge to retailers with more than
250 staff. Although it was seen
as a radical move at the time,
the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs has
reported an 86% fall in the number
of disposable bags issued by
participating supermarkets since it
started. Now, Prime Minister Teresa
May is considering extending the
scheme to retailers of all sizes and
increasing the charge.
Elsewhere, Tops Day Nurseries
made headlines this year for
banning the use of glitter in their
settings due to its harmful
effect on the environment. The
nursery chain is rapidly working
towards becoming ‘the most ecosustainable
childcare provider in the
UK’. So far, they’ve taken initiatives
such as replacing plastic milk
bottles with glass ones, stopping
the use of plastic gloves and
investing in bamboo toothbrushes.
Are we heading towards a plastic
ocean?
Environmental charity Greenpeace
has warned that the equivalent
of one truck-worth of plastic is
emptied into our oceans every
minute of every day. The problem
of plastic is very real and, if current
trends continue, there will be more
plastic than fish in the sea by 2050.
It’s alarming to think that even
something as small as a plastic
straw can take up to 200 years
to decompose, according to
global movement 4Ocean.
Plastic bottles can take
even longer, with an estimated
decomposition time of 450 years or
more.
From the 24th to the 30th
September, recycling charity WRAP
is promoting Recycling Week.
The theme of this annual event
is “Recycling. We do. Because it
matters.” The organisation hopes
to change people’s recycling
behaviours and put across the
message about why recycling
plastic is so beneficial.
Educating children about waste
Teaching children about the
importance of recycling and how
waste can negatively impact the
environment is a great driver
for future change. It can help
youngsters learn about the
consequences of their choices and
make them more environmentally
responsible as adults.
Build a worm farm to show children how worms can break down food waste and create
‘super soil’ for vegetables and flowers
Replace single-use items such as plastic straws with reusable ones made of bamboo
or metal. Why not extend this to find sustainable alternatives for items like plastic cups,
aprons and gloves?
Use jars to collect off-cuts/scraps of paper and reuse these for crafts
Create flash cards which show both recyclable and non-recyclable items. Ask
your children which materials should go in the recycling bin and explain how
this item can be recycled
Clean up a local beach or park. This is a great activity for teaching children
about caring for the environment whilst giving something back to the
community. Bring clear trash bags and pickers to help children sort rubbish from
recyclables
Encourage youngsters to produce posters (either individually or as a class) to
promote Recycling Week and the importance of sustainability. Display these
proudly throughout your setting
We’d love to hear what ideas and activities
you’ve put in place to teach children about
recycling and plastic waste. Share them with us
on Facebook or Twitter using @TheParentaGroup
8 Parenta.com November 2018 9
What are little boys made of?
I have come across a lovely book by Robert Neubecker who has re-written the nursery rhyme ‘What are
little boys made of?’ Instead of ‘slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails’, it says ‘moons and stars and
rockets to Mars!’ It is generally accepted that boys have different interests to girls, and if we consider
research, we know that there are some differences in how men and women respond socially and
behaviourally; however, the basic structure of the brain is more similar than it is different. Therefore, we
cannot make any assumptions like, ‘boys will be boys’ or ‘that’s just what boys are like…’ Instead, we
need to ensure that we are planning experiences that build on boys’ interests and fascinations - activities
that use their strengths and offer opportunities that will tap into their knowledge and skills.
Tamsin Grimmer
Providing equality of
opportunity is not enough! We
cannot say that because we
offer the same opportunities
to both boys and girls in our
settings, we are ensuring that
they can progress in literacy.
If boys rarely want to engage
in mark-making or reading in
our settings, we need to ask
ourselves:
• How can we make markmaking
and reading
more attractive to boys?
• Are we tapping into the
interests and fascinations
of boys?
• In what ways can we
make mark-making
and reading active and
physical experiences?
• Are we expecting boys to
sit still and passively read
or write in our setting?
• Can we incorporate more
opportunities to read
and mark-make using
technology?
• Do we praise boys and
encourage competition
and team playing/
collaboration?
Despite boys underachieving
nationally in all measures
relating to literacy within the
EYFS, we must remember
that boys are just as able as
girls and therefore we must
reflect upon our practices to
ensure that boys have plenty
of opportunities to become
engaged in learning. If levels
of engagement are not high,
we must consider our provision
and our values, attitudes and
the quality of the relationships
that we build with boys. In
this way we can endeavour to
understand why boys are not
making as much progress as
girls in the EYFS (and beyond).
Through tracking children’s
progress, one setting noticed
that boys were not achieving
within the writing
aspect of the EYFS.
They observed
boys during
free-play times
and found that
the numerous
mark-making
and writing
opportunities were
largely untouched
by boys and
they did not
appear keen to use the
mark-making resources that
were available. The setting
decided to approach this by
finding out where the boys
spent the majority of their time
and what they were engaging
in. They found boys were
regularly outside, building
with large blocks, using iPads
and engaging in fantasy play,
often relating to superheroes.
The setting used this
information as a starting point
and found more varied and
interesting ways of markmaking
outside. For example,
using mud and sticks or
drawing a road for the scooters
with large chalks. They
downloaded mark-making
apps onto the iPads and also
stuck paper in unusual places,
such as underneath tables
and on walls. They created a
‘bat-cave’ which had batshaped
black paper, and HB
pencils with torches to shine at
the marks made. In addition,
they introduced different
ways of mark-making inside,
for example, using small
superheroes to make footprints
in paint and using soil and
paper in a builder’s tray for
cars and trucks to ‘drive’
through and leave muddy
tracks on the paper.
Over time, the boys began
to engage more in markmaking
as they found these
activities more interesting
and engaging than what had
previously been on offer.
Here are a few ideas of how to engage boys in mark-making and reading activities:
• Use the interests of your boys as a starting point for planning
• Put paper underneath table-tops and make mark-making as large-scale as possible
• Offer opportunities that allow boys to stand, sit, lie down, or move as they mark-make
• Think about the different mark-making resources that are available. Can you
incorporate mud, clay, sticks, cars, superheroes and so on?
• Ensure that books are available in different places within your setting, e.g. a
construction book next to your construction materials or a book about dinosaurs in the
small world area
• Offer different examples of drawing and writing, e.g. architect’s plans, bus timetables,
train tickets and offer materials so that children can re-create their own versions of
these
• Display text in different formats and demonstrate writing for a purpose, e.g. football
scores or a party invitation
Here is a list of ideas or themes that many boys are interested in:
- Sport
- Superheroes
- Latest craze
- Cars/Transport
- Construction
- Castles
- Dinosaurs
- Technology
- Mechanisms
- Wild animals
- Wizards
- Dragons
- Cartoons
- Volcanoes
- Aliens
- Toolkits
- Pirates
- Sharks
- Fire-fighters
- Police
- Doctors
- Camouflage
- Horrid Henry
- Monsters
- Films (Paddington, Toy Story etc)
Although this sounds
like a stereotypical list,
we need to focus on the
things that interest and
motivate boys in order
to encourage them to
participate. Of course,
there will also be boys
who are interested in
animals, dolls, dressing
up or colouring so just
go with whatever they
show an interest in!
So what are little boys
made of? Let’s reframe
this rhyme and engage
boys in reading and
mark-making in our
settings.
With mud and clay we’re
mark-making today –
that’s what little boys are
made of!
Tamsin Grimmer is an
experienced early years
consultant and trainer and
parent who is passionate
about young children’s
learning and development.
She believes that all children
deserve practitioners who
are inspiring, dynamic,
reflective and committed to
improving on their current
best. Tamsin particularly
enjoys planning and
delivering training and
supporting early years
practitioners and teachers to
improve outcomes for young
children.
Tamsin has written two
books - Observing and
Developing Schematic
Behaviour in Young Children
and School Readiness
and the Characteristics of
Effective Learning.
Website:
tamsingrimmer.co.uk
Facebook:
facebook.com/earlyyears.
consultancy.5
Twitter:
@tamsingrimmer
Email:
info@tamsingrimmer.co.uk
10 Parenta.com November 2018 11
Celebrating
Diwali
Suggestions to
celebrate Diwali
in your setting:
in your
setting
Make greetings cards
Wishing friends and loved ones
a “Happy Diwali” with a card
is traditional during this time,
so why not have the children
make or colour in special cards
that they can send home to
their families?
Diwali, also known as the
Festival of Lights, is celebrated
by millions all over the
world. Although the date of
the festival normally falls in
October, this year it will be
held on the 7th November. It is
India’s most important holiday
and can last up to 5 days.
Before Diwali (also known as
Deepavali) takes place, people
clean their homes and places
of work in preparation for the
celebrations. Deepavali is a
Sanskrit word which literally
means “rows of lighted lamps”.
At the beginning of the festival,
devotees light small clay oil
lamps called diyas in their
homes, shops and places of
worship. The Hindu Goddess of
Wealth, Lakshmi, is worshipped
throughout the year but
especially during Diwali. Lamps
are left alight throughout the
night to welcome Lakshmi into
the family home.
Diwali celebrates new
beginnings, the triumph of good
over evil and the victory of light
over darkness. It also marks the
start of the Hindu New Year in
certain parts of Western and
Northern India.
What is the history and
significance of Diwali?
The legendary stories which
accompany Diwali vary
depending on the region of India
which they relate to.
Some believe the festival to be
the celebration of the marriage of
Goddess Lakshmi to Lord Vishnu
– one of the most important
gods in the Hindu holy trinity.
Others believe that Diwali is
a celebration of the Goddess’
birthday, which is said to take
place during this time.
In Northern India, people believe
that the Festival of Lights honours
the mythical Lord Rama’s return
to his kingdom after 14 years’
exile by a demon. Lighting
candles is thought to symbolically
illuminate the path for his
welcome return and celebrate his
subsequent coronation as king.
How do people celebrate at
this time?
In India, Hindus will leave the
windows and doors of their
houses open so that the Goddess
Lakshmi can enter. Beautiful
patterns (rangoli) are drawn on
the floors near the entrance of
the house using materials such
as coloured rice, sand or flower
petals.
Diwali is typically a time for:
• Visiting a local temple and
wishing “Happy Diwali” to
everyone
• Decorating homes in bright
reds, greens and yellows
• Lighting candles and oil
lamps
• Saying small prayers (puja) in
homes
• Wearing traditional dress like
saris
• Saying prayers to the
Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi
• Exchanging gifts with family
and friends
• Preparing festive meals
• Huge firework displays
The last day of the festival is a
special day for siblings and is
called Bhaiya-Dooj. On this day,
brothers give presents to their
sisters, who in turn cook for them
and make them feel cared-for.
Decorate diyas
Buy plain terracotta tealight
holders and help the
children decorate them with
colourful clay paints and other
accessories like glitter, stickers
and bright rhinestones.
Make colourful rangoli
Help the children create their
own rangoli patterns using
pebbles, coloured sand,
rice and paint. Draw some
inspiration from Tops Day
Nurseries and see how the
children created a range
of rangolis using different
materials here.
Let the children sample
Indian food
Preparing feasts forms an
important part of Diwali
celebrations. In your setting,
children could try vegetable
daal, naan bread, onion bhajis
and other traditional foods.
You could also try making a
simple, sweet Indian dessert
such as Sooji Ka Halwi.
How do you celebrate Diwali
in your setting? Share your
stories and images with us by
sending them to
marketing@parenta.com
12 Parenta.com November 2018 13
The Adventures of Rocket Rabbit &
Sidekick Squirrel Part 4
The Adventures of
Rocket Rabbit &
Sidekick Squirrel part 4
Previously on Rocket Rabbit and Sidekick Squirrel…
Our heroes found themselves outsmarted by the
clever witch, Agnes and her sidekick Bones. They
were left lying a little bit helpless at her feet…
Quick as a flash, Agnes had used her magic to tie
the heroes up with very tight ropes. She cackled
loudly at her own brilliance, celebrating her victory.
Rocket and Sidekick struggled against the ropes with
all their might but found their efforts useless. They
remained stuck under the witch’s powerful spell.
Sidekick suddenly had a plan, but she had to keep
quiet for a while in order for it to work correctly. She
signalled to Rocket to stop moving and began to talk
loudly to Agnes in order to distract her and hopefully
put her plan into action.
“This is all your fault Rocket,” said Sidekick with a
very obvious wink. “You are always so gung-ho;
wanting to fight, fight, fight. I’m so fed up of you.”
Rocket gasped ever-so dramatically and pretended
to be deeply hurt by her friend’s words. “Oh do be
quiet you silly squirrel!” she said sternly (but Sidekick
knew she was just playing the game and didn’t really
mean it). “If anything, this is all your fault. Always
waiting to see the danger and never acting. You
would rather run away than fight.”
Agnes cackled again, very pleased with the damage
she had thought she had done to her enemies.
While the heroes were busy talking, Agnes had called
her broom over – which had flown itself across the
room and into her outstretched hand. It was really
quite a remarkable broom. It had been in her family
for many years - handed down to her by her mother
… and her grandmother before her.
Agnes climbed onto her broom with a simple grace
and then hooked the heroes onto the back, using a
hook which appeared from nowhere. Rocket looked a
little worried but Sidekick was feeling confident; she
knew how to escape. A quick whistle was all it took
for Bones to join Agnes on her broom and they were
off into the night sky. Hundreds of stars twinkled as
they were whisked along toward the witch’s hideout
and heading for certain doom.
Sidekick waited until they were flying close to a noisy
aeroplane and said in voice so quietly that only
Rocket could hear, “Get the device out of the third
pocket in your belt.”
Rocket felt for her belt with her left paw and counted,
‘one, two, three’ along it. Reaching into the small
pocket, she pulled out what appeared to be a tiny
rectangular metal box. She handed it to Sidekick,
with some difficulty.
Sidekick quickly and expertly unfolded it to reveal a
useful and very sharp pair of scissors. She had soon cut
through the tight ropes and before very long, she and
Rocket were free, but still holding onto the broom. They
had to choose exactly the right moment to let go, when
they could see they could land from a safe height.
“We should wait until we are almost at the witch’s
hideout” whispered Rocket.
“Don’t worry” said Sidekick, all part of my plan.
Beneath them came the muffled familiar
sounds of an engine. Rocket, with her big
rabbit ears was able to hear it above
the roar of the plane which was
still flying next to them. Looking
down, she noticed with glee their
trusty Super-car below them and
on Sidekick’s say so, they both let
go, flew through the air and landed
in the car with a soft bump.
Neither Agnes nor Bones noticed that their prisoners
had escaped. They were far too busy trying to race
the big plane which was slowly flying further and
further ahead. Rocket really hoped that Agnes was
not a sore loser who would put some kind of spell
on the plane to make it slow down or worse – fall
from the sky – it was the kind of mean thing that she
could possibly do.
The heroes landed safely in their car, but somehow
Sidekick had landed in the driving seat – a position
she was no used to! She attempted to switch seats
by shuffling along, but Rocket said, “Stay there,
you can do this, we are going at full speed and it’s
dangerous to change. Besides, we don’t want to lose
them.”
Sidekick smiled at her friend’s kind words and
concentrated on driving. Although she was not
used to driving at all, she found that it was rather
good fun and was soon really enjoying herself. She
weaved along the winding road while Rocket kept a
close eye on the broomstick above with the help of a
telescope from her belt.
14 Parenta.com November 2018 15
They soon arrived at the hideout
and it was here that the witch
suddenly realised with shock that
she had lost her two prisoners
along the way. Rocket heard her let
out an angry scream.
Sidekick drove behind a large tree
so that they wouldn’t be spotted
and stopped the car. They watched
in the silvery moonlight as the witch
and skeleton flew into the huge
black castle. The heroes didn’t want
to waste any time, so they gathered
their things and moved slowly and
quietly towards the drawbridge.
They got there just before it started
going up and had to run to stop
themselves from falling off and
into the murky, deep, green water
below.
Once inside, they crept along the
narrow hallway to the left of the
Great Hall. The gadget which
Sidekick was carrying showed that
the baddies had gone this way.
They moved faster and drew their
stun guns. The baddies were back
in the library, trying to find a book
for a spell to help them find the
escaped heroes.
Rocket and Sidekick found them
and were able to plan their attack.
They sprang out when the witch and
skeleton were looking at a huge old
book and caught them by surprise.
Rocket fired her weapon at the witch
and Sidekick fired at Bones at the
same time.
Both baddies were hit and stunned;
unable to move. They were captured
at last and Rocket and Sidekick were
very happy to have finally completed
their mission.
Richard Dodd
Richard has been writing for
as long as he can remember.
English was a subject he
enjoyed in school as it just
made sense to him. He loved
to read and requested his
own bedroom so that he could
have a bookcase! His favourite
childhood authors included
Enid Blyton, R. L. Stine, M. D.
Spenser, and Charles Dickens.
Characters, stories and even
words he has taken in through
all of those books have stayed
with Richard for two decades.
He firmly believes that books
are integral in a person’s
upbringing and that those
experiences will stay with them
throughout their lives.
He can recall parts of those
books in their entirety, from
the tone of voice described by
the author to certain scenes
from The Famous Five or Secret
Seven. Richard loves fiction
and the idea of escaping and
therefore creating an escape
for a reader is the very reason
he writes.
Richard has written four books,
three in the Fluffy the Magic
Penguin series and a standalone
book called ‘The Secret
Passageway’.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/
richarddodd.author/
Email:
Richard.dodd@upburypress.
co.uk
Website:
www.upburypress.co.uk
5 DAYS
8 COUNTRIES
THE DRIVE TO BUILD A SCHOOL
Maidstone to Monaco
26 th - 30 th June 2019
2000 MILES
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SOFTWARE
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16 Parenta.com
How music can improve
children’s confidence
I do love a good singsong! Take our village pantomime. This is stuffed full
of music and dance. Everyone from the local publican to members of the
WI gather onto our tiny village hall stage in front of friends and family.
It is a riot of fun and laughter. What gets me each time is how everyone
grows in confidence over the weeks building up to the performances.
This is no coincidence. Music does more than give us a good feeling.
Music is universal, engaging and exceptionally social. It is saturated with
positive physical, mental and social outcomes. It affects our behaviour,
plays a key role in our identities and builds confidence.
The benefits of music in the early years
All children love music. Musical confidence grows when children hear and enjoy music. Through
regular, intentional and enjoyable music activities we can help build up musical intelligence,
supporting children’s ability to ‘think’ musically. Research shows over and over again, the
considerable increase in children’s intelligence and thinking-skills after intentional music
instruction and that this has long–term positive effects on intelligence and learning skills.
How do we make use of the incredible gift of music in the early years?
Rhythm: Don’t we all love that bit in ‘Love Actually’ when Hugh Grant dances to ‘Jump’ by
the Pointer Sisters? Just like Hugh, children can’t stop their bodies from moving to music
they love. We must encourage dancing to disco classics, jumping to Holst’s Planets, or
leaping about to The Lion King. The sound and rhythm not only fill senses with well-being
and enjoyment but also builds positive brain-connections as children engage in an activity
they love.
Melody and sound: Research confirms that music and speech functions have lots in
common. Speech functions can benefit from music, and vice versa. It is believed that
regular, intentional singing and listening to music may even aid the prevention of/promote
the support of language, listening and learning difficulties. What an
incentive to include music in our daily routine! In addition, when we
sing, we are using our cardiovascular system, which means that our
lungs are being given a good old clear out. This has a positive effect
on health and well-being. It even makes us more alert. Singing is
hugely beneficial!
Recorded music: Music has become ever-present. It is in the lift as we
enter the department store, browse in a shop, or sit in a café. Music sets the
mood. Why not use this in the setting? Play some Mozart quietly near the book
corner, jazz by the play dough. Intentional music played in this way is not only
soothing; it builds the child’s musical intelligence.
Musical instruments: Oh! The joy of a drum for a young child. And oh! The horror for
the practitioner who is headachy and tired. But there is no other way of putting this –
children need musical instruments around them like they need books, toys or
people. Musical instruments placed amongst favourite toys and activities
can help build confidence, provide joy and support cognitive skills.
What stops us from doing
this in our setting?
Too often we lack the
confidence. We don’t play
an instrument. We feel silly
when we sing. There are
colleagues that are clearly
more musical. We leave it to
them. Musical instruments
can be viewed as noisy,
pointless or irritating, the
children getting overexcited
and boisterous.
But I would urge you to give
it a go! Put your anxiety
aside. Don’t worry about
the noise or be concerned
about what other people are
thinking. Give the children
the chance to hit/bang
something in time to music,
or jump up and down to ‘The
Monkeys on the Bed’.
Add some instruments to
favourite resources, like a
rainstick or handbells in
the role-play area. Place
some shakers and maybe
a tambourine near the
dressing up. Offer some
recorded music to listen to,
showing the children how
to choose what they want.
Let them dance. Let them
sing. Stand back
and see what the
children do. You may
well be surprised by
how inventive they
become!
And finally
We must listen to the
research and then do what
it says.
Music binds people together.
It improves our health and
happiness. It is linked with
intelligence and thinking
skills.
We don’t just make a noise
when we provide these
types of
Helen Garnett
Helen Garnett is a mother
of 4, and a committed and
experienced early years
consultant. She co-founded
a pre-school in 2005
and cares passionately
about young children and
connection. As a result,
she has written a book,
‘Developing Empathy in
the Early Years: a guide for
practitioners’ for which she
won the Professional Books
category at the 2018 Nursery
World Awards. She has also
co-written an early years
curriculum and assessment
tool, at present being
implemented in India. Helen
is also on the Think Equal
team, a global initiative led
by Leslee Udwin, developing
empathy in pre-schools and
schools across the world.
activities. We create social
cohesion, positive brainconnections
and build
children’s confidence.
It’s a lot of gain for a little
pain. Try it today!
18 Parenta.com November 2018 19
Teach your children about road
safety with Beep Beep! Day
Road Safety Week takes place on the 19-25th November and is an annual event organised by road
safety charity Brake. Brake works to prevent road death and injury, as well as raising funds to
support the victims of road crashes.
As part of Road Safety Week, thousands
of tots and infants participate in Beep
Beep! Day, which will take place on
Wednesday 21st November. It’s a great
way to educate children about road
safety through themed activities, whilst
also raising awareness amongst parents
and families about how to protect
children on Britain’s roads.
Promoting life-saving messages and
awareness around road safety for
children is vital, especially when you
consider the statistics from the latest
accident report by the Department
for Transport. It found that there were
15,976 child casualties in 2016, of which
38% were pedestrians.
The report stated that, in 2016, 2,033
children were seriously injured in road
traffic accidents and 69 died. Notably,
over a third of these accidents occurred
during the hours of 7 am-9 am or 3
pm-5 pm on a weekday, which coincides
with the time children are normally going
to or leaving school.
Activities for your setting to take part in
It’s vitally important to help shape children’s understanding of road safety and
ingrain this from an early age – these lessons will help to keep tots safe whilst
they’re young and also stay with them as they get older.
To take part in Beep Beep! Day, here are some ideas to get you started:
Get colourful! Have your children dress up in some bright clothing to wear
for the day, whether it be hats, tops or socks, to emphasise the importance of
drivers slowing down to watch out for pedestrians crossing the road.
Make a handprint poster of all the children’s hands to display in your
welcome area, so that everyone understands the importance of holding
hands with a grown-up whilst near a road. You could make the heading of
this poster “Going home? Hold hands!”
Play stop and go games – make mock roads in your playground and use
props to signify traffic lights and zebra crossings. Children could take turns to
be 'drivers' on a ride-on-scooter or bike, supervised by staff. They could also
practice crossing pretend roads safely. Your local authority road safety team
may be able to lend you some equipment to help with this activity, too.
Teach children a road safety song with new verses for familiar songs such
as Wheels on the Bus. For example, swap the lyrics to: “The children and the
grown-ups all hold hands, all hold hands, all hold hands”.
Invite a VIP to your setting to talk about road safety – this could be a
police community support officer, the fire brigade or a local lollipop lady.
Make sure your chosen “VIP” understands the message you are trying to
deliver to children such as hold hands with an adult when crossing, stay on
pavements and away from dangerous traffic etc.
Play a sound game by recording noises in advance such as those of an
ambulance, car or pelican crossing. Let the children listen and guess what
they are. Talk to your group about key road safety words such as pavement,
kerb, road, car, danger, traffic, stop, look and listen.
Teach children about safe places - make a giant poster of pavements,
roads and parks and cut out a selection of pictures from old magazines of
people, buggies, dogs and vehicles. Ask children to stick the images in the
safest places: people on pavements, vehicles on roads.
Consider raising money for Brake by holding a bake sale! Why not bake
yummy traffic light-themed biscuits or cupcakes, with all money raised to be
donated to the charity? For a healthier alternative you could offer traffic light
fruit during break-time such strawberries, kiwis or mango.
To help your setting’s Beep Beep! Day go off with a bang, Brake is providing
organisers with free e-resource packs or, for a fee of £12.50, a bumper pack for 50
children. The bumper pack includes stickers and certificates for children taking part,
promotional posters, activity and song cards and even balloons! Find out more from
the charity’s website.
20 Parenta.com November 2018 21
Spotlight on...
Bryony Abbott
Every month, we put the spotlight
on a member of the Parenta team.
This time around, it’s our marketing
manager. Bryony helps to manage all the marketing
activities for the company including co-ordinating
campaigns, creating marketing materials and ensuring
our sales leads remain high.
What does a typical day look like
to you?
Each day varies for me, however,
most of my efforts are focused on
our digital channels. So I could be
updating or improving our website,
improving engagement on our social
media channels or planning ahead
to make sure we get a head start on
plans for the coming month, as well
as running campaigns to ensure we
are generating leads for the business.
It is also incredibly important that I
analyse our efforts and track what is
working, why and if it’s not, highlight
areas that need improvement.
How has your role progressed
since you started at Parenta?
Originally I started as the Digital
Marketing Executive back in 2014,
I developed from this to Marketing
Executive after becoming heavily
involved in the branding and design
side of the business. Eventually, I
was promoted to Inbound Marketing
Manager, looking at the generation
of leads and managing the day-today
running of the marketing team.
After a little hiatus, I returned to the
company as a Marketing Manager,
which is where I am today!
What do you think makes Parenta
stand out as a company operating
in the early years sector?
From an outsider’s perspective, we
do not specialise in one area, there
are many faces to the business.
You should always
put yourself in the
customer’s shoes,
walk through the
process, and think
about the type
of language and
images that will
appeal to them
From an internal perspective, it is
very much like a family, with a very
caring environment, which I feel feeds
through into the ways we interact
with our customers. I like to think this
reflects what our customers are like.
Since starting your career in
marketing, what’s the single most
important thing you’ve learnt
about how to market a product or
service successfully?
Know your audience! This is so
important, especially when writing
copy/putting together a campaign.
You should also always put yourself
in the customer’s shoes, walk through
the process, and think about the type
of language and images that will
appeal to them, do they tell a story?
Is it appealing? Could the journey
be better? Would you be inclined to
work with that company or buy that
product?
What are you most excited to be
working towards in the coming
months?
A new parenta.com website
and improving our social media
engagement! Watch this space!
In your spare time, what do you
enjoy doing?
Depending on my mood, reading,
painting (I have a huge paint by
numbers to complete!) or watching
movies. I love all kinds of movies,
from Marvel to horror and of course,
Disney! I also have a very playful cat
who loves a cuddle!
printed with your own design!
Enter our “design your own Christmas card” competition with a chance to win
1000 cards for your setting – printed with your own design!
The children at your setting can have hours of festive fun drawing, colouring,
sticking, or however they wish to decorate the cards - you can enter as many
designs as you wish!
To enter, take a photograph of your Christmassy creation and email it to
marketing@parenta.com by Sunday 18 th November.
We will upload your design(s) to our website and social media pages for a
national vote – the design with the most votes will win the incredible prize!
The winner will be announced personally and on social media on Tuesday 27 th
November and in December’s magazine.
Your cards will be printed and delivered to your setting by 1 st December.
Happy Christmas crafting … and good luck!
22 Parenta.com November 2018 23
Remembrance Day - We will
remember them
REMEMBRANCE DAY
we will remember them
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
From "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon
Remembrance Day, which falls on 11th November 2018, is held in Commonwealth countries to honour
military personnel who have lost their lives to protect the freedom of others. More than 12,000 British
servicemen and women have been killed or injured in the line of duty since 1945.
On Remembrance Day weekend, special
ceremonies are held at war memorials
and poppy wreaths are laid to pay
respect to those who fought for their
country.
In London, the royal family attend
a commemorative ceremony at
The Cenotaph in Whitehall (near
the Houses of Parliament).
The Queen, members of the
Government, politicians and
soldiers lay wreaths at the foot
of this famous war memorial,
followed by a service of
remembrance conducted by
the Bishop of London.
Throughout the UK, a twominute
silence is traditionally
observed on the 11th hour of the
11th day of the 11th month.
This represents the
guns falling silent
on this day in
1918.
Why do we wear a poppy?
Many people show their respects on
Remembrance Sunday by wearing a
red poppy. This flower has long been
associated with the First World War
because, once the conflict drew to a
close, it was the only plant to grow
on the barren battlefields of Northern
France and Belgium.
In 1915, a Canadian doctor named John
McCrae was treating soldiers wounded
during the war and noticed poppies
blooming amongst the gravestones.
Inspired by the sight, he went on to write
the famous poem, "In Flanders Fields".
The poem is often read each November in
memory of those who served in war.
The poppy was also adopted as a
symbol of The Royal British Legion, an
organisation which provides support for
people in the forces, veterans and their
families. The current paper version of the
poppy was introduced over 30 years ago
but the sale of these continues to provide
vital funds for the charity.
Activities to mark Remembrance Day in your setting:
Read a story about Remembrance Day
Explain to the children what the day is for: to honour and remember those who died fighting for our country. Some
children may know or know of someone who is currently serving in the armed forces.
Create your own poppy wreath with the children
Let them lay the wreath at a memorial held at a local church. Upon returning to your setting, lead a discussion about
the meaning of Remembrance Day and why we pay our respects to those who served in the war.
Make your very own craft poppies for children to take home
These can be made with a variety of different textures and materials such as potatoes and poppy seeds or even paper
plates and paint!
Send thank you letters and pictures
The children can draw pictures to thank those serving in the armed forces. Make arrangements to send them to
someone serving - this could be a family member of one of your pre-schoolers or a friend of their family.
Visit residents in a care home for a Remembrance-Day-themed tea party
Alternatively you could invite them to visit your setting. Why not help the children bake some shortbread biscuits or
cupcakes beforehand with red “poppy” icing to share with the residents at the party?
DID YOU KNOW?
2018 is a very special year, as it marks the 100-year anniversary of
the end of the First World War.
How will you be celebrating Remembrance Day in your setting? Let us know by
emailing marketing@parenta.com and sharing your ideas!
24 Parenta.com November 2018 25
Remembrance Sunday
hand-painting poppy craft
YOU WILL NEED:
1 paper plate
White paper
Green paint
Red paint
Write for us for a chance to win £50
We’re always on the lookout for new authors to contribute insightful
articles for our monthly magazine.
1. Cut your paper plate in half and use one half of the paper plate to pour the
green paint on to.
2. Using the edge of your hand, from the tip of your little finger to your wrist,
dip your hand into the green paint and carefully stamp it along the bottom
of your sheet of paper to create lots of long green lines. These will be the
stems of your flowers.
3. Once you have made your stems, wash the remaining green paint from your
hands.
4. Pour out the red paint on to the other half of your paper plate, ready for the
next step.
5. Guide your child, dipping their whole hand into the red paint.
6. Place their paint-covered hand on top of the green stems on your sheet of
paper to create the poppies.
7. Your craft should look something like this!
If you’ve got a topic you’d like to write
about, why not send an article to us and be
in with a chance of winning? Each month,
we’ll be giving away £50 to our “Guest
Author of the Month”.
Here are the details:
••
Choose a topic that is relevant to early
years childcare
••
Submit an article of between 600-900
words to marketing@parenta.com
••
If we choose to feature your article in our
magazine, you’ll be eligible to win £50
••
The winner will be picked based on
having the highest number of views for
their article during that month
This competition is open to both new and
existing authors, for any articles submitted to
feature in our Parenta magazine for 2018. The
lucky winner will be notified via email and we’ll
also include an announcement in the following
month’s edition of the magazine.
Got any questions or want to run a topic by us?
For more details email marketing@parenta.com
SEPTEMBER’S WINNER
Joanna Grace
Congratulations to our guest author competition
winner who has won for the third consecutive
month! Joanna Grace’s article ‘A sensory look at
the fussy eater’ was incredibly popular with our
readers. Well done, Joanna!
26 Parenta.com November 2018 27
Spectacular
set-shifting
activities
underpinning skills. Meaning that for people at risk of
frontal lobe deficits there is extra potential at stake in
these spectacular set-shifting activities.
Playing at set-shifting
To play at set-shifting, we need to create a play
environment which gives the brain the opportunity
to view one set of resources, or one environment, in
multiple ways. In other words to see something in a
particular way and then shift to see it in another way.
In this first of four articles exploring sensory support for emotional regulation, Sensory
Engagement Specialist and Sensory Projects Founder, Joanna Grace, explores how we can boost
the brain’s ability to set-shift through play. This article is based on one of Joanna’s free leaflet
guides, more can be found at: www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/guides
What is set-shifting?
Set-shifting is the brain’s ability to move
between one set of cognitive strategies to
a new set in response to changes in the
environment. We need to be able to do this
in order to achieve all sorts of other things,
for example:
• It underpins our ability to pay
attention: To pay attention, we
must switch between what we were
attending to, to what we are asked
to attend to.
• It is fundamental to our ability to
behave in a socially-acceptable
way when faced with challenges:
To behave acceptably we must
be able to switch between our
instinctual response to challenge,
which might be to lash out and kick
or hurt another person, to a more
considered response, which could
be to tell a teacher or ask an adult
for help.
• It is utilised by the brain when it
tackles mathematical problems:
To solve maths problems we need
to switch between functions, for
example one moment adding,
another moment taking away.
These are only a few examples of all the
fantastically brainy things our ability to setshift
underpins.
Spectacular set-shifting
The brains ability to set-shift is one of its
spectacular functions, underpinning our
ability to interact successfully with the
world around us. It takes us a while to
secure it, with most typically-developing
people’s brains only fully getting the hang
of it in late childhood/early adolescence.
But as with so many things achieved in
later development, its roots begin in our
early experiences and even for very little
children we can begin nurturing these
roots. Practice at experiences associated
with set-shifting are like a work out for the
brain, which is an incredibly flexible organ.
Experiences in early childhood can mean a
lot to later cerebral abilities.
The Frontal Lobe Deficit and setshifting
Unsurprisingly, the frontal lobe is the
part of the brain at the front of our skull,
the part just behind your forehead. The
frontal lobe is the home of set-shifting.
People with various conditions can
experience impairment to their frontal
lobe abilities and this will in turn affect
their capacity to set-shift. For example,
people with Parkinson’s disease, foetal
alcohol spectrum disorder (currently
one of the leading causes of learning
disability in the UK), autistic spectrum
disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder,
epilepsy and individuals with specific
brain injury to the frontal lobe can all
experience impairment to their frontal
lobe capabilities.
The brain is a fantastically adaptable organ,
and it may be possible to improve abilities
in areas that are impaired by practicing the
As you play at set-shifting, it is important that you check
the understanding of the children playing with you at
each phase of the game. They need to understand the
environment, or the resources, as they are in the first
phase, before you move on to the second phase. Do not
shift before they have ‘got’ what is going on initially. You
are looking to support their change in understanding.
►►
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Activities ripe for set-shifting exploration
Choose a toy or resource that the children you
support play with regularly in a particular way.
Invent a totally new way of playing with that
toy and share it with them. For example if they
regularly build models out of toy bricks show
them how to use the bricks to colour in a drawing
on the floor as if building a mosaic out of them
Use stacking bricks to make print paintings
Place damp sand in a tough tray with sandcastle
buckets and spend time making sand castles.
Then remove the buckets and add in large
pencils, spread the sand flat and use it to write in
Turn a piece of furniture upside down and use it
in a different way. If inverting a classroom table,
use tennis balls cut along one side to pop over
the ends of table legs to prevent injury. Turning
a table upside down and making it a boat in an
imaginary game is a wonderful piece of setshifting
Line up a selection of sturdy toys and hit them
with a musical mallet to see what sounds they
make. Order them according to their sounds and
then play them as if they are a glockenspiel
Make grated-cheese sandwiches by sprinkling
grated cheese onto a plate, buttering the bread
and then printing it into the cheese
Activities like these have also been shown to
increase creativity in adults so by playing at
spectacular set-shifting with your children, you may
well find you are better able to come up with new
activity ideas yourself!
The Sensory Projects believe that with the right
knowledge and a little creativity, inexpensive
resources can become effective tools for inclusion.
Find out about The Sensory Projects events here:
bit.ly/tsptickets
Joanna Grace
Joanna Grace is an
international sensory
engagement and inclusion
specialist, trainer, author,
TEDx speaker and founder of
The Sensory Projects.
Consistently rated as
Outstanding by Ofsted,
Joanna has taught in
mainstream and specialschool
settings, connecting
with pupils of all ages and
abilities. To inform her
work, Joanna draws on her
own experience from her
private and professional
life as well as taking in all
the information she can
from the research archives.
Joanna’s private life includes
family members with
disabilities and neurodiverse
conditions and time spent
as a registered foster carer
for children with profound
disabilities.
Joanna has published three
books: Sensory Stories
for children and teens,
Sensory-being for Sensory
Beings and Sharing Sensory
Stories and Conversations
with People with Dementia.
Her latest two books were
launched at TES SEN in
October.
Joanna is a big fan of social
media and is always happy
to connect with people
via Facebook, Twitter and
Linkedin.
Website:
thesensoryprojects.co.uk
28 Parenta.com November 2018 29
Safeguarding staff
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2017 requires childcare providers to have policies for
safeguarding and child protection. Most of this is geared towards safeguarding children, but
there is growing evidence that nursery staff also need protecting against unsubstantiated or false
allegations which can destroy an adult’s long-standing reputation and career in seconds.
Allegations usually fall
into the category of
either personal/company
negligence, or child
abuse, including neglect,
sexual, emotional and/or
physical abuse.
Below are some tips and
advice to help safeguard
your staff against this.
Working environment
All staff have the right to
work in an environment
that is compliant with
current health and safety
legislation. Your dedicated
health and safety officer
should ensure this
legislation is adhered to.
Risk-assessments
should be carried out
and recorded daily so
that problems can be
identified and resolved.
This becomes especially
important if you hire
a community space.
Assessments should
include the temperature,
toilet facilities, suitability
of spaces, electrical and
fire hazards, trip hazards
and security to name but
a few.
Consider the structure and
appropriateness of the
building too. For example,
can you fit glass panels
to doors to protect staff
by making spaces more
visible, whilst also keeping
the children secure?
Protocols and
procedures
This is a key requirement
and there should be
robust recruitment
procedures for staff and
volunteers such as DBS
and reference checks.
Specific safeguarding and
child protection training
needs to be provided for
all staff at induction.
Good practice might also
include volunteers if time
and resources allow,
but at the very least,
volunteers should sign to
confirm they have seen
and understood your
child protection policies.
Ignorance is no adequate
defence after all.
Ensure too that your
policies are regularly
reviewed and adhered to
by all staff and that they
have adequate support
from senior leaders during
working hours.
Staff need insurance
which provides advice and
legal cover in the case of
a claim against them. This
might be through a union
or your organisation’s
insurance, but the
accessibility of swift legal
advice may prevent a
potential safeguarding
situation escalating.
Staff should also be
made aware of the roles,
responsibilities and
contact details of your
designated safeguarding
leads, the deputy leads
and the LADO (local
authority designated
officer) as well as their
own responsibilities
towards whistleblowing
and how to report
concerns against other
staff or members of
management.
You should also have a
written policy on how
to deal with allegations
against staff.
Everyday routines
These are things like:
• Drop-off and pick-up
• Nappy changing
• Handling medicines
• Food and allergies
• Accidents
• Touching and/or
comforting children
• Bullying
Ensure you have written
policies for each situation.
For example, staff should
understand when they
can and cannot touch
children, especially in
relation to children who
are crying, distressed or
at risk of harming other
children. There can be
misunderstandings about
this and about what level
of physical intervention
is acceptable, so regular
training can help protect
staff from allegations of
inappropriate physical
contact.
You could also offer
parents education so that
they understand that if
one child is threatening
another, it’s the nursery’s
duty to physically
intervene to prevent injury
to one or both parties.
It’s also the management’s
responsibility to ensure
adequate cover for
transport situations and at
the beginning and end of
the day, so that staff are
not inadvertently left alone
with a child.
Activities
Activities and events
make learning fun, but
staff should not be put in
compromising situations
because of them, so
ensure that everything
you do is properly riskassessed
and authorised.
Guidelines do not expect
all risks to be eliminated,
but risks should be
recognised, understood,
assessed and minimised.
If parents are made aware
of potential risks and
give their consent, an
accusation of negligence
is much less likely. Try
also, to link all activities
to an appropriate, wellrecognised
learning goal.
Use of technology
Technology is a wonderful,
enriching learning tool
but can also potentially
introduce hazardous
environments for both
children and staff. An
‘innocent’ photograph of
children playing, taken
on a personal mobile
and uploaded to social
media will most likely be
construed negatively if not
authorised or sanctioned
properly.
Develop protocols which
cover all technology
including mobiles. You
might consider asking
staff to hand in their
mobiles at the start of the
day or be very vigilant
about their use (e.g. only
in the staff areas).
Staff should not be allowed
to give out personal
details unless agreed
by management and
ensure that all lines of
communication are through
official pre-school emails,
which are more easily
monitored and transparent
than personal ones.
Check there are
appropriate internet filter
and safeguarding settings
on all ICT equipment to
avoid inadvertent slips.
Home visits
If your nursery engages in
home visits, write a homevisit
protocol which is
adhered to. This generally
involves staff going in
pairs and not entering
houses if a parent or a
second member of staff
are not there.
Keeping records
It is imperative that
adequate records are
kept of all potential
safeguarding incidents.
Records should be based
on fact and not opinions
since they may be
produced in court in the
event of any allegations or
legal action. Keep them
factual, accurate and
professional.
Safeguarding is not just
about keeping children
safe, but also about
the responsibilities that
employers have to their
staff to ensure that they
are well-informed, welltrained
and properly
supported.
Click here for more
information.
30 Parenta.com November 2018 31
Empowering children
through stories
In a world that is becoming more and more digital, it is more
important than ever to emphasise how important stories are in
a child’s development. Computers and tablets are great in many
ways. However, they can never and should never replace that
special moment when you snuggle up with a good old-fashioned
book.
Children have so much to learn about themselves and the world
around them. Stories are powerful tools that communicate
different messages and concepts and also provide children
with opportunities to process thoughts and feelings that can
sometimes become overwhelming.
Here are some benefits of storytime:
Managing feelings
Children have so many big emotions to process and navigate. Relating to
characters in stories can really help little ones to make sense of different
feelings and situations. It also helps them to realise that they are not alone.
Languages & communication
We all speak to our children every day but the language we use can be
repetitive and limited. Stories ensure that children hear different vocabulary
from a range of themes that they wouldn’t necessarily hear in day-to-day life.
Listening & concentration
At first, when reading to children they may want to fidget, turn pages before you have finished reading them or even swap
books every 5 seconds! However, by consistently having storytime, they will develop their ability to concentrate and to sit still
for longer periods of time.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is one of the most important traits a person can have. The ability to understand yourself, your place in the
world and how you impact and react to others can shape your path, your relationships and your general happiness. Stories
allow children to gain an understanding of different concepts and relate them to their own life and behaviour. As well as
reading to children, it is important to spend time talking about different characters and scenes in the book. This allows them
to process information and gain an understanding of their own thoughts, feelings and actions.
Imagination & empathy
Storybooks are an amazing way to develop imagination and empathy because they allow children to transport themselves
into another world or situation and to identify with concepts that are not necessarily a part of their own reality. Asking
children to guess what happens next, what a character is doing or how they think they might be feeling can help to develop
these two important qualities. A child will only ever achieve what their mind allows them to visualise first, which is why
developing imagination is crucial. The ability to empathise with others will also impact their relationships and will help them
to be kinder to others, which will also take them far in life.
Reading for success
Reading to children from early infancy contributes to how well they perform in
school. Studies show that when children are read to, certain parts of the brain
are affected and this has a lasting impact on language, literacy and early
reading skills.
Attachment and bonding
One of the most important things you can give to children is your time. Reading
stories together gives you a great opportunity to spend one-on-one time on a
regular basis. Not only reading the story but also talking about the characters
and truly listening to what children have to say will have a big impact. Not only
will it make children feel valued, which will build self-esteem, but it will also
strengthen your bond, which will give them a sense of safety and security.
As you can see there are so many reasons that storytime is important in a child’s
development. We all want to give children the best start in life and by simply reading
to them every day we can help to create a strong foundation for their future. Who
wouldn’t want to give children the gift of knowledge, empathy, self-awareness and
self-esteem? A simple story a day can do just that!
Stacey Kelly
Stacey Kelly is a former
teacher, a parent to 2
beautiful babies and the
founder of Early Years Story
Box, which is a subscription
website providing children’s
storybooks and early years
resources. She is passionate
about building children’s
imagination, creativity and
self-belief and about creating
awareness of the impact
that the early years have
on a child’s future. Stacey
loves her role as a writer,
illustrator and public speaker
and believes in the power of
personal development. She is
also on a mission to empower
children to live a life full of
happiness and fulfillment,
which is why she launched
the #ThankYouOaky Gratitude
Movement.
Sign up to Stacey’s Premium
Membership here and use the
code PARENTA20 to get 20%
off or contact Stacey for an
online demo.
Email:
stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/
earlyyearsstorybox
Twitter:
twitter.com/eystorybox
Instagram:
instagram.com/
earlyyearsstorybox
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/stacey-kellya84534b2/
32 Parenta.com November 2018 33
What our customers say
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
NURSERY
SOFTWARE & TRAINING OCTOBER 2018
We have used the Parenta software for a few years now and love using it. Yes like any system it will not do everything that you want,
however, email the team your suggestions and they will put it forward to the tech guys and programmers to see if it possible to
add. I love working with the team, making suggestions, learning what the system does. The team really do listen to what you want
and are willing to help. Goodness knows how many times I have rung them for advice, and they always happy to assist (even when
I’m the problem!) The services that Parenta offer are amazing from, producing an amazing magazine (of which I have only recently discovered)
and it is full of valuable information, ideas, awards, news, and involving practitioners to have their say too. My staff find the system easy to use,
reducing paperwork and freeing up time to really be involved with the children. Parents say they look forward to their daily emails, as they are
clearly set up, easy to read and fun.
We also use Parenta for our training and again I cannot fault the high-quality service and support they
provide. We have been luckily enough to have the same assessor (Emma) which is important to my team
as she really understands the different learning styles everyone has and she seamlessly adapts her
training to support individuals.
This is a team that really care from the cleaners to the CEO's of the company, they work together
to provide a professional and well delivered services of which I cannot fault. I love working
with them, they embrace change and challenges and really do make the time to build on
relationships with their clients. I know it sounds like I am on a commission
to say nice things, but this is genuine, I really do not have anything
negative to say. Enough grovelling, try the system for yourselves.
Linda Innes - St John’s Nursery Group
PROFESSIONAL
SUPPORT
WEBSITE DESIGN
Think of it like this – a nursery website is like having your very own
marketing team working on promoting your setting 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, 365 days a year…need we say any more?!
We are childcare specialists
We know the requirements of Ofsted
We understand what will get parents to engage with you
SOFTWARE & TRAINING SEPTEMBER 2018
Our nursery has been supported by Parenta’s software and now
Parenta’s apprenticeship training since we began, 3 years ago. Your
services have been invaluable in helping us build our wonderful nursery.
We are now fully occupied (and have been for some time) with a waiting list for every
age group! Our nursery has a distinctive ethos, putting children’s individual
needs at our heart. We believe in natural resources, following children’s own
interests to help them reach their own learning potential
as well as giving them plenty of outdoor time in our all
weather, astro-turf garden.
Chris Ford - Little Adventurers Nursery
TRAINING OCTOBER 2018
Our Assessor, Heather Gamble, was really supportive
& encouraging. Always at the end of
the phone when needed for a query
or assistance. Really lovely lady.
Jane Tuffrey - Zoe Evans Childcare Ltd
TRAINING SEPTEMBER 2018
Thank you Holly you really are a
lovely person and I’m glad you
are my tutor!
Amanda Smith - St Peter’s Nursery
FILL PLACES
EASILY
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34 Parenta.com November 2018 35
parenta.com/websites
Creating
environments that
develop potential
and the ideas of
Reuven Feuerstein
I was first introduced to the theoretical work of
Reuven Feuerstein by my friend and mentor the
late Professor Bob Burden when I trained as an
educational psychologist at the University of Exeter. At
the time, I thought Feuerstein’s ideas were wonderful
and they changed the way I came to think about
children’s development, especially how they learn.
In the following article, which explores Feuerstein’s
emphasis on developing children’s potential, I would
like to acknowledge the help of Martine Burke, Lead
Practitioner of an outstanding nursery in Bristol. I
invited Martine to offer an example of an aspect of the
nursery’s work with children that could illustrate how
a creative use of the children’s environment could be
used to develop their potential, which is a central idea,
at the heart of Feuerstein’s theory. Martine came up
with a wonderful example where the children at her
nursery were engaging in activities out of doors (see
example below).
Who is Reuven Feuerstein?
Reuven Feuerstein was born
in Botosani, Romania in 1921
and following the end of
World War II, he worked with
children who had survived the
Holocaust. This experience
was to shape his own thinking
about how children think and
learn. Feuerstein observed
how these children, when
initially assessed using
standardised intelligence
(IQ) did not perform well
but when he worked with
them on an individual basis,
they performed far better
than their test scores had
suggested; more importantly,
he found that their intellectual
performance greatly improved.
This led Reuven to look more
closely at how these children
learned and to question if, in
fact, their intellectual abilities
were fixed from birth. He
then began to explore how
children’s thinking skills could
be developed and improved
so that they could be helped to
reach their potential.
Feuerstein’s ideas
Feuerstein suggested that
practitioners should believe
that a child’s potential for
learning ought to have almost
no limits. He also suggested
that artificial barriers prevent
change in how children learn
and realise their potential.
Reuven also proposed that
all children, no matter what
their degree of difficulty can,
with the appropriate level of
support, become effective
learners. By adopting such a
belief system, practitioners,
he argued, can then be freed
from the type of restricted
thinking that might limit
their vision of what could be
possible for them to achieve
with every child.
Reuven argued that a central
feature in children’s intellectual
learning is, learning how
to learn and he called this
process the ‘Mediated
Learning Experience’ where
adults working with children
ensure that the children
understand what is being
asked of them when they
engage in a new activity.
Practitioners, therefore,
should take great care when
explaining to children why they
are being asked to engage
in a particular activity and
that they understand that
the activity has real value as
opposed to being something
that will occupy them for a
time. A particular strength
of Feuerstein’s theory is that
it places children’s potential
for learning at the very
heart of their activities with
adults. By emphasising the
distinction between ‘ability’
and ‘potential’, Feuerstein
recognised the importance
of adults creating learning
environments where children
can realise their potential.
The following example
shows how practitioners at
an outstanding early years
setting have been using the
outdoors environment to
support children in realising
their potential:
Example
When thinking about the
outdoor environment at
our setting we value the
importance of creating
opportunities for the children
to explore using a wide range
of resources; the children like
to use their imagination with
chosen resources. We are
very fortunate to have access
to a small courtyard garden
area which the youngest of
children can freely access
and which I feel is very
important as they then have
opportunities to make choices
themselves safely, and to
venture off and explore under
supervision. Practitioners
set up activities that include
mark-making, sand and water,
and construction, as well
as allowing the children to
transport resources of choice
from their room to the outside
to extend and support their
play further. We also have
a bigger garden area which
has plenty of spaces for riding
bikes and scooters, climbing
trees, and playing hide and
seek games, as well as having
a range of natural resources
with which to explore. The
children respond very well to
this type of environment and
like to use their imagination
and importantly, their thinking
skills, as well as physical skills,
all of which works to develop
their individual potential.
Recently, I observed one group
of children for a short time
when they were using tyres to
roll, push and move around
the garden. The children were
working well together, showing
good levels of involvement
as well as problem-solving
skills. Practitioners were
carefully supporting their play
by providing more resources
and allowing the children to
take a lead with their play. As
a setting, we have reflected
upon our resources and I
have discussed with my team
the importance of ensuring
that the small garden area
has more problem-solving
opportunities even for the
youngest of the children. We
have decided to make regular
visits to the local ‘Scrapstore’
and create a space where
loose parts can be kept
outside for the children to have
access to.
This example illustrates the
importance of those ideas
that underpin Feuerstein’s
theory, which emphasises the
importance of adults creating
meaningful environments
for young children that give
them opportunities, under
supervision, to develop their
individual potential.
Prof Sean MacBlain
Professor Sean MacBlain
PhD, C. Psychol., C. Sci.,
FRSM, FHEA, AMBDA is
a distinguished author
whose most recent
publication is: MacBlain
(Sage, 2018) Learning
Theories for Early Years
Practice. Other publications
include: MacBlain (Sage,
2014) How Children Learn;
Gray and MacBlain (Sage,
2015) Learning Theories in
Childhood, now going into
its 3rd edition; MacBlain,
Long and Dunn, (Sage,
2015) Dyslexia, Literacy and
Inclusion: Child-centred
Perspectives; MacBlain,
Dunn and Luke (Sage, 2017)
Contemporary Childhood;
Sean’s publications are used
by students, academics and
practitioners worldwide.
He is currently a senior
academic at Plymouth
Marjon University where
he teaches on a range of
undergraduate programmes
and supervises students at
masters and doctoral level.
Sean worked previously as a
Senior Lecturer in Education
and Developmental
Psychology at Stranmillis
University College, Queens
University Belfast and for
over twenty years as an
educational psychologist
in private practice. Sean
lives with his wife Angela in
Somerset, England.
For further information on creating environments that develop
potential in the early years, see the following link to Sean’s latest
book: MacBlain, S.F. (2018) Learning Theories for Early Years
Practice. London: Sage: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/
learning-theories-for-early-years-practice/book259408
36 Parenta.com November 2018 37
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November 2018 39