September 2021 Parenta magazine

Issue 82
SEPTEMBER 2021
FREE
Industry
Experts
Celebrating difference
and neurodivergence:
part 6
GROWing self-confidence
as a leader... and getting
your team ready for a
new term
Music and self-regulation
in the early years
+ lots more
Write for us
for a chance to win
£50
page 6
Settling in to a new
academic year
It’s a new academic year and we are welcoming new people to our settings: children, staff and
parents alike. To intensify matters, the new EYFS kicks in too. But what about the general things
that you can do to help your new intake adjust to life in your setting?
UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN • LOOKING FOR PANDAS • INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CHARITY

hello
welcome to our family
JUNE SEPTEMBER 2020 ISSUE 2021 67 ISSUE 82
IN THIS EDITION
Regulars
Hello and welcome to the September edition of the Parenta magazine!
The summer is drawing to a close, and the new academic year – not to mention the new EYFS - is upon us already!
We have previously talked about practical preparations that you can do to ensure your setting is new term-ready, but
how do you give your team the best start to the new year, particularly those who have been away from the setting for
some time? We are focusing this month on ways in which you can help your staff build their confidence back up again
and get up to speed with any new policies, procedures, industry news and training that they may have missed out on.
Guest author Ruth Mercer delves into this in her article “GROWing self-confidence as a leader…and getting your team ready for a new
term” giving us some invaluable advice as to the importance of looking after ourselves first and being a role model for our staff. Turn to
page 22 for her easy to follow, step by step guide.
We have an eclectic mix of fantastic advice this month from so many industry experts: Kathryn Peckham talks to us about understanding
the children in our care as she introduces us to her “Nurturing Childhood” series, Gina Bale is “Looking for Pandas” in her article about
kinaesthetic learners, Joanna Grace continues her “Celebrating difference and neurodivergence” series, Katie White shows us how to
“Playfully support an avoidant child” and we welcome nurture consultant Sonia Mainstone-Cotton as she guides us on “Supporting
children with social, emotional and mental health needs”.
As always, everything you read in our magazine is written to help you with the efficient running of your setting and to promote the health,
happiness and well-being of the children in your care.
Please feel free to share the magazine with friends, parents and colleagues – they can sign up to receive their own copy here!
Please continue to stay safe, everyone.
Allan
6 Write for us for the chance to win £50!
6 Guest author winner announced
18 Search jar
19 Two-ingredient ice-cream
33 Congratulations to our learners
News
4 Childcare news and views
5 A round-up of some news stories
that have caught our eye over the
month
Advice
10 Returning to work after time away
14 Settling into a new academic year
20 Organic September
28 Start living sustainably this September
36 International Day of Charity
Playfully supporting an avoidant child 26
Supporting children with social, emotional and
mental health needs
30
Returning to
work after time
away
10
As restrictions have been
steadily lifted over the last
few months, people are
gradually being encouraged
back into work.
Looking for
Pandas
12
Combining elements of
music, make-believe and
movement for a multisensory
approach as you
follow the ‘Looking for
Pandas’ adventure.
Organic September 20
We need to act now to avert a
catastrophe on a worldwide scale.
You can help with sustainability by
getting involved in Organic September,
a month-long campaign encouraging
everyone to be more organic.
Industry Experts
8 Understanding children
12 Looking for Pandas
16 Celebrating difference and
neurodivergence: part 6
22 GROWing self-confidence as a leader…
and getting your team ready for a
new term
26 Playfully supporting an avoidant child
30 Supporting children with social,
emotional and mental health needs
32 Book review : Using stories to support
learning and development in early
childhood
34 Nurturing Childhoods interview with
Kathryn Peckham
38 Music and self-regulation in the early
years
Nurturing childhoods interview with Kathryn
Peckham
34
Music and self-regulation in the early years 38

Childcare
news & views
A round-up of some news
stories that have caught
our eye over the month
Source and image
credits to:
The Times, Southern Daily
Echo, Insider Media Limited,
Cambridgeshire Live News, Daily
Record, The Northern Echo
Education minister urges parents to
seriously consider apprenticeships
over university for their children
Education minister, Gavin Williamson, has
urged middle-class parents not to rule out
apprenticeships for their children as figures
reveal that apprentices could be £50,000-
plus better off than the average degree
student after three years of studying.
A record number of students are expected
to apply for university this year - but up
to a third could be rejected from some of
the most oversubscribed courses amid
fierce competition and grade inflation
as places through clearing dry up. But
Gavin Williamson has urged middle-class
parents not to rule out apprenticeships
for their children when they receive their
A-level results.
Self-isolation and ‘pingdemic’ causes
nearly half of all early years settings
in England to close
‘Help educate parents to sign up for
Government’s Healthy Start Scheme’:
Marcus Rashford
Families risk losing out under
new childcare scheme
Childcare services in disadvantaged
communities are at risk of losing out
after a reduction in subsidies for families
without employment.
Kingsmead Day Nursery children
raise £600 for Marwell Zoo
The nursery raised over 240% of their
original target whilst taking part in the
summer safari activities. During the
week they dressed up, had a picnic and
organised a Safari Sports Day!
Burbage Day Nursery is snapped
up by Kids Planet Nursery chain
The family-owned nursery chain
expands even further than existing
76 nurseries in the UK by purchasing
Burbage Day Nursery with the capacity
for 73 children.
The Education Secretary has previously
slammed the ‘inbuilt snobbishness’ by
some to further education other than a
degree, blaming families who believe their
children should go to university as a ‘rite of
passage’.
Analysis by MailOnline has found that
when taking into account the debt
accumulated by a degree student and
other costs, an apprentice is £52,732
better off on average after three years.
In addition, some apprentices will enjoy
a starting salary that is higher than the
£24,000 average of an arts degree
student who has attended a mid-ranking
former polytechnic university, especially
when compared to apprentices training to
be accountants.
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
Nearly 50% of childcare providers in
England have had to either fully or partially
close at least once since 1st June, due to
self-isolation requirements, according to a
new survey.
The survey, published by the Early Years
Alliance polled more than 1,000 early
years providers and reveals that nearly a
third of providers had to fully close at least
once and more than nine in 10 providers
believed the early years sector should be
added to the self-isolation exemption list.
In response to the findings of its survey,
the Alliance has called for early years
providers to be added to the list of sectors
exempt from self-isolation requirements
“as a matter of urgency”.
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
In an open letter published by the British
Medical Journal (BMJ), footballer and
child food poverty campaigner, Marcus
Rashford, has urged more low-income
families to sign up for the Government’s
Healthy Start Scheme.
He is calling on health professionals to
spread the word about the scheme, in a
bid to increase take-up among eligible
families. He says that many families do
not realise they qualify for Healthy Start
vouchers and are missing out on the
scheme’s benefits.
In the letter, Mr Rashford explains that
nearly half of families eligible for the
voucher scheme, i.e. those in receipt of a
welfare benefit and who have at least one
child under four or are pregnant, are still
not registered.
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
Cambridge nurseries in desperate
need for staff
With critical staff shortages fewer places
for children are available. There are
currently just under 30 vacancies across
the Cambridge area.
Lockerbie Academy plea for
fundraising after fire destroys
the nursery play equipment
After the devastating news of the
vandalism, a ‘Go Fund Me’ page was set
up along with various bikes, trikes and
toys donated by local parents.
Nursery staff take part in
fundraising walk after local
one-year-old, Vinnie, suffers
brain injury
High Bank Day Nursery in Stapleton
raised £1,810 after completing walk to
support little Vinnie.
4 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 5

Write for us!
NEW BOOK RELEASE!
Supporting children with social,
emotional and mental health needs in
the Early Years
We’re always on the lookout
for new authors to contribute
insightful articles for our
monthly magazine.
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 Amazon
vouchers to our “Guest Author of the Month”. You
can find all the details here:
https://www.parenta.com/sponsored-content/
www.soniamainstone-cotton.com
Congratulations
to our guest author competition winner, Katie White!
Congratulations to Katie White, our guest author of
the month! Her article “3 ways to cultivate a summer
of play” emphasised the importance of playfulness
for adults and that we should make it a priority to
encourage children to explore their emotions. Well
done Katie!
A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for
writing for us. You can find all of the past articles
from our guest authors on our website:
www.parenta.com/parentablog/guest-authors
Exclusive FREE
‘Looking for Pandas’
training session
(RRP £60.25)
A full FREE “Looking for Pandas” training experience from
Littlemagictrain, that combines the elements of music,
make-believe, and movement to give you a multi-sensory
approach to reach all your children and help them learn.
Perfect for children with additional learning needs. The
sessions have been created in such a way to give you
many opportunities for learning through play and the fun
of “what next?”.
“Looking for Pandas” is our new
“special edition” and this month
it is FREE just for Parenta readers.
Visit www.littlemagictrain.com and
use the code PARENTAPANDAS.
100% Discount code
PARENTAPANDAS
Lead the Way with Success
If you have enjoyed reading Ruth’s articles about leadership
through a coaching approach, why not consider inviting her
to work with you and/or your setting?
With a career background in Early Education and Leadership, Ruth works
as a coach and consultant across the Early Years’ sector. She can offer
the following:
1:1 coaching for head teachers/leaders/managers
1:1 coaching for senior leaders
Small group coaching for leaders/teams
Action Learning sets
Introductory courses on coaching and mentoring for you and
your team
Leadership learning course (6 half day sessions) for EYFS
leads or nursery managers
With Covid 19 impacting on schools and settings,
Ruth can offer her services on a virtual online
platform, tailored to your needs.
If you would like to know how Ruth can support you,
please get in touch for an initial conversation:
Email: ruthmercercoaching@gmail.com
Website: www.ruthmercercoaching.com
6 September 2021 | | parenta.com
Winner need updating
parenta.com | September 2021 7

Understanding children
Whether you are a new practitioner, or managing a setting of 200 children, looking after children
can be tough. No two children are the same, nor are any two days with them it would seem, and they
certainly don’t come with personalised user guides. Despite this, well-intentioned advice will be
coming at you from every angle, and it can be difficult to know who to turn to for trusted guidance,
as you make decisions for the children in your care.
While no two children are the same, the
fundamental processes of growth and
development that guide them are. But how
do you begin to understand what children
need?
With the revised EYFS and supplementary
guides, to anecdotal advice shared
during a coffee break, there is no end of
information coming your way. And let us
not get started on any one of a hundred
sites you may land on when looking to the
internet for advice. But with the content
of training being as changeable as the
children, where can you go to for advice
you can trust?
While you may be surrounded by these
influences, the truth is that in that moment
when you make a decision, or engage
with a child, it is your opinions, beliefs and
actions that are what really count. And
these will be informed by a mix of all these
things, and more.
When you have the knowledge and
understanding of how children are
developing, how their brain and body
is maturing and the complex processes
that are occurring, you can begin to trust
in your own instincts. You can observe
your children’s actions and behaviours,
even in those difficult moments, and
rely on your own science as you develop
techniques that work for you and your
setting. Regardless of what you may have
read, or those recommendations that do
not quite sit comfortably, you can begin to
distinguish the techniques and practices
you do want to follow.
Children at every age and stage of
development are facing a boggling
world of depth and texture, sounds and
emotions, relationships and expectations.
Sometimes that can feel overwhelming for
the best of us, however, in bodies that they
are still learning how to manage, and that
are changing daily, this can be a stressful
ordeal. Especially for children who have
not yet learnt to manage stress effectively.
These skills are being learnt through every
experience; within loving environments
where stress levels are carefully managed,
and appropriate responses are being
demonstrated. Before this time, your
children will have emotionally charged
reactions whenever an experience
becomes too stressful for them to manage
effectively. This can be something as
simple as a loud bang for a baby, raised
voices for a toddler, or a disagreement
over who will be ‘Mummy’ in the preschool.
Whatever their age, this kind of
reaction is a clear indication that the
situation is simply more than they can
handle.
We must then look to manage the
environment and the situation before
things become too much – and it always
helps to have a well-considered plan for
when emotions do tip beyond the point of
no return.
Children need to feel a sense of love and
security. They need to be sheltered from
excessively negative experiences within a
calm environment, that is at the same time
steeped in sensory-rich experiences. Once
these things are in place, children begin
to develop an emotional stability. They
learn to experience their emotions without
becoming afraid of them or developing
negative behaviours as a reaction to them.
Children also need lots of opportunities
to try different experiences, to engage
for as long as they are interested and to
be rewarded for their efforts. They need
environments that are rich in language,
surrounded by people who talk to them.
They need to have conversations and
really engage, using a wide range of
words from the time they are born.
And lots of opportunities for social
interactions – with different ages in
different situations. If you can provide
these opportunities, and help your families
to do the same, many of the difficulties
experienced will resolve themselves.
There is a limit however! Luckily, children at
any age are particularly good at letting us
know when they have had enough. When
an experience becomes overwhelming,
it begins to generate a negative level of
stress within the body, causing them to
employ any technique they can to get
away from it. While you may experience
this as the negative behaviours you or
your parents are desperately seeking a
quick solution to, the easy fix of the naughty
step, time outs or raised voices do little to
address the underlying issue. And all that
happens is behavioural patterns are laid
down, ready to be remembered next time.
Negative experiences within any
environment are enough to shut down the
thinking part of a child’s brain – the cerebral
cortex. When this happens, activity in this
region of the brain decreases, leaving them
functioning from the more emotionally
reactive lower brain, where their primitive
functions reside – this may sound familiar.
And if you combine this with a situation that
is demanding a particular response – such
as getting them ready to go outside – or
expectations that they are not mature
enough to handle – such as sharing a
favoured toy – you can see why emotional
fallout can be expected. Unfortunately, this
experience can be all too familiar when
stressful demands are placed on children
during their first experiences of, say, the
school classroom. Just when they need
their cerebral cortex the most.
Children are hard-wired to develop in mind
and body through every experience. It is
only when something gets in the way of
these natural instincts that we begin to
experience problems.
During the early years, children are
growing and learning more rapidly than
at any other time of their lives. But they are
also laying down the expectations and
responses towards every future learning
experience. To do this effectively, they need
adults around them who understand the
importance of their early years, as well
as their need for emotional stability. And
it is only once a child is secure in their
environment and their relationships, that
their attentions can turn to other things. This
is especially important at this time when all
our emotions and sense of security have
been hugely disrupted. So, enjoy time with
your children, manage your expectations
and take every opportunity to connect.
Understanding Children is the first session
in the new Nurturing Childhoods suite
of talks and materials available for your
parents to purchase. For your chance
of winning a free Nurturing Childhoods
module for one of your parents, check out
this great new website and complete the
questionnaire. Together we can really begin
developing the potential of all children in
their early years.
Kathryn Peckham
As Founder of Nurturing Childhoods,
Dr Kathryn Peckham is a passionate
advocate for children’s access to rich and
meaningful experiences throughout their
foundational early years. Delivering
online courses, training and seminars, she
works with families and settings to identify
and celebrate the impact of effective
childhood experiences as preparation for
all of life’s learning. An active campaigner
for children, she consults on projects,
conducts research for government bodies
and contributes to papers launched in
parliament. Through her consultancy
and research she guides local councils,
practitioners, teachers and parents all
over the world in enhancing children’s
experiences through the experiences
they offer. A highly acclaimed author and
member of parliamentary groups, Kathryn
also teaches a Masters at the Centre for
Research in Early Years.
Get in contact with Kathryn by emailing
info@kathrynpeckham.co.uk.
8 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 9

Returning to work after
The last eighteen months have been
difficult for all of us: lockdowns, selfisolation,
furlough and social distancing
are all unknown words back in 2019, yet
are now in common parlance, even in
our junior schools! Some industries have
fared better than others too: everyone
seemed to be hiring extra delivery drivers
as our shopping habits moved even
further online and the manufacturers of
face masks must have thought it was
Christmas when the orders for PPE came
flooding in! However, many people were
not so lucky and a lot of people were
forced into furlough as their industries
time away
were closed by Government restrictions.
As these restrictions have been steadily
lifted over the last few months, people
are gradually being encouraged back
into work – theatres and cinemas have
reopened and offices are starting to refill
with workers. But is it that easy to return
to work after time away, whether on
furlough, for health reasons or having a
family? And how will people returning to
work in the early years sector cope? In
this article, we look at some of the issues
faced by people coming back to work for
whatever reason, and give you and them
some tips to help.
What are the issues?
Lack of confidence
One of the main problems that a lot of
people have when they return to work
after a break, is feeling less confident
about their role and what they know about
their industry, so it is important to make
sure that any returning staff are brought
up-to-speed with any new policies, legal
requirements or protocols as soon as
possible. It would be a good idea to run
through an induction programme again
for returning staff and make sure they feel
confident about anything they have missed
in the interim. Feeling anxious and unsure
about starting anything again is totally
understandable and we all feel like this at
some point in our lives. As an employer,
you can ease this feeling in your employees
by making sure you offer support and
guidance and keep lines of communication
open. You could offer the employee a
mentor or a buddy who they can checkin
with on a regular basis to discuss any
problems or queries they have. If you
do this though, make sure you set aside
some protected time for these meetings to
occur otherwise you may find that they get
missed in the general melee of everyday
work.
You may also need to allay people’s fears
for returning after COVID, so make sure
your protocols are clear and published for
keeping people safe.
Lack of training/qualifications
If you have people who are returning to
work after having a family or later in life,
you might find that they have qualifications
that are now out-of-date or were taken
some years ago. This could be an issue
in because things such as Paediatric First
Aid qualifications (and DBS checks) need
to be renewed and up-to-date in order
for them to be valid, so it is important that
you check the validity of their qualifications
before they start. Many people may not
have studied or been in a formal learning
environment for years either. If you need to
upskill them, there are many CPD courses
that are inexpensive and easy to study,
often which are now online, which can help
reintegrate staff and make them feel more
confident too. Parenta has a lot of online
CPD courses that are time and cost-effective
covering many aspects of early years work
from “Starting Work” to “Autism Awareness”
which you can access here.
Changes to working patterns
You may find that when people return
to work, your staffing requirements have
changed and you may now need them to
change their working patterns, for example
cover early or late shifts or work different
days than they did before. You cannot
assume either that they will want to, or be
available for exactly the same hours/days
as before, because the staff member may
also have had time to think about what
works best for them. You may have the
right to expect exactly the same hours as a
previous contract if you furloughed staff, but
negotiation is key here if you want to keep
a happy and effective workforce, so talk to
your existing or new staff about your needs
and ensure these details are all sorted out
prior to anyone restarting. If you can create
a win-win scenario that suits everyone,
you can create an atmosphere which will
benefit your business.
Management angst
One of the issues of people returning
to work after an extended period of
time away, is that inevitably, it is often
difficult to come back at the same level
they left and they may find that younger
or seemingly less experienced people
have been promoted above them, who
may have previously been below them
in the management structure. This can
be a tricky situation to deal with, but with
understanding and good communication,
these issues can be overcome. If people
have been away, then inevitably, things
in their work will have changed and they
may not easily accept some of the changes
that have occurred. If they were the room
leader when they left, and a new room
leader has been appointed in the time
they were away, then it may be difficult
to incorporate the returnee into the same
room and it may be wiser to shift things
around so that they have responsibility
elsewhere. It is important here to have
honest conversations with everyone about
your expectations, their expectations,
everyone’s roles and responsibilities and to
agree these in advance.
Top tips to help people returning
to work
• Plan for returnees and make sure
they know what their roles and
responsibilities will be, and what you
are expecting from them
• Run through an induction programme
for returning staff
• Consider having a mentor or buddy
system to help
• Consider a phased, or staggered
return
• Look at the training needs of all staff
and ensure you have good CPD
training available to upskill returning
staff
• Keep all lines of communication open
and check-in with your staff on a
regular basis
• If you have staff taking a leave of
absence or time off for other reasons,
who intend to return to work at some
point, make sure you keep them in the
communication loop by sending them
newsletters, meeting minutes or other
staff communications as appropriate
• Praise your staff often so they know
how they are getting on and that they
are valued
10 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 11

Looking for Pandas
Young children are kinaesthetic learners, and they need to move to learn!
If you take advantage of this offer,
you and the children will meet the
Littlemagictrain. You will just need to get
your magic sprinkles to help him grow so
you can all fit inside and then it’s time to
go “toot, toot” and off you go.
In your adventure “Looking for Pandas”,
the Littlemagictrain stops on Mount
Everest and after looking at your map,
together, you discover that you are in
the wrong place.
You come across a family
of red cranes, who helps
you fly to the Great Wall of
China.
On the wall, you accidentally wake up
some very fierce and noisy dragons.
Exclusive FREE ‘Looking for Pandas’
training experience (RRP 60.25)
Here for you, is a full FREE “Looking for Pandas” training experience from Littlemagictrain,
that combines the elements of music, make-believe, and movement to give you a multisensory
approach to reach all your children and help them learn. Perfect for children with
additional learning needs. The sessions have been created in such a way to give you many
opportunities for learning through play and the fun of “what next?”. The perfect way to help
children with myelin building. Did you read the article last month?
“Looking for Pandas” is our new “special edition” and this month it is FREE just for Parenta
readers. Visit www.littlemagictrain.com and use the code PARENTAPANDAS.
You manage to get away from them and
stumble over a very hungry pangolin
looking for ants.
Between his slurping and burping, he
directs you to the Bamboo Forest where
you and the children get a huge fright from
the tiger hiding in the bamboo.
The tiger is so sorry that he scared you that
he helps you. You run with the tigers, all
the way to the pandas who you find doing
somersaults, climbing trees, dancing, and
of course taking a well-deserved nap.
When the pandas have fallen asleep
it’s time to jump on board the
Littlemagictrain and go “toot, toot!” all
the way home. Once you have put him
away safely, you can sit down with the
children and ask questions about where
you went, who you saw, what they did,
how you felt – so many opportunities for
additional learning.
Did you know that throughout the session
you will be helping the children improve
their:
• Speech and language skills
• Personal and social development
• Emotional regulation, self-esteem and
confidence
• Knowledge and understanding of the
world and yourself
• Physical literacy
• Mathematical development
If you are feeling a little anxious, don’t
worry as you will receive all the information
needed to run the session. As part of the
giveaway, we will also include the training
videos linked to the session. Don’t forget
we are also here to help you if you need
any assistance.
And a little something extra for
the children
A certificate to present to the children at
the end of the final session. This certificate
has been designed so the children can
retrace their journey along the train tracks
at home with their family and friends.
All you must do is go to www.
littlemagictrain.com and go to “Shop” and
in the category “Special Offer” pop the
‘Looking for Pandas’ pack in your basket.
Once in your basket, enter your details
and then use the Discount Coupon Code
PARENTAPANDAS and it will be 100% FREE.
If you have any issues at all, please contact
Littlemagictrain directly on 01865 321212
or hello@littlemagictrain.com and we will
sort it out for you.
Don’t miss out get
your FREE session
today!
A little bit about the music
Music composed and performed by
Jonathan Still with drums, mixing and
mastering by Andrew Holdsworth. In the
music for “Looking for Pandas”, they have
used some traditional Chinese instruments,
though not in a traditional Chinese way,
more just as a way of signalling “this is
where we are today, in this adventure”.
In the red cranes, we tried to capture both
the grace and flow of flying, as well as the
epic grandeur of seeing a whole continent
and its landmarks from a bird’s-eye-view.
We love using sound effects, so you’ll
hear recordings of tigers growling along,
pangolins slurping (and occasionally
burping, after eating too many ants), and
the sound we think the pandas might make
inside when turning somersaults.
For absolutely no reason at all, except that
we learned that Marlene Dietrich could play
the musical saw, we decided to write a tune
for the relaxing pandas on that instrument,
which turns into a boisterous waltz for the
somersaults. Although they look lazy and
ponderous, we think that secretly pandas
might enjoy dance parties, so we gave
them an up-tempo final dance, followed
by some music to chill, and meditate when
it all gets too much, and they need a little
rest.
About the musicians
Jonathan Still and Andrew Holdsworth have
over twenty years of experience of music
in the dance world, whether it’s working
with pre-school children or with some
of the biggest stars of the international
ballet scene: Jonathan as pianist for
ballet schools and companies, and music
producer Andrew, playing for ballet classes
and recording music projects for dance
schools and companies.
About the illustrator
Anthony Shoreman created all the
illustrations for this adventure, and we are
so pleased that he continues to work on
many other adventures and activities for
Littlemagictrain.
About the creator of
Littlemagictrain
Gina Bale has taught, for over 28 years,
movement and dance in mainstream, early
years and SEND settings as well as dance
schools. Whilst teaching, Gina found the
time to create the ‘Hi-5’ dance programme
to run alongside the Australian Children’s
Gina Bale
Gina’s background was originally
ballet, but she has spent the last 27
years teaching movement and dance
in mainstream, early years and SEND
settings as well as dance schools.
Whilst teaching, Gina found the time to
create the ‘Hi-5’ dance programme to
run alongside the Australian Children’s
TV series and the Angelina Ballerina
Dance Academy for Hit Entertainment.
Her proudest achievement to date is her
baby Littlemagictrain. She created this
specifically to help children learn through
make-believe, music and movement.
One of the highlights has been seeing
Littlemagictrain delivered by Butlin’s
famous Redcoats with the gorgeous
‘Bonnie Bear’ on the Skyline stage.
Gina has qualifications of teaching
movement and dance from the Royal
Ballet School, Trinity College and Royal
Academy of Dance.
Use the code ‘PARENTA’ for a 20%
discount on Littlemagictrain downloads
from ‘Special Editions’, ‘Speech and
Language Activities’, ‘Games’ and
‘Certificates’.
TV series and the Angelina Ballerina Dance
Academy for Hit Entertainment. Her proudest
achievement to date, apart from her
daughter, is Littlemagictrain. She created
this specifically to help children, including her
daughter, learn through movement and play.
Gina’s long-suffering daughter spent her
formative years being a guinea pig, testing
the format of the adventures, until they were
just right.
12 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 13

Settling into a new
4
5
academic year
It’s a new academic year and we are welcoming new people to our settings: children, staff and parents
alike. To intensify matters, the new EYFS kicks in too. But what about the general things that you can
do to help your new intake adjust to life in your setting? Read on to find some advice on things you
can do to smooth the transition for everyone.
1
Give information ahead of time
The more people know about your setting,
how it works and what to expect when they
get there, the less anxious they will be, so
make sure you have given out as much
information as you can ahead of time.
Induction days help here so put yourself in
your new recruits’ shoes and think about
what you would want to know, be it things
about the rooms, staff, food, changing nappy
protocols, safety standards or curriculum.
Make sure you have answered as many
potential questions as possible and set up
easy ways that people can contact you with
any last-minute queries.
2
Be organised
It is vital that you have organised everyday
things, protocols and procedures in advance
so that your staff can go straight into the job
of looking after the children. Make sure that
your rotas are set up and that you have cover
for early and late sessions with the correct
ratios and experience. Ensure that you also
have plans in place for sickness or selfisolation
cover since, although COVID cases
are currently falling, we are still quite a way
from being back to normal.
14 September 2021 | parenta.com
3
Support drop-off and pick-up
One time of the day that you can ease new children into your setting more easily is at
drop-off and pick-up, when anxieties are high. You might want to set up a slightly later
or slightly earlier time for a new intake so that they are not caught up with the melee
of established parents. Ensure too that you have enough staff around to support the
children during these times. It may mean adjusting your working hours slightly so that
staff and children are not all expecting to go home at exactly the same time, ensuring
instead that your staff have time to talk to parents at the end of the child’s day, and then
some extra time to tidy up and lock up the setting after that. Children are often keen to
show their parents things they have done during the day, so establish routines to ensure
things do not get forgotten.
Get to know the children quickly – use your circle time
The quicker you get to know the children in your care, the sooner you know what their
needs are, and the better your care will be. Obviously, you will have spoken to parents
and carers before admitting children, but your staff are well placed to observe things that
parents might not, such as how children react in different social environments or how
they play with new children. Circle time can be a great time to ask questions, pass on
information about activities or your expectations, and generally understand what makes
everyone tick. Don’t underestimate the information you can get from circle time, and make
sure your staff are tuned in to what to look and listen out for, as well as who they should
pass information on to if they are concerned for any reason.
Consider too the impact that the pandemic may have had on the children coming into the
setting this year. Many of them may be less well socially-adjusted than previous years,
because they may not have had the same social interactions with their family,
friends and other children that previous intakes have. They may well have
spent most of their short lives with a limited number of people and may be
more nervous about meeting, or socialising with larger groups. Circle
time can be used to allay their fears, make new friends and ease
and tensions that may develop. You can even use it to practice
things like saying goodbye to parents or role-play other social
scenarios to help educate them on these things.
Allow emotions and help with
them
At this time of year, children will be feeling
a lot of emotions that they may not have felt
before. They may not have been separated
from their parents/carers for long periods of
time, they may not know how to share with
others or how to express their frustration
when things don’t go their way. This is all
part of developing as a human being and
little ones will need your expert guidance
and support to manage new emotions,
label and understand them. Spending
some extra effort to watch out for signs of
emotional distress will pay off in the long
run as the children learn to adjust to new
rules and expectations. It doesn’t mean
relaxing your standards of behaviour or
abandoning rules, but it does mean having
the patience to look at the situations fully
and to take time to understand any social
or cultural aspects that may affect students
too.
6
Explain what’s happening
Find multisensory ways to explain what to expect each day, especially if you have SEN
children. Use words if they are old enough to understand, but also make visual or auditory
clues as to what is going to be next. This could be singing songs in transitions between
activities or having a clapping rhythm to signal other sections in the day. The more they
understand about what is happening, the less anxious they will be.
7
Be consistent
One of the things that many humans of any age struggle with most, is change, even
though it is the catalyst to new growth and new experiences. However, you can help
people respond to the change and shock of starting nursery, by being consistent with a
few things so their day has some certainty in it. Humans need a degree of certainty in
their lives to feel secure. You can help parents too by liaising with and advising them about
the things their child has achieved during the day and offering suggestions on ways to
continue this at home, be that with potty training, vocabulary or developing fine motor
skills. That way, the transition to nursery will be easier all round.
parenta.com | September 2021 15

Celebrating difference and
neurodivergence: part 6
Being different is brilliant!
This article is the last article in a series of six from Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist,
Joanna Grace. The activities described in each article build up to form a toolkit for celebrating
difference and neurodivergence within your setting in a way that will benefit both the children
and the adults. Joanna runs online training courses focused on strategies for supporting
differently-abled children and promoting inclusive practice. Click here for more information.
We have come on such an adventure
together! If you joined this article series
part-way through, I encourage you to
return to the start and explore them all.
We have looked at how being open and
frank about differences can help everyone
achieve to their fullest, and explored
how even the tiniest adjustments in the
language we use to frame difference
can make an enormous impact on the
outcomes for a child in the long term, (and
for ourselves and our colleagues).
I have continually challenged you to try to
talk about difference in a non-judgemental
way. And I know, if you’ve gone on this
journey with me, that you will have
grown more and more reflective about
what constitutes judgement within your
language; it can be so much more subtle
than labelling things as good or bad, tiny
little turns of phrase can imply value and
create judgement.
On one hand, paying attention to the
language we use in this way can seem
fussy, pointless, petty, even irritating. But
those feelings are often initial impressions.
Once explored, adapting the language you
use actually gets exciting, as you realise
the power for good that you have at the tip
of your tongue. All the more so in the early
years as you are the start of the stories
that carry children with them through their
lives.
Hopefully, you have also felt the benefit
for yourself and your colleagues. If you
can create a culture in your setting where
differences are accepted, understood
and not judged, then you will work in an
environment where everyone feels able
to be themselves. And I cannot underline
enough how beneficial that is to people’s
well-being, children and adults.
The opposite is to work in a space where
differences are judged. Even the judging
of relatively minor differences can create
this kind of atmosphere. And in such
a setting, you might not see greater
differences because people will hide them.
Adults and children will suppress aspects
of their character, withhold information
about themselves. Trying to appear the
same as others takes a toll on a person,
it costs them energy and self-esteem. It
diminishes people and makes your setting
a grimmer place to be.
Everyone wants to be somewhere where
they are embraced as who they are and
how they are right now, a setting that
understands and accepts difference is
just such a place. Tiny adjustments in our
language can trigger big adjustments
in attitude. The language we use
fundamentally underpins the culture we
create in our settings. It is so worth doing
and you’ve been doing it! So this article is
to throw a party for that, it is a big hurrah.
Difference is brilliant. We are all different
and my goodness what a fantastic thing
that is, wouldn’t it be dull if we were all
the same? Society needs different brains,
people who approach things from different
angles, who have different skill sets. The
risk can be in education that we offer one
way of succeeding, we measure particular
aspects of achievement and miss the rest.
We all know a ‘one size fits all’ approach fits
one person and not the rest.
The children in your setting have explored
their external differences (using the activities
in article one) and thought about how
they have different thoughts and likes and
dislikes to their peers (using the activities in
articles two and three). They’ve investigated
how we sense and feel things differently
to one another (using the activity in article
four) and begun to understand that one of
the consequences of these differences is
that they will each have different skills and
abilities (using the activity in article five).
How fantastic is that? How amazing is it
that such little people can approach such
big topics? Imagine a future where they are
grown up and in charge and understand
how to use their own unique skillsets! You
are a part of creating that future. So, for
now: celebrate!
Talk to the children about all their
adventures and activities so far and
celebrate your differences by colouring
in rainbow brains. All this time I’ve been
challenging you on your language, well
here is a new challenge, how blingy can
you make those brains? How much glitter
and paint, and collage material do you
have in your setting? Decorate your brains
and share them with me on social media.
Let’s create a narrative of pride in our
neurodiversity together!
Joanna provides in-person and online
training to settings looking to enhance their
inclusive practice for more information visit
www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk where you
can also find resources to help you include
children of all abilities. Joanna is active on
social media and welcomes connection
requests from people curious about
inclusive practice.
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 special school 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 four practitioner
books: “Multiple Multisensory Rooms:
Myth Busting the Magic”, “Sensory
Stories for Children and Teens”,
“Sensory-Being for Sensory Beings”
and “Sharing Sensory Stories and
Conversations with People with
Dementia”. and two inclusive sensory
story children’s books: “Voyage to
Arghan” and “Ernest and I”. There is
new book coming out soon called ‘”The
Subtle Spectrum” and her son has
recently become the UK’s youngest
published author with his book, “My
Mummy is Autistic”.
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
16 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 17

search jar
Two-ingredient
ice-cream
You will need
You will need
• A transparent container – we
used a 500ml drinks bottle but
you can use something with a
wider neck if you want to use
larger objects inside.
• Something ‘granular’ for the
shaking part of the search jar,
e.g. rice, lentils, small plastic
beads, sand.
• A range of objects small
enough to pass through the
neck of your container but
varied enough to be easily
and separately identifiable.
Items could include coins, small
plastic figurines, nuts and bolts,
snippets of coloured thread,
shells, brightly coloured beads
or even parts of old jewellery!
• Punnet of strawberries
• 4/5 bananas
• Zip seal freezer bags
• Blender
• Mixing bowl
• Cones/bowls
Instructions:
Instructions:
1. Place all your ‘search’ items into the container
and cover with the granules. Top tip: Do this in
layers to ensure they are spread out within the
jar. Don’t just fill the jar with granules first and
then try to fit them all in as that will end up in
a mess.
2. Secure the lid: depending on who you will be
sharing the jar with, you may want to glue the
lid shut, or simply ensure it is well screwed on.
3. Label accordingly, either with a list of items
or simply the number of items that are in the
container. Top tip: Add a short instruction or
question, e.g. “Find 6 items” or “What can you
find in me?”
4. Your search jar is complete – we hope it brings
you and the children hours of fun!
1. Prepare the fruit in advance by chopping up a
punnet of strawberries and 4 or 5 bananas.
2. The children can help by placing the fruit into
zip-seal freezer bags and sealing them tight,
being careful to squeeze out the air without
squeezing out the fruit!
3. Freeze for 6 hours, break up into chunks and
blitz in a blender until it is the consistency of a
smoothie.
4. Pour it into a big dish, cover and freeze for a
further hour.
5. The children can then spoon the ice cream
straight from the freezer and serve it to each
other in a cone or in a cup.
6. Don’t forget the sauce and sprinkles!
18 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 19

Organic September
“In the face of climate change, diet-related ill-health, and widespread decline in wildlife, the need to
change our food systems has never been greater.”
Last month, the UN Climate Report made
sobering reading for everyone, and it is
clear that we need to act now to avert
a catastrophe on a worldwide scale. In
this magazine article, you can read some
ideas to help with sustainability on page
28, which links into this article on Organic
September too, a month-long campaign
by The Soil Association to encourage
everyone to be more organic.
The September campaign is run every year
and it has never been more important
for each of us to do our bit to help. You
can sign up to a newsletter on the official
website and also get some practical
tips on how to make small changes to
live in a more sustainable way. If one
nursery setting makes a few changes and
encourages their parents to do the same,
think how much could be achieved if all
nurseries did a little bit? It’s how change
really happens.
The Soil Association
Did you know?
There are 2,500 billion tonnes of carbon stored in the world’s soils - more than in the
plants, trees and the atmosphere combined.
Organic farming creates healthy, living soils and organic farmland is, on average,
around 25% more effective at storing carbon in the long-term than non-organic land.
Why organic?
Farming organically, growing food
organically yourself, and eating more
organic food have many benefits to people
and the planet, and if we want to live more
sustainably on the earth to prevent climate
change, it has to be at least one weapon
in our arsenal. Some of the benefits
include:
• Increased biodiversity
• More wildlife habitats
• Higher standards of animal welfare
• Reduction of pesticides and exposure
to pesticides
• Reduced reliance on artificial fertilisers
• Increased storage of carbon in soil
• Cleaner water systems
• No genetically-modified (GM) foods
• Reduced use of antibiotics in animals
• Better tasting food
• Reduced waste
• Nutritionally better food
• Better farming for the planet as a
whole
Did you know?
Organic farms have around 50% more
bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
What does organic mean?
According to The Soil Association,
‘organic’ is “a system of farming and food
production where organic farmers aim to
produce high-quality food, using methods
that benefit our whole food system, from
people to planet, plant health to animal
welfare”.
In order to be classed as organic and
gain the organic kitemark, farmers must
work to a strict set of food-production
standards, which must legally comply with
strict EU regulations. Farms are inspected
at least once a year by an authorised
certification body, and need to show that
they sustain the health of:
• Soils
• Ecosystems
• Animals
• People
These standards are built on the key
principles of organic agriculture:
• Health
• Ecology
• Care
• Fairness
In practice, this means that instead of
relying on chemicals designed to destroy
weeds (weedkillers) and insects/other
pests (pesticides), organic farmers aim to
create a natural balance between plants
and animals to prevent pests, and grow
crops in rotation or in complimentary
plantings to support the natural fertilisation
and sustainability of the soil. Organic
farmers also encourage birds, beetles and
other ‘beneficial insects’ such as ladybirds
on their farms to eat pests such as aphids,
slugs and caterpillars.
Did you know?
How to support Organic
September in your nursery
On the Soil Association website, they have
listed at least 30 ways in which people can
get involved in Organic September in small
ways, so you won’t be short of ideas to run
in your nursery to join the campaign.
We’ve listed some of our favourite ones
here to help you make a small difference
that can contribute to a greater whole.
1. Swap your normal hot drink for an
organic version. In the UK, we drink
90 million cups of coffee and 100
million cups of tea a day! That’s a lot
of teabags! And a lot of differences
that we could make if we all swapped
to an organic version of our favourite
cuppa!
2. Release some ladybirds into your
environment. You can purchase
ladybirds and other organic products
from www.organiccatalogue.com,
teach the children about their lifecycle
and beneficial effects, and make a big
difference to the insect population of
your local area.
3. Set up a ‘nectar café’ in your garden
space or even just in pots around
your front door. Visit the Wildlife
Trust’s website here for ideas
on the best plants to encourage
bees and butterflies including
Adult ladybirds can eat about 5,000 aphids (greenfly and blackfly) and will
lay 20-50 eggs a day, quickly building a large beneficial population.
buddleia, honeysuckle and grape
hyacinth. Many of these plants also
have heavenly scents so you can
incorporate them into a sensory
planting area too.
4. If you have space, why not grow some
organic vegetables with the children?
Potatoes and carrots are easy to grow,
even in pots, and you can use them
to make some easy, tasty treats when
they’re ready such as jacket potatoes,
potato salad or a hearty winter
vegetable and carrot soup. You can
get carrots in a whole host of colours
other than orange too, which could be
a great way to introduce the topic of
diversity and inclusion into your setting
as well.
5. Link Organic September to a healthy
eating session in your setting. You can
use organic eggs to make omelettes
or use other organic ingredients
to create some organic cakes and
biscuits. Why not shape them into
ladybirds and decorate them with
organic chocolate buttons or coloured
icing too?
6. Bake some organic bread. Baking
bread is a fun thing to do with
children and you can use a traditional
sourdough recipe from Vanessa
Kimbell with wild yeast, or there are
other delicious recipes on the Soil
Association site or via an internet
search too.
7. Finally, make your own organic beauty
products. It’s not just our food that
uses organic products. Much of the
beauty industry still use ingredients
that are either not organic or are not
farmed sustainably. Check out how
to make a natural organic face mask
here, which you can use on the hands
of your little ones instead of their faces
if preferred to make them lovely and
soft!
Whatever you do to celebrate Organic
September, we’d love to hear about it, so
remember to send your stories and photos
to us at hello@parenta.com.
20 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 21

GROWing self-confidence as a
leader … and getting your team
ready for a new term
Petra, the manager of a day nursery, recently shared how worried she is about her team. She said
“We have been through so much. The COVID-19 pandemic, working throughout the 2020 lockdown as
keyworkers, a long-overdue inspection looming, and now the EYFS changes for September. I sense staff
confidence has been knocked and they all need a boost to get them up and running again.”
Petra asked what she could do to help boost the team’s confidence. As part of the
coaching conversation, I introduced the popular GROW model (originated by John
Whitmore, 1937-2017) to help frame Petra’s thinking.
There is a logical process to asking
coaching questions using this model:
• Goal – what do you want?
• Reality – where are you now?
• Options – what could you do?
• Will/wrap up – what will
you do?
(Fig 1)
What do we want to
achieve by the end of
this meeting?
What can we
commit to, who will
do it and by when?
Goal
will
GROW
As our first session progressed, Petra
reflected that as the leader, she had been
supporting everyone else for the past year
and a half. She had been in fire-fighting
mode since the pandemic hit and had just
about managed the day-to-day operations
of the nursery, including two COVID bubble
lockdowns, very stressed families, reduced
occupancy and a staff bereavement. When
Petra recognised the enormity of what she
had been carrying during this time, she
let out a huge sigh. “I think I just need to
What is happening now?
What resources do we
have/need?
Reality
options
What ideas can
we come up with
to achieve our goal?
take a break and relax for a while,” she
declared. She planned two weeks off and
took her young family on a camping trip.
As a leader, it is important that you look
after yourself first, and be a role model
for those who work with you/for you.
Initially, Petra wanted to make sure all the
staff were ok but quickly realised her own
confidence had been knocked. She was
running on empty and needed to fill her
tank.
On her return, Petra was visibly more
relaxed and her head was clear. She was
pleased she had allowed herself a break
and made sure that all her staff had a
break over the summer too.
I offered the GROW model to Petra again,
and this time she started to put some
plans in place. Here are some of the
thoughts that arose from the session:
Goal –
What do you want to achieve?
I want to re-engage with my staff so they
are ready for a new start in September. By
the end of today I want to have started a
plan for a training week at the end of the
month.
Reality –
Where are you in relation to your goal
now?
There has been so much stress with the
impact of COVID, not least losing a longstanding
member of staff to the illness.
The practitioners have given so much
they could not think straight and some of
them have definitely doubted their ability
to take on more changes right now. Their
internal resources were low. Thoughts are
emerging about how I can help everyone
move forward. We do need to do some
work on the EYFS changes, they are small
but necessary for our practice.
Options –
Consider 5 options
As we have a whole week together when
the nursery is closed there are lots of things
we can do.
1. Everyone is worried about having
to talk about their children to an
inspector– I know they all know their
children’s learning and development
inside out, but they think they will forget
everything they know in the moment if
asked on the spot. We could put some
informal practice conversations in.
2. We could have a session on the EYFS
statutory changes and build this into
the week in the form of a quiz or a
presentation from each team.
3. We could do a session on how
confident they are. I could ask them on
a scale of 1-10 how confident they are
in their role. This could be on several
aspects e.g. confidence in engaging
with parents, confidence with facing
change, confidence with delivery of
educational programmes. I could do
this twice, at the beginning and end of
our training week.
4. The room leaders could lead a
session on getting to know their team
members more, their strengths and
areas for development, or something
fun like sharing a fact that no one else
knows about you.
5. We could have a fun day such as a
treasure hunt in the community or
making something for the nursery.
Will/wrap up –
What actions will you take? Who will
help you?
I will take these ideas away and work on
each idea with my leadership team and
from this we can make a timetable of
events throughout the week. I am sure my
deputies will have some great ideas too
and I must remember I don’t have to do it
all myself. I will aim to make some of the
work entertaining and ensure there is time
for staff to shape the learning. I will make
sure there is time for them to enjoy being
together in their rooms.
I will make sure I am available to join in and
be present if the staff just need to share any
worries on concerns and I will make sure I
am available to listen.
What could you do?
This session with Petra brought out some
important points for nursery leaders and
their staff in building confidence within the
team:
1. Revisit your vision for the setting with
your team, to make sure your values
and practices are aligned.
2. Provide time to just be with each other
during the nursery day – just 5-10 mins
at the start or end of the day is enough
for a check-in. Everyone has responded
differently to the pandemic and
everyone manages change differently
so it is important to know how
individuals are thinking and feeling.
3. Use “on the scale of 1-10 how confident
are you?” to help you appreciate
where other people are, and respond
appropriately, giving more time to
those who are feeling less sure.
4. If team members are worried
about talking to others about their
key children let them practice with
someone they feel most comfortable
with. Repeat this opportunity regularly
so it becomes a natural part of the
nursery week.
5. Practice the GROW model with staff
during supervision or introduce it as
part of the training week. GROW can
help you manage difficult conversations
and also helps place the responsibility
on the practitioner/team member to
think through issues for themselves.
6. Make sure you are looking after your
own wellbeing and that someone else
is keeping you in mind too e.g. your
own supervisor/coach.
Ruth Mercer
Ruth Mercer is a coach and consultant,
with a career background in early
education. Ruth is committed to creating
a positive learning environment for staff,
children and families. She has a successful
track record of 1:1 coaching for leaders and
group coaching across the maintained
and PVI sector. She supports leaders
and managers in developing a coaching
approach in their settings through
bespoke consultancy and introductory
training on coaching and mentoring for all
staff.
Ruth is currently writing about coaching
with a playful approach.
Contact: ruthmercercoaching@gmail.com
Website: www.ruthmercercoaching.com
7. Celebrate your learning together with
a display or short film or a website
update – everyone needs recognising
for contributions made within their
role.
References:
• https://www.coachingcultureatwork.
com/the-grow-model (Fig 1)
• Whitmore, J. (2015) Coaching for
Performance (4th ed) NB Publishing
22 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 23

CPD courses…
Paediatric First Aid Course
Whether you’re a manager looking to support your staff by enhancing
their knowledge, or looking at developing your own career, when you
study one of Parenta’s online CPD courses, you study in your own time
and at your own pace – all from the comfort of your own home!
Parenta is always looking at new ways to support the Early Years Sector. We
are pleased to announce that we now offer Paediatric First Aid training to all
those who work in early years, in partnership with Co-operative Childcare.
Improve staff morale
and motivation
Maximise individual
potential and promote
development
Allows you and your
team to gain brand new
qualifi cations in many
diff erent policies,
procedures and
practices
Enables you to keep
abreast of industry
changes by constantly
updating skill sets
3
£
The course meets the requirements of
Ofsted, under DfE’s guidance (April 2017),
complying with the framework for the Early
Years Foundation Stage
The certificate is valid for 3 years from
date of issue
This course offers a blended approach
(6 hours online + 6 hours face to face
training)
It costs only £120 per learner
Nationwide training venues are
available. Alternatively, we can
deliver the training in your setting
(minimum 6 students)
By ensuring your team undergoes relevant, regular refresher training, they’ll always be up-todate
with the latest policies, procedures and practices – and it doesn’t need to be expensive!
With CPD courses from Parenta costing as little as £7,
what are you waiting for?
Log on and learn today!
Support your staff by ensuring they
have the right skill sets and training
to maintain the safety of all children
within your care.
Book your Paediatric First Aid Training today
For as little as £120 + VAT you can get the qualification you need to be Ofsted ready and
maintain the highest level of safety within your setting.
0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com
0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com

Playfully supporting
an avoidant child
‘I don’t want to go!’ ‘I don’t want to talk about it!’ ‘I’m not doing it!’
Sound familiar? Your child’s excited about a friend’s birthday party, but when it comes to leaving
the house they refuse to go. Or you can tell that your child’s worried about something, but when
you ask if they want to talk about it they dismiss the invitation and instead hide in their room
or have an emotional outburst. Or maybe they just blindly refuse every option you give them,
choosing instead to push their brother or sister over in a moment of frenzy.
Avoidance is a coping strategy; a
protective mechanism that allows us to
avoid feeling difficult or overwhelming
emotions. We humans don’t like feeling
uncomfortable; If something feels hard,
it’s much easier to run from it. I’m pretty
sure we’ve all experienced this; preferring
to hang out the washing for example,
instead of confronting a noisy neighbour
or contacting a bereaved friend.
Avoidance works well in the short term,
but not dealing with the stressors when
we’re faced with them can often increase
anxiety levels later down the line. So how
can you playfully support a child who is
avoiding something?
Emotional expression
Emotions are temporary, they come
and go, yet avoidant children might feel
unequipped to deal with the intensity of
their emotions. This activity creates space
for a child to experience emotions safely.
Drawing to music
Choose a few different tracks from different
genres of music, i.e. rock, classical, folk
or rap (the more emotive the better). Then
encourage your child to draw along to the
music and enquire into their response.
What colour did they use for the angry
rock song? Was it a spikey line or bold and
thick? How did the track make them feel
in their body and what thoughts arose as
they drew along?
This activity builds on a child’s ability
to identify and regulate their emotions
in future, and therefore helps them to
feel more resilient to the wave of fear
they might experience when faced with
something they’re scared of.
Katie White
Katie Rose White is a Laughter Facilitator
and founder of The Best Medicine.
She works predominantly with carers,
teachers and healthcare professionals -
teaching playful strategies for boosting
mood, strengthening resilience and
improving wellbeing. She provides
practical workshops, interactive talks
and training days - fusing therapeutic
laughter techniques, playful games
and activities, and mindfulness-based
practices. The techniques are not only
designed to equip participants with tools
for managing their stress, but can also
be used and adapted to the needs of the
people that they are supporting.
Email: thebestmedicine@outlook.com
Defiance is a healthy part of a child’s
development; children test boundaries,
learn how to say ‘no’, and aren’t always
compliant. However, when this defiance
starts to limit a child’s experience this is
more often than not a sign of avoidance.
Children with PDA (Pathological Demand
Avoidance) or ODD (Oppositional Defiance
Disorder) often show signs of avoidant
behaviour. This article is not specific to
the needs of children with PDA or ODD
but will instead look at the commonality
of avoidant behaviours; anxiety. If you’re
supporting a child with PDA or ODD, you’ll
find some of what I’m saying applies and
some things don’t, so please use the
strategies with your own experience and
knowledge in mind.
Anxiety is often the root cause of
avoidance; when anxiety is unmanaged or
undetected, a child may feel out of control
or overwhelmed. Giving them the skills to
recognise and measure their anxiety is a
wonderful first step. In my article, A Playful
Approach to Difficult Emotions, I introduce
an anxiety scale that can be used as a
reference point before and after an activity.
I always remind the parents, teachers
and carers who attend my workshops,
that each child is different, something that
works for one may not work for another,
so it’s good to have many ideas up your
sleeve. Listed below are a selection of
activities that can be used to support
anxious little ones who are displaying
avoidant behaviours. For more ideas check
out my online workshops.
Taking control
Approaching your child’s fears with respect
and patience is vital, even if the fear is
imaginary or irrational. Putting the control
in their hands whilst facing a fear, helps
them to gradually desensitise to it instead
of avoiding it.
The Stop/Go game was created by
Lawrence J Cohen when his daughter
refused to have her nails trimmed. In this
game, the child directs the adult to ‘Stop’
or ‘Go’ whilst each time getting closer to
her toe nails. This technique can be used
for a variety of fears or phobias and helps
children to feel braver and empowered
instead of fearful and avoidant.
Affirmations
Positive affirmations can boost self-esteem
and help children to feel more confident
and in control. Try getting your child to
repeat these affirmations out loud or in
their head.
I am whole, I am enough, I have courage
and confidence, my challenges help me
grow, I believe in myself, everything will be
ok, I am braver than I think, I can face my
fears with confidence!
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bestmedicine1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
thebestmedicinecornwall
26 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 27

Start living sustainably
this September
On August 9th this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest
report, which concluded that human activity has caused an unprecedented change in climate
patterns, the effects of which are now being felt all over the planet. We are already seeing the effects
in increased temperatures, rising sea levels, loss of permafrost areas, changes in rainfall patterns
resulting in more flooding in some areas and longer periods of drought in others.
It stressed that much of the changes
are irreversible and some of these will
continue to get worse. Once the polar ice
caps have melted, it is not a simple matter
to ‘refreeze’ them – even if we limit global
temperature rises, reversing the effects of
climate change is not like turning up the
dial on your freezer!
There was some hope in the report
however, which also said that
drastically cutting carbon emissions
within the next few years, would
give us a chance to limit the impact
on our climate… but time is
definitely running out and many
media outlets interpreted this as a
“code red for humanity”.
As custodians of the thoughts
and ideas of future generations,
the early years sector is uniquely
placed to heed this warning and
foster attitudes and actions that
will instigate change:
1. To educate our young people to
look after the planet
2. To do whatever we can to affect
change, albeit on an individual or
small-scale basis
3. To inspire others to do the same
Finding ways to live more
sustainably is the key and we ALL
need to take action to contribute
to the greater whole. Read on to
find out how you, and the people
in your care, can make a real
difference this September.
World Car Free Day - 22nd
September
World Car Free Day is a day to ditch your
car and walk, cycle or take public transport
instead. Similar initiatives have been held
around the world on an ad hoc basis for
years, but in 1995, the first structured events
happened in Bath (England), La Rochelle
(France) and Reykjavik (Iceland). Since then,
there have been many similar initiatives
such as the Walk To Work Day we reported
on last month.
Whole cities now get involved to promote
what transport and cities could look like
without cars and offer people the chance
to experience their streets free of motor
traffic. What would your neighbourhood
be like without cars? Could you take the
time to imagine what that might mean for
your local area, or for the people in your
community? Perhaps you could promote
the day and encourage everyone to find an
alternative transport method for that day.
Even one car journey saved, would reduce
emissions. Imagine what could be done if a
whole city did the same thing and your local
streets and car parks were transformed into
pedestrian areas with places to sit, cycle
parking areas, open gardens, playgrounds
or art spaces? Worth thinking about, isn’t it?
https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/about-us/
our-work-in-action/world-car-free-day
Recycle Week
We’ve all heard how we can reduce,
reuse and recycle in our settings and
Recycle Week has been a main event in
the calendar for many years. This year the
theme is “Step it up this Recycle Week”
with the aim of “galvanising the public into
recycling more of the right things, more
often”.
One of the main issues affecting recycling
centres currently is that we often throw
away a number of items that are not
recyclable and this often endangers the
whole batch. In order to combat this, make
sure that everything you put in your recycle
bins is recyclable. Common things like silver
foil, aerosol cans and many cleaning bottles
can be recycled but other common items
including some plastic bags, toothpaste
tubes, drinking glasses and drink cartons
cannot, and should be disposed of with
other household waste. The trick here is
to carefully check the packaging for the
recycling mark, or check with your local
recycling centre.
Estimates suggest that 30% of British
clothing, hangs unworn in the back of
wardrobes up and down the country so
why not arrange your own 2nd hand
clothing sale in your and educate the
children too? With coronavirus, facecoverings
and PPE is causing a problem
too. Non-reusable face coverings and
PPE should be put it in your usual ‘black
bag’ residual waste bin and it’s a criminal
offence to drop used face coverings or other
PPE as litter!
For more information about disposing of
face coverings and other PPE, please visit
gov.uk.
https://www.recyclenow.com/recycleweek-2020-RN
Great British Beach Clean
Friday 17th to Sunday 26th September
is also the time of the Marine Society’s
Great British Beach Clean, where everyone
is encouraged to take part in either an
organised or your own, clean-up. The
organisers ask everyone to run a litter
survey, recording all the items of litter they
find in a random, 100m stretch of beach
they cover. This information then feeds into
the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC).
Data from last year reported an average
of 425 items of litter per 100m stretch of
beach, so there is still a long way to go
to clean up our beaches. Children often
love litter picking, but make sure they have
protective equipment and are supervised
well to avoid exposure to dangerous or
unsuitable items.
https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/
join-a-beach-clean/
The Great Big Green Week
The 18th to the 26th September also
marks the Great Big Green Week where
communities across the country will
join together for the biggest event for
climate and nature in the UK. There will
be thousands of events to celebrate how
communities are taking action to tackle
climate change and protect green spaces
so why not get involved as a setting and do
something at grass roots level to inspire the
politicians?
https://greatbiggreenweek.com/
Ten simple things everyone can
do NOW to help
1
Switch off lights when not in use
2
Switch off electrical devices at the wall
instead of leaving them on standby
3
Recycle everything you can
4
Use refillable bottles
5
Turn down the heating by one degree
6
Walk or cycle on small journeys and
use public transport instead of a car
at least one journey a week
7
Recycle clothing that is not used
8
Change to reusable nappies
for one day a week
9
Share a car journey with a
colleague more often
10
Use dishwashers and washing
machines on eco programs
Let us know what you do by emailing us at
hello@parenta.com.
28 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 29

Supporting children with
social, emotional and mental
health needs
In this article, I explore how we support young children with social, emotional and mental health
needs (SEMH). SEMH is a relatively new category; it’s a term we hear more with primary aged and
older children, although it is increasingly being recognised in early years. I work for a specialised
organisation in Bath called Threeways Brighter Futures; we work with children who have all been
identified as needing additional support with their social, emotional and mental health needs. We
work with the children once a week throughout their reception year in school, supporting them
and their staff team. In this article, I will briefly explore SEMH needs and ways to support children.
We need to view SEMH within a model
of difference rather than one of deficit.
We are all on a SEMH needs continuum,
and we all need to have our SEMH needs
met. As practitioners, it is important we
are recognising and meeting the SEMH
needs of all our children. Sometimes it is
apparent when and why a child has high
SEMH needs, but other times this is less
obvious.
A quick definition of social, emotional
and mental health needs is:
• Children who find it challenging to
manage their feeling, emotions and
behaviours
• Children who find everyday change
challenging and frightening
• Children who find it hard to build
relationships with adults and other
children
• Children who can find it hard to join in
with the activities and routine with the
rest of the group or class
There is a range of behaviours that
you might regularly see with children
who have high SEMH needs; some of
these are:
• Violent outbursts to adults and other
key children
• Distress because the parent/key
person is not with them
• Running off
• Refusal to join or follow instructions
• Needing to be in control and
controlling things around them
• Frozen behaviours when they appear
to shut down
• Hiding
• Withdrawing from adults
• Self-harm
• Easily startled by loud noise, sudden
movement.
• Prolonged temper tantrums
• Sleeping difficulties
When you first glance at these behaviours,
you may recognise one or two children
in your care who regularly display some
or most of these behaviours. If you see
some of these behaviours in any of the
children you support, I encourage you to
start being curious about why and what
this is telling you. We know that behaviour
is the primary way a child communicates;
when a child behaves in any of the ways
above, this tells us that something is not
right for them. Our job is to explore and
understand what this is and then try and
help them.
There can be many reasons why a child is
displaying higher SEMH needs. Our job is
not to diagnose but to recognise and then
signpost to other agencies when this is
appropriate and offer support to the child
and family. Some of the reasons may be
due to adverse childhood experiences
(ACES); if this is a new term, I encourage
you to look at this link to find out more. Or
some other reasons may be that a child
has recently moved home, is experiencing
family illness, a new sibling. However,
some children have no apparent reason,
but they are still showing high SEMH
needs.
What we can do
Helping children to have a rich emotional
vocabulary and understanding is vital
as an underpinning to all work around
SEMH. There are many different resources,
books available, or you can make your
own. Regularly naming and recognising
the wide range of emotions children and
adults are experiencing is essential. We all
have a range of emotions, and these are
neither negative nor positive, we can help
children recognise these emotions and
name them from a young age. In my work,
I use script a lot, using the “I wonder”
phrase. If I see a child is struggling, I
comment, “I wonder if you are feeling
cross, I understand it is hard, but it’s not
ok to hurt your friends; let me help you.”
This phrase is helpful as it helps to name
the emotion; it validates how the child
is feeling but has the boundary around
the behaviour and is offering support.
I encourage everyone to use the same
script, all the staff and parents.
In the early years, we talk about children
being able to regulate; this is a tricky skill
to learn for many children. When a child
is dysregulated, they need calm and safe
adults around them to help them regulate;
they cannot do it independently. We can
co-regulate by controlling our breathing,
gently coming alongside the child at their
level, calmly speaking to the child, not
using too many words. The child needs
to know they are safe and loved; being
dysregulated is a frightening experience,
they need to have an adult alongside who
can help them.
When we can see a child is finding
something challenging, a sensory activity
can often support them, helping them
either release some of their strong inner
feelings or help bring some calmness.
We need to know the child well to know
what they are needing. Below are some
examples I regularly use.
For a child who needs to release some
of their stresses and big feelings:
• Climbing
• Pushing something heavy e.g. a
wheelbarrow with things in it
• Pulling on a dog toy (think mini tug of
war with an adult)
• Throwing or kicking a ball
For a child who needs something
calming:
• Playdough (homemade if possible,
link to recipe below)
• Blowing bubbles
• Crazy soap (a bit like shaving foam
but more malleable)
• Sensory rice (link to recipe below)
• Spend time outside, cloud watching
or going on a nature walk to notice
colours/smells/textures
These are very simple ideas that will
support any child when their SEMH needs
are higher.
Key points
• A child is communicating to us
through their behaviour; so we need
to try and understand what they are
telling us
• Emotions are neither negative nor
positive; we can help children learn
about their feeling
• Children need adults who are calm,
loving and safe to help them
co-regulate
For more information take a look at my
new book.
In October, I will be writing about how we
can support staff well-being when working
with children with SEMH needs.
Sonia
Mainstone-Cotton
Sonia Mainstone-Cotton is a freelance
nurture consultant, she has worked in
early years for 30 years. Sonia currently
works in a specialist team in Bath
supporting 3- and 4-year-olds who have
social, emotional and mental health
needs. Sonia also trains staff across the
country: she specialises in supporting
the wellbeing of children and staff. Sonia
has written 8 books including:
“Supporting children with social,
emotional and mental health needs in
the early years” published by Routledge,
“Supporting young children through
change and everyday transitions”,
“Promoting Emotional Wellbeing in
Early Years Staff” and “Promoting
Young Children’s Emotional Health and
Wellbeing”. Sonia is also the series
advisor for Little Minds Matter series of
books promoting social and emotional
wellbeing in the early years with
Routledge.
Website - http://soniamainstone-cotton.
com
Email - sonia.main@icloud.com
Instagram - @mainstonecotton
Links:
• Aces information - https://www.
towerhamlets.gov.uk/Documents/
Children-and-families-services/Early-
Years/ACES_and_social_injustice_DCP_
SW.pdf
• Sensory rice and playdough recipes -
https://theimaginationtree.com
30 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 31

Book review : “Using stories
to support learning and
development in early childhood”
Congratulations
to all our Parenta learners!
Helen Lumgair’s new book “Using Stories to
Support Learning and Development in Early
Childhood” is an inspiring and practical
kaleidoscope of insight from different story
professionals. I am in there singing the
praises of sensory stories of course, and
Helen kindly included a sensory story of
mine for readers to explore themselves. It
is based on the marvellous letters written
by celebrities and notable persons of the
time to the children of Troy when their
library burned down, letters, that like this
book, expounded the value of exploring
narratives in order to educate, enrich and
nurture oneself.
As someone who regularly talks about how
important sharing stories is, not purely for
entertainment but for mental well-being,
education and your community, it was
wonderful to read the words of so many
people singing from the same hymn Sheet
as me. I loved Helen’s ‘why’ of “because
the stories of others compose the very
threads of the universal fabric that connects
us, allowing us to glimpse the humanity,
the personhood of these so-called others”.
Stories as the threads that the universal
fabric of connection is made out of, how
wonderful is that? And don’t they deserve
closer inspection, those threads? Imagine
how beautiful a fabric we could weave with
greater understanding of our craft.
Through the pages of this book, that
understanding is provided by a raft of
different authors. Helen herself looks at
stories as a whole-body process, exploring
their relevance for the development of
cognition in early childhood. Kanella
Boukouvala tackles metaphor and Helen
Garnett looks at play.
Dr Jo Van Herwegen tackles the initially
surprising topic of stories and mathematics,
surely stories belong in literacy and maths
belongs in numeracy? But Dr Herwegen
shows how mathematical understanding
can be built through sharing stories, listing
in her chapter stories that work well for
different mathematical topics.
Dr Valerie Lovegreen explores stories in
relation to language and cognition, noting
the many linguistic skills that storytelling
can develop and also recognising
storytelling’s impact on self-confidence
and our understanding of the emotions
of others. Understanding others is a topic
Helen returns to as she looks at the role
stories play in countering prejudice and
supporting identity in her chapter ‘Diversity
and Representation in stories’, and again
their benefits to us beyond our literary skills
and understanding are examined as Helen
explores their role in healing with powerful
testimony from people who have found
stories to help them as they coped with
trauma.
Helen ends the book as powerfully as it
begins with the words “At a time when
the world feels increasingly fragmented,
experiencing what would appear to be
an epidemic of loneliness caused by
advances in technology and a decline in
real connection, it would make sense to
focus on facilitating the growth of excellent
communicators who contribute to society
as listeners, speakers, critical thinkers and
evaluators of the information presented to
them. What we are aiming for in all of our
educating is for children to become creative
citizens who prioritise connection with
others and act in a compassionate manner
as individuals who construct peaceful lives
and in turn peaceful societies”. This book
will certainly help you strive towards this
noble aim.
Written by
Joanna Grace
Congratulations to all these Parenta learners who completed their apprenticeship
in July and have now gained their qualifications.
These range from Childcare Level 2, Childcare Level 3 and Team Leading
to Level 3 and Level 5 Management – that’s a huge achievement in the
current climate.
All that hard work has paid off – well done from all of us here at Parenta Training!
Did you know?... Parenta has trained over 20,000 apprentices within the early years sector!
Our Level 3 success rate overall is almost 10% higher than the national average.
That’s down to great work from you, our lovely Parenta learners!
If you have a learner with us who has recently completed their apprenticeship, please send in
a picture to hello@parenta.com to be included in the magazine.
A. Amponsa
A. Arduini
C. Kibbey
C. Shellard
C. Vieira-Figueira
C. Fulford
July’s wall of fame!
D. Leggett
E. Howes
E. Jones
E. Seaton
F. Battley
J. Bull
K. Baxter-Leggett
L. Martin
M. Mains
R. Price
R. Marks
S. Kemp
32 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 33

Nurturing Childhoods
interview with Kathryn
Peckham
bring this knowledge and understanding to families, with support
to make differences that can last a lifetime.
Is your advice for early years practitioners as well
as parents?
Absolutely. The most powerful gift we can give any child is to
ensure all the adults around them know the experiences they
need, from day one. And the partnerships we have with families
is instrumental in this, otherwise, rather than experiencing
any stable sense of security, children become confused. To
support this, I have also developed the Nurturing Childhoods
Accreditation. Mirroring the format and content of the parenting
courses, settings are supported to develop their practice through
targeted reflection and documented action plans, structured
around their own needs.
What makes Nurturing Childhoods different?
Firstly, Nurturing Childhoods supports parents and settings with a
unified approach, rooted in child development, child psychology,
health and well-being, years of experience and applied research.
This is organised through modules that look at understanding
and engaging with children; managing emotions and behaviour;
raising happy, confident and resilient children and giving them
every opportunity to engage in learning and thrive in school.
Through its unique format, talks are structured with: Knowledge
- learning how children develop and the processes they are
undergoing; Understanding - how actions, comments and
decisions affect these processes, now and in the future; and
Support - advice you can trust, and use with confidence and
consistency. Each talk can be watched online, repeated as often
as needed and comes with an array of supporting handouts and
documentation.
What is next for Nurturing Childhoods – what
are your aspirations?
It is my firm belief that every child has the right to experience
and develop their full potential. But to do this, we need a unified
vision of what that means. Through Nurturing Childhoods, I
want to celebrate the magnificent growth and development
occurring during the early years, to support an understanding of
the behaviours and emotions being experienced and promote
the knowledge that every decision we make impacts children’s
trajectories, their potential, and the belief they have in themselves.
What gave you the inspiration for Nurturing
Childhoods? How did it all start?
I have supported practitioners and families looking to give children
the best start in life for many years. But with so much information
available, the most well-meaning parent is often confused, with
websites offering, at best, contradicting information, or at worst,
advice that creates lasting damage. I also know how frustrating it
can be when the latest parenting trend seems to undo all the hard
work you and your team are doing.
We know the importance of rich and meaningful experiences,
and the difference we make to a child’s well-being, learning and
development through the smallest changes. But this only comes
from understanding the importance of every moment and the
impact of every action. Through Nurturing Childhoods, I want to
My aspiration for Nurturing Childhoods is then to see it become
the benchmark for practice and parenting – rooted in the
knowledge and understanding our children need us to have. With
packages of support designed for parents and families, and an
accreditation for settings and childminders, every child can be
surrounded by this level of unified understanding of who they are
and what they need.
Kathryn Peckham
34 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 35

International Day
of Charity
Question: What do an ex-soldier, an Albanian nun, and an 11-year-old boy camping in his back
garden in Devon have in common?
Answer: They have all done some amazing things for other people, and for charity.
September 5th is the United Nation’s
International Day of Charity which was
established in 2012 to raise awareness
of charities around the world and to
give a platform for them to talk about
their work and the contribution made by
individuals, groups, and volunteers at
local, national and international levels.
The date of September 5th was chosen
to commemorate the death of Mother
Teresa, who was known for her dedication
to charitable work, helping others living in
poverty and suffering.
The day is also part of the United
Nations’ 2030 Agenda on Sustainable
Development, which recognises
the “barriers that poverty places on
international development”. One of the
aims of the day is to enhance social
responsibility and increase the support for
charities across the world. In short, if we
can become more charitable and more
socially responsible for each other, then
we will better understand the needs of
the most vulnerable living in our societies,
and it will be easier to create a better and
more sustainable world for everyone.
Why is charity important?
Charity is important for many reasons.
Zakat (a kind of tax benefitting
charities) is one of the five
pillars of the Muslim religion.
Christians are taught to
help others less fortunate
than themselves, and
many other religions
advocate charitable
acts as a means to
finding a path to the
divine. Charity helps
remind us that we do not live alone in the
world and the world is still far from being
a just and equal place where all lives are
valued and have equal opportunities.
Many people are still living in poverty,
distress or under repressive regimes, with
few human rights, poor environmental
conditions and unequal access to
education, healthcare and basic resources.
It’s easy in the UK to forget sometimes
about these issues and to focus only on
our own problems. That’s why charity
awareness days, weeks and the
International Day of Charity are
important – because they remind
us of our duty as human
beings towards other
human beings. But it
doesn’t just have to be
about humans; there
are charities out
there that work to
improve the lives of animals, bees, birds,
historic buildings that help us understand
our history and new technologies that
could unlock our future. Being charitable
offers us all a way to give something back,
redress the imbalances and pay-it-forward
for future generations. It allows us to and
do something to help, however small, and
in whatever way we can.
What can you do to get involved?
There are many ways to get involved in
charity, be that as a fund-raiser, volunteer
or advocate for the charity you are
passionate about. The first step is to find
a charity that you are passionate about
and want to support and there are literally
thousands of charities to choose from. You
can browse for charities at Charity Choice,
search by categories or location and find
out more information and watch videos
from the charities too.
If you want to help, there are a number
of ways you can get involved either as an
individual or as a setting:
• Raising awareness of an issue
• Holding events or supporting their
campaigns
• Raising money
• Volunteering your time
• Donating goods for sale through
charity shops
• Joining an action group
• Leaving money in a will
• Buying goods and services the charity
offers
• Making a regular or one-off donation
Most charities have websites where you
can download supporter packs and get
ideas for official events and challenges that
you can get involved with if you don’t want
to organise your own, or you’d like to work
with other people.
Update from the Parenta Trust
The past year or so has, understandably,
been a quiet time for fundraising – not only
for Parenta Trust but for all charities; and
as we head into the second half of 2021
and out of lockdown, fundraising for the
remainder of the year is also likely to be
very low key. We are very much hoping that
2022 will be an exciting year for the Trust
with events like the Maidstone to Monaco
Rally, the Parenta Ball, quiz nights and
baking competition taking place, allowing
us to raise vital funds for our sponsored
children.
Some inspirational people
And if you need any more motivation to
get involved this year, think about the work
of these 3 amazing and inspiring people
mentioned at the top of the article:
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic
nun of Albanian-Indian descent, born in
1910. She travelled to India to become a
missionary, and worked with the “poorest
of the poor”. In 1950, she founded the
Missionaries of Charity which had grown
to a worldwide network of nuns working
in over 133 countries by 2012. Although
her life and beliefs were not without
controversy, in 1979, she won the Nobel
Peace Prize for her many years of charity
work which inspired others, such as the
late Princess Diana. She was made a saint
in 1916, 19 years after her death in 1997.
Read more here.
Captain Sir Tom Moore
Born Thomas Moore in 1920, ‘Captain Tom’
as he became known, served in India and
Burma during the Second World War and
managed a concrete company after retiring
from the army. An unassuming man, he
is now one of the best-known names in
Britain and has been an inspiration to
millions. In April 2020, at the age of 99, he
began doing laps of his garden to raise an
initial £1,000 for local NHS charities. He not
only completed his 100 laps but raised over
£30 million in the process, was knighted
and had a no.1 record with “You’ll Never
Walk Alone”. He died from coronavirus
shortly after his 100th birthday. Read more
here.
Max Woosey
In 2020, Max, (then aged 10) was
inspired to start camping in his
back garden after his friend and
elderly neighbour gave him
the tent “to have an adventure
in”. Max set himself the goal
of raising £100 for the North
Devon Hospice where his
friend was a patient. After his
friend died, he continued his
camping adventure, and has
recently spent his 500th night
under canvas, raising more than
£640,000 so far. Read more here.
36 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 37

Music and
self-regulation in
the early years
We actually learn songs in reverse. Try
learning a new song by reading/singing it
through, and then, sing it through a second
time but do not read the last line – there is a
good chance that you will mostly remember
it. Sing it through a third time and do not
read the last two lines – you will find it will
soon be memorised! This also works for the
lines of songs – sing the beginning of the
line and we automatically fill in the end!
Roll here roll there
Self-regulation is one of the early learning goals under
Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The Early
Years Foundation Stage suggests that children will “show an
understanding of their own and others’ feelings; work towards
goals; wait for what they want; focus their attention while
following instructions”. But why is self-regulation so important
and what environments lead to early development of selfregulation?
And, as always, how can music support this?
To learn effectively, selfregulation,
or the ability to
direct attention and behaviour,
is important (McClelland &
Cameron, 2011) because it
allows us to:
• flexibly change attention
• have a good working (day-to-day)
memory
• control impulses (inhibitory control)
Music addresses these
three areas directly:
• Interesting music often involves
unexpected twists – a change in tune,
beat or even lyrics. As music uses all
senses and abilities, we are happy to
follow these twists!
• Music often involves repetition – like
the chorus that is repeated or the
same tune to a different verse – and
this helps to build memory!
• Finally, music often has a clear
beginning and end, which involves
the brain’s reward system through
predictability – if the song is started,
it can always be completed, whether
externally or internally (in your head)!
Self-regulation seems to explain the early
achievement gap from poorer and “English
as an Additional Language” (EAL) families
(Finders et al., 2021). Children from poorer
families showed low self-regulation in
maths and language, while children from
poorer and EAL families showed both low
self-regulation and also lower executive
function skills.
Self-regulation is important in both
cognitive and socio-emotional
development. In a study of over 13,000
children (Oloye & Flouri, 2021) aged
between 3 and 7 years old, two related
areas were investigated: independence
and emotional dysregulation. Independent
children were found to come from home
environments that were disorganised as
well as those that were calm and quiet.
Dysregulation was found in homes with
damp, second-hand smoke and TV noise.
Overcrowding, home traffic, presence of
open fires and garden access did not
affect self-regulation. Musical games
are enjoyable, non-competitive ways to
bridge this achievement gap. One of the
great music education methods, Dalcroze,
involves games that cleverly introduce
these skills.
Stop-start
A little like musical statues, children
walk to the beat while the music plays,
and stop when it stops. Unlike musical
statues, there is no penalty for getting it
wrong, as the purpose is for children to
learn by imitating others. This game can
be developed into walking with music
and clapping (to the beat) when it stops.
Or walking when it stops and clapping
when it plays. Each of these developments
enhances and perfects the ability to selfregulate.
Quick reaction direction
Playing a beat on one instrument e.g.
drum, means the children should walk
forwards. Quickly changing to another
instrument, e.g. bell, means children
should walk backwards. Or sideways. Be
inventive! Playing in regular timing (groups
of 3 beats or 4 beats) allows children to
prepare themselves, while keeping alert
for changes.
Roll the ball
Rolling the ball for the length of a line of a
song develops the ability to both anticipate
as well as prepare or control the speed
of the ball. Below I have introduced a little
rhyme that is fun to use (Roll Here Roll
There), but well-known songs like “Twinkle,
Twinkle” are also great for this: children sit
opposite each other and must roll the ball
slowly enough to only reach each other
at the end of the line, e.g. (roll) Twinkle,
twinkle, little star (catch), (roll) How I wonder
what you are (catch), etc.
Stop on a spot
I’m going to walk, walk, walk, walk
Walk, walk, walk
I’m going to walk, walk walk and
Stop on a spot
Inhibition is about starting and stopping
in response to an outside source. This
song helps to develop this skill, a little like
musical chairs, except that there are always
more than enough spots for children to find,
jump on, and stop! This song can also be
developed in different ways – I’m going to
tiptoe. Or jump. Or skip. Or hop. And when
the song is well-known, it can be hummed
without words, and children respond
accordingly – and still stop on a spot.
Old MacDonald (finish the
line)
Old MacDonald had a farm (- - - - -)
And on that farm he had a pig (- - - - -)
Roll here, roll there
Roll the ball to Leicester Square
Bounce high, bounce low
Bounce the ball to Shiloh
This game is best introduced with an adult
sitting in the middle of the circle of children
and demonstrating the speed of the ball to
each child. Once they have all had a turn,
children can sit opposite each other, taking
turns at rolling and catching the ball in time
with each line. This game can be developed
into bouncing the ball to each other as
children’s hand-eye co-ordination develops,
or rolled twice as slowly or twice as quickly.
Self-regulation, or the ability to control
impulses, is a powerful social skill. Not
only does it reduce fights/friction, it allows
society to function with the knowledge that
behaviour will be rewarded (or punished!),
that wages will be paid at the end of a
week or month of work, that travel time will
get us to where we want to be. And as we
know, both nature and nurture impact our
development, so we are able to learn new
things, regardless of where we come from.
References:
• Finders, J. K., McClelland, M. M.,
Geldhof, G. J., Rothwell, D. W., &
Hatfield, B. E. (2021). Explaining
achievement gaps in kindergarten and
third grade: The role of self-regulation
and executive function skills. Early
Childhood Research Quarterly, 54(1st
Quarter), 72–85.
• McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C.
E. (2011). Self-Regulation in Early
Childhood: Improving Conceptual
Clarity and Developing Ecologically
Valid Measures. Child Development
Perspectives, 6(2), 136–142.
• Oloye, H. T., & Flouri, E. (2021). The role
of the indoor home environment in
children’s self-regulation. Children and
Youth Services Review, 121(Feb 2021).
Frances Turnbull
Musician, researcher and author,
Frances Turnbull, is a self-taught guitarist
who has played contemporary and
community music from the age of 12. She
delivers music sessions to the early years
and KS1. Trained in the music education
techniques of Kodály (specialist singing),
Dalcroze (specialist movement) and Orff
(specialist percussion instruments), she
has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
(Open University) and a Master’s degree
in Education (University of Cambridge).
She runs a local community choir, the
Bolton Warblers, and delivers the Sound
Sense initiative “A choir in every care
home” within local care and residential
homes, supporting health and wellbeing
through her community interest
company.
She has represented the early years
music community at the House of
Commons, advocating for recognition
for early years music educators, and her
table of progressive music skills for under
7s features in her curriculum books.
Frances is the author of “Learning with
Music: Games and activities for the early
years“, published by Routledge, August
2017.
www.musicaliti.co.uk
38 September 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2021 39

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