October 2021 Parenta magazine

Issue 83
OCTOBER 2021
FREE
WIN A COPY OF “USING STORIES TO SUPPORT LEARNING AND
DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD” BY HELEN LUMGAIR
Industry
Experts
Sustaining the future
of the early years
- and beyond
Developing movements
to improve physical
literacy in the early years
Musically managing
self as an early
learning goal
+ lots more
Write for us
for a chance to win
£50
page 8
Nutrition for learning
The early years setting provides an opportunity to work with children and their families/carers on the foods they
consume. Helping them understand some basic nutrition and the importance of balance in their diet at an early
age can impact them in the short-term and set them up well for their long-term health as they mature.
NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEK • HEARING “NO” • 6 WAYS TO EASE CHILDREN’S WORRIES

hello
welcome to our family
JUNE OCTOBER 20202021 ISSUE ISSUE 67 83
IN THIS EDITION
Regulars
Hello and welcome to the October edition of the Parenta magazine!
The year is flying by, and autumn is practically upon us. We can soon look forward to the leaves changing colour and
cosy evenings indoors. Don’t forget, the clocks go back at the end of the month, meaning British Summer Time ends -
bringing darker afternoons, but also lighter mornings!
In this month’s magazine, don’t miss industry heavyweight June O’Sullivan’s fantastic article “Sustaining the future of
the early years – and beyond”. June gives us the benefit of her wealth of experience and incredible insight into how
we can think more holistically about sustainability - not only just within our settings, but in our own and surrounding
environments too - it’s never too late to start thinking about how we can help!
We also welcome with open arms into the Parenta family another new guest author, Helen Lumgair, and we are celebrating with a book
giveaway for you! Turn to page 30 for her “Hope of Story” article where you will be swept away in her fabulous theories of the wonders
of story-telling and be in with a chance of winning her fantastic book “Using Stories to Support Learning and Development in Early
Childhood.”
Yet again, we have such a wonderful array of advice this month from so many industry experts: Gina Bale guides us with developing
movements to improve physical literacy, Joanna Grace talks to us about the word “No”, Katharine Tate, the Food Teacher, educates us in
nutrition and gives us a very tasty recipe for mackerel pate, Ruth Mercer discusses supervision and how to tackle this potential challenge
in your setting, and Frances Turnbull looks at the ELGs and how to musically manage self.
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 and remember to put your clocks back on 31st October!
Allan
12
Domestic
Violence
Awareness Month
In the UK, three quarters of
a million children witness
domestic abuse each year,
which itself can be a form of
emotional abuse.
Hearing “No”
18
No is a very powerful word.
It is especially powerful
to people whose lives are
primarily controlled by
someone else. If you are a
child it is like someone else
makes the decisions.
National Adoption
Week
20
National Adoption Week runs from
the 18th to the 23rd October. Use this
opportunity to discuss any issues
relating to adoption in your setting.
8 Write for us for the chance to win £50!
8 Guest author winner announced
24 Mackerel pate
25 Franky and Fiona, the friendly
Halloween spiders
News
4 Childcare news and views
6 A round-up of some news stories
that have caught our eye over the
month
Advice
12 Domestic Violence Awareness Month
16 Fire Prevention Week
20 National Adoption Week
34 Safeguarding children
Industry Experts
10 Sustaining the future of the early years
– and beyond
14 Developing movements to improve
physical literacy in the early years
18 Hearing “No”
22 Nutrition for learning
26 An introduction to supervision in the
early years
30 The hope of story
32 Musically managing self as an early
learning goal
36 6 ways to ease children’s worries
38 Supporting staff with social, emotional
and mental health needs
Musically managing self as an early learning goal 32
Safeguarding children 34
6 ways to ease children’s worries 36
Supporting staff with social, emotional and
mental health needs
38

Childcare
news & views
Parents’ relationships with
children improved during
lockdowns
Research has shown that parents feel that
the COVID lockdowns have improved their
relationships with their children, due to
them being able to spend more quality time
with them at home.
New Children and Families
Minister appointed
During Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle
on 15th September, Will Quince, MP for
Colchester, was appointed Children and
Families Minister, taking over the helm
from Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford
– now junior minister at the Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development office.
Mr Quince’s responsibilities include early
years policy and childcare, free school
meals and children’s social care.
On the same day, Nadim Zahawi replaced
Gavin Williamson as the new Education
Secretary, Nick Gibb was replaced by
Robin Walker as Schools Minister and
Gillian Keegan was replaced by Alex
Burghart as Minister for Apprenticeships
and Skills.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early
Years Alliance said, “There is no doubt
that Mr Quince takes up this position at
a particularly difficult time for the early
years sector, with the ongoing funding
crisis, sustained recruitment and retention
challenges, and of course, the continued
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the spending review just weeks
away, it’s evident that the Department for
Education must do much more to make a
clear, convincing argument to the Treasury
about the need for greater investment
into the early years – and as children and
families minister, it is now the responsibility
of Mr Quince to lead on this work.”
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
Government to provide early
years funding for language and
numeracy
The government is to provide funding for
specialist training to help 2-to 4-year-olds
with language and mathematic skills, as
part of the early years recovery plan.
The government announced on
6th September that the early years
professional development programme
(PDP) is to be extended to around 50
new local authorities across England in
the 2021/2022 academic year, meaning
that thousands of pre-school children
will benefit from improved language,
numeracy and personal, social and
emotional skills.
The £10 million extension, building on
the £20 million already invested in the
programme since 2019 as part of the
government’s efforts to narrow the
attainment gap in the early years, is aimed
at levelling up outcomes for children,
particularly the most disadvantaged,
between the ages of 2 and 4 by providing
high-quality training and professional
development support for staff in nurseries
and pre-schools, or childminders.
Former Children and Families Minister,
Vicky Ford, said; “We know high-quality
early years education can make an
enormous difference to the outcomes of
our youngest children, not just in their
language and numeracy but also their
social and emotional development,
helping to give them the best possible start
to life. This is more important than ever as
we build back from the pandemic.”
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
Academics at the University of Essex have
found that despite the stresses caused
by the COVID pandemic, families have
largely benefitted from spending more time
together and have reported being surprised
by the love, strength and quality of their
family relationships, with the lockdowns
leading them to not simply survive in the
pandemic but thrive.
Generally, people felt relationships with
their children were better now than they
had been at the beginning of 2020, and
they were optimistic they would continue to
improve – although those with teenagers
reported less satisfaction than families with
younger children.
Research by academics and the charity,
Family Action, based on two surveys
of parents, revealed that despite the
lockdown-related stresses, particularly
around schooling, children’s behaviour and
money, the survey findings suggest families
proved “resilient”. In total, 1,015 parents
in the UK were surveyed in December
2020 and May 2021 about conflict and
communication within households before
and during COVID.
Dr Veronica Lamarche from the Department
of Psychology at the University of Essex,
said: “The really positive thing we found is
COVID has generally not destroyed families’.
Read the full story on the Parenta website
here.
Schools support during COVID
criticised by Ofsted’s Chief
Inspector
Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector
has spoken out and criticised some
British schools for “putting food donations
over education” during the coronavirus
pandemic, whilst speaking at an event held
by the Institute for Government think tank.
She said that schools prioritised “making
food parcels” and “going out visiting”
disadvantaged children over delivering
remote learning during the first wave of the
pandemic.
Ms Spielman commented that putting a
“great deal of attention into the children
with greatest difficulties” meant that some
schools “didn’t have the capacity left” to
ensure all pupils had access to education
during the COVID crisis.
She said: “In a lot of schools, it felt as
though their attention went very rapidly to
the most disadvantaged children, into sort
of making food parcels, going out visiting.
“They put a great deal of attention into the
children with greatest difficulties, which
is admirable but, in some cases, that
probably got prioritised...which may have
meant that they didn’t have the capacity left
to make sure that there was some kind of
education offer for all children.
And I think, in those first few weeks, when
it looked as though it might just be sort of
three or four weeks, it was less obvious
to some that they really did need to start
assembling as a full remote education
offering.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the
school leaders’ union NAHT, defended
schools’ “vital work” with vulnerable
children in their communities, arguing that
they “went to incredible lengths in order
to protect and care for pupils in the most
unimaginably challenging of times”.
“From the very start of the crisis, staff looked
after the most vulnerable pupils as the
country went into lockdown; they effectively
re-imagined the very concept of ‘school’
as they worked to implement a remote
learning offer,” he said.
Kelly Hill, Founder of Early Years Leadership
commented: “In early years, we use
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to ensure that
all children have their basic needs met,
knowing that unless these needs are met,
further learning cannot successfully occur.
We therefore agree with Mr Whiteman,and
believe that this vital work in meeting the
basic needs of vulnerable children was and
continues to be paramount.”
Read the full story on the Early Years
Leadership website here.
4 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 5

A round-up of some news stories that
have caught our eye over the month
Source and image credits to:
Rutland and Stamford Mercury, In Your Area, Nursery
World, Kent Online, Daily Record, Worksop Guardian,
Worcester news
Parenta FREE webinar -
Nutrition in early years
This month our focus was what we
can to give children the best start with
their nutrition. We were joined with our
fantastic guest speaker Katherine Tate,
The Food Teacher, and Kyla and Gill from
Watermead Nursery. In this webinar, we
covered growing children’s developing
brain, fussy eaters, educating parents
food activities and much more. Click here
to catch up on the unmissable advice.
Acorn Childcare Centre get a visit
from Stamford Firefighters
The firefighters have been telling the
children about the charity car wash as
well as giving them a tour around the fire
engine and letting them play with water.
Double Award Finalists for
Watermead Nursery!
Staff are bursting with pride at
Watermead Nursery as they become
finalists in two categories for two
separate national award ceremonies.
The 23 Just Childcare nurseries
sold for 34 million in sale-andleaseback
deal
Just Childcare was set up in 2004 and
became one of the largest childcare
groups. The freeholds of the settings are
now owned by LXi REIT.
Ofsted congratulate Kings
Nursery, Sittingbourne, for
remarkable turnaround
The nursery was previously ranked as
‘requiring improvement’ in 2019 and even
‘inadequate’ the year before. But after
drastic improvements, has a ‘good’ rating.
Busy Bees growing their group
even further with 357th setting
set to open in Nottingham
The setting will have the capacity for up
to 88 babies and children and will create
20-30 new jobs when they are fully
occupied.
Click here to send in
your stories to
hello@parenta.com
Wishaw set to open new early
years centre by next summer
The construction work is set to begin in
February and will be re-purposing the
local community centre. Once up and
running, the facility will have 40 spaces
available.
North Anston Nursery are
saved from closure after
uptake of spaces
Two Pollywiggle nurseries were set to
close early this month. However, with
parents taking advantage of available
childcare spaces, the settings are safe.
Outdoor play conference running
on 23rd & 24th November
With outdoor play and provision high on
the agenda, Nursery World has created
a conference with their CPD-certified
programme for ‘Outdoor play: priorities,
provisions and practice’.
Blue Giraffe Childcare awarded
‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating
With overall top marks for quality of
education, behaviour and attitudes,
personal development and leadership
and management, the setting have a lot
to celebrate.
Nursery managers clock up 37
years service of
cherishing children
Shenfield Day Nursery, where children
are cherished, is definitely a special place
and it certainly has some milestones to
celebrate this summer.
6 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 7

We’re always on the lookout
for new authors to contribute
insightful articles for our
monthly magazine.
Write for us!
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:
Encourage creativity, build agency
and foster positive communication
in children’s lives.
“A
powerful
tool.”
“Stimulating,
poignant and
inspiring.”
Creating sustainable
impact
COHORT #2
Jan 28th 2022
COHORT #3
May 13th 2022
London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) is
excited to launch our new CACHE Accredited
Level 4 qualification ‘Sustainability in
the Early Years’.
The qualification is a first for Early
Years. Find out more and enrol by
scanning our QR code.
https://www.parenta.com/sponsored-content/
Available at www.jkp.com and book retailers
greenleyf@leyf.org.uk
leyf.org.uk/sustainability-in-theearly-years/
Green
Congratulations
to our guest author competition winner, Helen Garnett!
NEW BOOK RELEASE!
LYF_Sustainability_Ad_FINAL.indd 1 09/09/2021 12:14
Supporting children with social,
emotional and mental health needs in
the Early Years
Congratulations to Helen Garnett our guest author
of the month! Her article “The significant role of
co-regulation in the early years” explored how vital
co-regulation is for young children and examples of
how to adopt this in nursery settings.
Well done Helen!
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
www.soniamainstone-cotton.com
8 October 2021 | parenta.com
| Winner need updating
parenta.com | October 2021 9

Sustaining the future of the
early years – and beyond
In the depths of the COVID pandemic, I wanted to (and needed to) look forward. The national
narrative was depressing and hopeless, yet the children in our nurseries were alive and made the
staff feel positive. I wanted to capture that sense of optimism and the children’s ‘joie de vivre’ so
I began writing my new book: 50 Fantastic Ideas for Sustainability (which I co-authored with my
colleague, Nick Corlett) alongside the supporting qualification about the same topic.
At LEYF, sustainability is central to our
social enterprise approach; having a
sustainable business model that means
you can deliver your social purpose in
an environmentally sustainable way.
The slogan you sometimes see is “Profit,
People, Planet”.
Every setting needs to ask their own
question about sustainability and start
from there. Change is more successful if
it’s small and steady with a plan to embed
it. We have a Sustainability Lead across
the organisation and the idea behind the
qualification was to train an Eco Champion
at each LEYF’s 42 nurseries to lead the
change in their setting.
Change is much more successful
when someone desires it and can help
colleagues understand what they need
to know in order to apply it. The Eco
Champion then reinforces this change
with the support of the decision-makers,
usually the managers!
We began our research by examining
the United Nations General Assembly
(2015) Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs). These 17 interlinked global goals
are designed to be a “blueprint to achieve
a better and more sustainable future for
all” and a helpful framework to align your
own sustainability goals. However, given
there are seventeen – you may choose not
to focus on all of them but on those most
relevant.
1 NO POVERTY 2 ZERO HUNGER 3 GOOD HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING
7 AFFORDABLE
AND CLEAN
ENERGY
13 CLIMATE
ACTION
8 DECENT WORK
AND ECONOMIC
GROWTH
14 LIFE BELOW
WATER
9 INDUSTRY,
INNOVATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
15 LIFE ON
LAND
For example, the LEYF business model is
designed to address child poverty (SDG1).
The early years sector all respond to SDG4
requirement for quality education and the
focus of this article aligns with SDG12 and
our impact on the planet from decisions
we talk about, the resources we use, how
we use them and then how we dispose of
our waste.
Remember, every small change that is
embedded is a success, and things will
not slip back. For example, in 2018 we
really examined how we could use our
gardens better. We even wrote a book to
share practical ideas because as nurseries
based all across London, we don’t have
huge gardens. Some are quirky, others are
near busy roads, one is on a rooftop and
the other is in a basement. However, we
wanted to do what Thomas Weaver calls
‘connect with the poetry of our own back
yards’.
By 2019, we had banned all single-use
plastics such as gloves, aprons and shoe
covers and replaced them with alternatives
but when COVID crashed into our lives all
efforts seemed to halt and plastic was
4 QUALITY
EDUCATION
10 REDUCED
INEQUALITIES
16 PEACE JUSTICE
AND STRONG
INSTITUTIONS
5 GENDER
EQUALITY
11 SUSTAINABLE
CITIES AND
COMMUNITIES
17
PARTNERSHIPS
FOR THE GOALS
6 CLEAN WATER
AND SANITATION
12 RESPONSIBLE
CONSUMPTION
AND PRODUCTION
back with a PPE vengeance. So, we had to
take another path. If we couldn’t continue
our changes, then the best way to prepare
is to teach staff to understand what we
could do to make us a more sustainable
organisation. We designed a qualification
in partnership with Cache; the Level 4
Qualification in Sustainability in the Early
Years. So far, 20 staff have completed
it, another 20 have been recruited and
we hope to open up to the sector from
September 2021.
Sometimes all you need to do is re-frame
the way you explain things. For example,
we banned glitter a long time ago.
Why? Because it’s very harmful for the
environment, especially as much of it ends
up in the ocean hurting our sea life. When
staff understood this, they became very
creative about alternatives. The thing to
remember in the early years sector is that
we are constantly employing and training
new staff and therefore our explanations
are never finished. Change is continual
so therefore knowledge to reinforce this
change is essential.
To support this, our new book
demonstrates to practitioners that being
sustainable is not complicated and can be
1 Reduce
integrated into every setting’s routine and
practice. Some people think young children
are unable to understand about their
environment but I disagree. Children are
much more competent and thoughtful than
we give them credit. Indeed, if sustainable
development is relevant to children’s lives,
then we need to prepare them for their
role in dealing with the problems they are
facing.
Teaching children requires adults to be able
to explain things to them using a variety of
tactics. It’s about using resources and our
environment as a teaching tool, making
new ideas accessible and interesting
and then scaffolding and extending our
children’s abilities and confidence. We do
this in many ways but particularly through
multi-layered cross-curricular activities -
stuff you do every day such as playing,
singing, music, dance, art, conversations,
reading and gardening. The list is endless!
Education is a very powerful pathway to
sustainability, but it depends on adults who
understand how to integrate sustainability
into every element of their leadership,
pedagogy and operational practice. Think
about framing your approach around these
8 R’s:
Decrease consumption of food wastage, materials and
resources
2 Reuse Use materials many times and for different purposes
3 Repair Fix things rather than discarding them, or re-purpose them
4 Recycle
5 Rot
6 Respect
7 Reflect
Be aware of alternatives to discarding rubbish and
educate children about the importance and impact they
can have through this
Let things go back to the earth to enrich the next crop of
plants while also providing a habitat for many insects and
small rodents
Nurture an understanding of, and respect of nature and
natural processes and reduce the extent to which they are
violated; show consideration and compassion for people
and animals
The habit/skill of being thoughtful, asking questions and
wondering about experiences
8 Responsibility something worthwhile – be socially and economically
sustainable e.g. fair trade and local markets to promote
Being trusted to take care of something, or to do
community well-being
June O’Sullivan
June O’Sullivan MBE is Chief Executive of
the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF),
one of the UK’s largest charitable childcare
social enterprises which currently runs 42
nurseries across twelve London boroughs.
An inspiring speaker, author and regular
media commentator on early years, social
business and child poverty, June has
been instrumental in achieving a major
strategic, pedagogical and cultural shift
for the award-winning London Early Years
Foundation, resulting in an increased
profile, a new childcare model and a
stronger social impact over the past ten
years.
@juneosullivan
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Sustainability is holistic. It is central to the
child’s whole experience of life and needs
to be part of a broad and inclusive quality
education. We cannot continue to treat our
planet with disregard and force our children
to inherit the predicted catastrophic 2050.
Those of us leading in ECEC have a duty
to future-proof as much as possible and
should learn how to tread lightly on the
planet. Let’s all join together and do our bit.
Every little helps.
10 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 11

Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
It’s hard to imagine but in this day and age, there are still two women each week who are killed
by a partner or former partner in England and Wales. In the Northeast, the area with the highest
recorded rate of domestic abuse, there are an average of 253 incidents every day. Over the course
of the pandemic, cases of domestic abuse have increased globally by approximately 20% as many
women have been trapped at home with their abusers with no escape. But it’s not just women
who are victims; many men can be victims too, and in the UK, three quarters of a million children
witness domestic abuse each year, which itself can be a form of emotional abuse on the child.
Children are also affected by
domestic violence
Whilst we can understand that physical
or sexual abuse can severely affect the
physical and mental health of the victim,
we need to also understand the effect that
domestic violence can have on any children
living under the same roof. They can react
in many different ways, for example, they
may:
• Feel frightened, insecure or confused a
lot of the time
• Keep their feelings to themselves
• Struggle to cope with their emotion
or experience emotional outbursts
themselves
• Become withdrawn and socially
isolated
Children who witness domestic violence are
themselves victims of a type of emotional
abuse and need our help to safeguard
them too. All children who experience
domestic abuse will be living under high
levels of stress for much of the day and
these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
can impact on their own behaviour and
well-being. As nursery professionals, we
should be trained to look out for changes
in behaviour as part of our safeguarding
training and to report any concerns to our
DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead).
Some of the behavioural aspects you may
notice in children can include:
Help is available
In 2020, the Home Secretary announced a
new campaign to tackle domestic abuse
and provided an additional £2 million to
help support domestic abuse helplines and
online support in response to increased
demand. They set up the Refuge helplines
and website where people can find out
more about help services. There is also
a free-phone 24-hour National Domestic
Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. The
campaign uses the hashtag #YouAreNot
Alone, aiming to reassure victims that help
will be available when they need it.
2. Raise awareness of the issue of
domestic abuse within your setting or
community by joining in a campaign or
setting up your own event
3. Raise money for a related charity or
helpline so that more people can
receive support
4. Collect and donate goods and toys to a
local women’s/men’s refuge
5. Be sensitive to any child, adolescent
or adult you know who may have
experienced domestic abuse in the
past
Each year, October is internationally
recognised as Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. It began in the USA
in 1981 and aims to raise awareness of
the problem and highlight the help and
support that are available to victims,
women and men. Domestic violence is
a problem that affects people from all
religions, races, culture and status, which
is why it is so important to highlight the
issues.
What is domestic violence?
Domestic abuse/violence is defined
as a “systematic pattern of behaviour
on the part of the abuser designed to
control his or her partner.” Anyone who is
forced to change their behaviour, or who
changes their behaviour because they are
frightened of their partner or ex-partner’s
reaction, is experiencing abuse. The abuse
can take many different forms and can
happen to anyone regardless of gender,
sexuality, religion or status, although, it is
also important to acknowledge that most
domestic abuse is carried out by men and
is experienced by women.
Physical violence is often the first type of
domestic abuse that people think of, but
domestic abuse can also be emotional,
psychological, financial or sexual and it
can start at any stage of a relationship.
Domestic violence is also rarely a one-off
event, and many victims report incidents
becoming more frequent and more
severe over time. What’s also important
to remember is that domestic abuse and
domestic violence are illegal, and they are
never the fault of the victim, who will often
need a lot of support, understanding and
a safe place to live in order to escape the
bonds of a violent domestic situation.
Domestic abuse is associated with
anxiety, depression, substance misuse
and PTSD, and studies suggest that
women experiencing domestic abuse
are more likely to suffer from a mental
health condition; and women with a
mental health condition, are more likely to
experience domestic abuse.
• Bullying or aggressive behaviours
• Tantrums
• Speech problems or difficulties with
learning
• Inability to concentrate
• Attention-seeking behaviours
• Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
• Bed-wetting
• Extended periods of illness
• Anxiety and depression
• Irrational fears
• Withdrawal
Some people mistakenly believe that all
children who experience domestic violence
will themselves grow up to be perpetrators
or victims later in life, but this is not true.
With love and support, a lot of children can
transcend these early experiences and lead
happy and fulfilled lives as adults. Others
may need more sustained or specialist
support over a number of years.
What is less well known, is the time that
it takes for victims to come forward.
According to the charity SafeLives, highrisk
survivors live with domestic abuse
for over 2 years before getting help, and
medium-risk survivors for 3 years. They
report that on average, people experience
a staggering 50 incidents of abuse before
seeking effective help.
How can you help in your
setting?
There are a few ways that you can help
in your setting, which fall under different
categories of support.
1. Be alert to the signs and symptoms
that children, parents or even staff
members may be experiencing
domestic abuse, and offer them
guidance and support, referring any
safeguarding concerns to your DSL
immediately
Remember, if you think or know someone is
being abused, it is better to speak up than
say nothing. If you are wrong, then there’s
no harm done, but if you are right, you
could save someone’s life.
Help and support
Freephone 24-hour National Domestic
Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
(access live chat Mon-Fri 3-10pm)
https://domesticviolenceuk.org/
https://safelives.org.uk/
12 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 13

Developing movements to improve
physical literacy in the early years
Movement is for ALL children and sometimes they just need a little extra assistance,
and their goals and level will vary and that’s OK!
So, with this in mind here is your super-fast, 3-minute guide
Scaffold their learning: see what they
can achieve alone and what they can
achieve with adult and peer support.
Model correctly: Children will copy you
and when you model correctly, you are
helping them build the right pathways
as they lay down the myelin on the
connections in the brain. Do take a peek at
the article “Meeting myelin” in the August
issue of Parenta Magazine to see how
important this is.
pathways for the action. To give you an
example when a child is trying to stand and
balance on one leg, and they are wobbling
around, that is the core trying to adapt to
keep them upright. The body is learning
how stabilise by finding its centre to remain
upright.
For a little extra assistance:
Let them push down on the palms of your
hands to get off the floor – mind your
heads!
1. Let’s get back to
basics
Before children can sit upright
and move, they need to
develop their core muscles.
2. What is the core?
The core is made up of the
muscles in the trunk of the
body. These muscles act like
a corset protecting the lumbar
spine, and it is the function of
the muscular system to protect
the articular structures in the
body. The core includes the
deep stabilisers in the spine
which wrap all the way around
to the anterior abdominal
wall. The anterior abdominal
wall includes three layers of
flat muscle, the transversus
abdominis, internal and
external obliques. Everything
you need to be upright, twist
the body, bend sideways,
forwards and backwards.
3. What can I do to
help?
For the little ones
One of the first things to help
little ones develop these
muscles is to ensure they have
enough tummy time. Tummy
time is vital as it helps develop
the muscles in the back, neck,
arms, and legs and allows
them to practice their reaching
(stretching) and pivoting
skills. All of this is a precursor
to crawling and walking.
Research shows that a lack of
tummy time can delay children
from reaching their physical
developmental milestones.
For the older ones
Include as many activities
as possible, that encourage
children to use large body
movements (gross motor skills)
which in turn will help them
build their core strength and
improve fitness levels.
4. Why are some
children more
physically able than
others?
Physical literacy (movements) is
a combination of the strength
of the bodies core and myelin
development. The connections
in the brain need to be there,
as the core continues to
develop, for the child to be
able to progress and develop
their physical literacy.
Core stability is vital for all
activities, and we need to
do all we can to help them.
Don’t forget they need that
core strength to help get them
Walking with assistance
Walking alone unaided
Walking up and down with
assistance
Walking up and down stairs
holding a rail
ready to write as it’s all about
the strength and control of the
motor skills both ‘gross’ and
‘fine’.
Movement of the
month: Jumping
Have you ever thought about
how much strength it takes a
little body to be able to jump
off the ground?
Try this: Bend over so you are
looking at your knees. Relax
your muscles, without falling
over, so you are nice, floppy,
and very relaxed. Now try to
jump. What did it feel like?
Did you know there are
4 types of jumps for
little ones to master?
2 to 2 (jumping from two feet
to two feet)
2 to 1 (jumping from two feet to
one foot)
1 to 2 (jumping from one foot to
two feet)
1 to 1 (jumping from one foot to
one foot)
What to think about
when they are ready
to jump?
Remember they need to go
down before they can go up!
Using the knees: All jumps
start and end with a bend
in the knees. This protects
the spine as the knees are
working as a shock absorber.
Using the feet: As you
land from any jump you go
through your feet, from your
toes distributing weight evenly
through the foot all the way to
the heel.
NOTE: Don’t land on your
heels and especially with
straight legs as this will jar
delicate knees and spine
including yours and you will
end up on your bottom!
Developmental progress of “Transfer of weight” from 1-5 years
1
2
3
4
5
Walking up and down stairs
Some already jumping from two feet
Able to hop on one foot
Some will be able to do multiple hops
Standing on one leg balancing securely
Some able to leap and land on one leg
Your pathway to success
When they are showing interest in leaving
the ground, with two feet, it means they
are ready to jump. This is such a fun and
exciting time to enjoy together. Encourage
them to actively jump by:
1. Blowing bubbles for them to reach up
and catch and on the ground to stomp
on.
2. Sing fun action songs together that
practises bending and stretching the
knees.
3. Lift them off the ground so they can feel
the movement of going up and down
to see how much fun it is. When it’s
fun they will want to do it themselves.
Note: Don’t forget to bend your own
knees and mind your back!
4. Hold their hands as they start to
jump as it is all about support and
confidence.
NOTE: If they fall over don’t worry, make
it fun and fall with them so they know it’s
OK not to get it right to start with. Falling
is a part of the learning process as this is
how the body and the brain learns. With
every new movement, the body and brain
are assessing what is happening and how
to keep you upright, while creating new
Holding your fingertips with both hands,
and then one hand, so they are doing all
the work but feel supported by you.
It takes confidence to jump as there is a lot
going on in the body to defy gravity and
get off the ground. It can be scary for some
children, so be patient and they will jump
when they are ready.
Make it fun
Be creative and imaginative in revisiting
the movements by being different animals.
Find your inner child and use props to
encourage and engage by using chalk lines
or spots on the floor to jump on, over or
across. Blow bubbles, as who doesn’t love
reaching, jumping, and catching bubbles?
Animal ideas for the 4 different
types of jumps
2 to 2: Take a trip to Australia and jump
with a kangaroo.
1 to 1: You have taken a rocket to space and
leap from star to star looking for aliens.
2 to 1: Trying to cross the Amazon river and
standing on one side ready to jump across
as the jaguar is waking up. Don’t fall in -
the piranhas are hungry!
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’.
1 to 2: Join a polar bear as he balances
on the top of an iceberg looking for
somewhere safe to land.
Please share your ideas and
experiences with me as would love to
know what works for you. Find me on
Facebook or Instagram
@Littlemagictrain as would love to
connect.
14 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 15

Fire Prevention Week
One of the things that we as practitioners worry about a lot is how we can keep the children in our care
safe. You can see our Safeguarding article on page 34 for more information about how to look after
safeguarding more generally in your setting. But in this article, we are going to look into the issue of
fire and how we can use this year’s Fire Prevention Week to not only keep our children safe, but spread
the word about fire and some of the danger it holds for younger children.
14. Use a childproof fireguard in front of an
open fire or heater
15. Teach children about the dangers of
playing with matches and ensure all
fire hazards are safely locked away
from little fingers
16. Cover all plug sockets with safety
covers
17. Ensure your staff are trained in how to
treat paediatric burns and scalds with
first aid and keep their training up-todate
with regular revision sessions
18. Make sure you keep children away
from dangerous items by locking these
items in cupboards with childproof
locks
Fire Prevention Week runs from the 3rd
– 9th October 2021 and is an American
week aimed at fire prevention. In the
UK, a national fire prevention week has
been superseded by an array of specific
awareness days and weeks such as Fire
Door Safety Week, Electrical Fire Safety
Week, as well as Chimney Fire Safety
Week.
It doesn’t really matter however, because
fire safety is important to everyone
wherever they are in the world, and the
recent tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire
should be enough to alert us all to the very
real dangers that fires still pose, even in
modern Britain. Following investigations
into Grenfell, there have been changes
to legislation related mainly to residential
buildings which require more rigorous fire
safety checks and risk assessments for
different materials on these buildings. And
although they mainly relate to residential
buildings, you cannot be too careful when
if comes to fire safety, so it may be time to
revisit your settings’ fire risk assessment as
a matter of course.
Why teach fire safety?
Many young children do not recognise
the dangers that fire poses to them, and
children are one of the groups with the
highest number of fire-related deaths
each year with approximately 500 deaths
a year in the under-14 age group. Many
deaths are caused by smoke inhalation
where little lungs are more affected than
adults. Children under 5 may not be able
to escape from a fire themselves and
may instead, head to a favourite place
of ‘safety’ such as under a bed or in a
cupboard instead of leaving the building.
Older children may feel the need to return
to a building if they have left something
like a favourite toy or pet behind. For all
these reasons and more, children need to
be taught about fire safety early – what
they can do to prevent fires, and what they
should do in the event of a fire.
If you visit the US Fire Prevention Week
website, you will find lots of useful
information and advice on how you can
introduce the topic into your setting and
although they have an American focus,
there are still many useful resources and
games that you can adapt for UK settings.
Some basic fire checks and
procedures you should do
regularly
1. If you hear a fire alarm, get out and
stay out – dial 999!
2. Ensure all your fire exits are well
signposted, have backup power
lighting and are not obstructed in any
way
3. Teach children how to raise the alarm
in the event of a fire
4. Test smoke alarms regularly, at least
once a month – most fire brigades
recommend a sealed ten-year unit
so that you don’t need to change
the batteries, but if you don’t have a
sealed unit, you need to remember to
change the batteries once a year
5. Keep paper stacked neatly and try to
avoid having too much waste paper in
one place so empty bins regularly
6. Run fire drills especially at the nursery
and make sure everyone knows
where to meet – ensure too that you
have dedicated fire marshals, readily
available registers and people to take
them, as well as escape plans for
anyone who may not be ale to walk
out easily, such as a wheelchair users
or those with impaired mobility
7. Ensure that you have a fire drill
procedure for children with special
needs – this might involve have a code
word/visual signal rather than a loud
alarm or ensuring that there are ear
defenders for children if they need
them
8. Encourage your families to have a
plan and to practice fire evacuation
procedures at home
9. Check fire doors – make sure they
close properly and never prop them
open
10. Teach children about the risk of fire or
burns/scalds in a kitchen and keep all
hot items out of reach of children
11. NEVER leave children alone with a fire
risk
12. Teach children what to do in the event
of a clothes fire such as “stop, drop
and roll” technique and the dangers of
smoke
13. Don’t overload sockets and check
plugs and sockets for electrical fire
safety. It’s best to turn electrical items
off at night rather than leaving them on
standby – it’s safer and also uses less
energy
19. Remember to check doors for heat
before opening them
20. Crawl near the ground if in a fire to
avoid toxic smoke and fumes
These are just some of the things that you
might consider teaching or going over in
your setting, but there are a lot more things
that you can cover too. Think about:
• Candle safety
• Bonfire night fire safety
• Garden fire safety
• Christmas lights fire safety
• Burn and scalds awareness
There are some good ideas about how
to engage children in fire safety at the
website fireangel.co.uk including a list of
some child-friendly videos. Your local fire
station will also be involved in prevention
advice and you may be able to arrange a
visit to your setting along with some useful
educational sessions or fire alarm checks.
16 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 17

Hearing “No”
“Put your coat on”
“No”
“Put your coat on, you have to, it is cold
outside.”
“No!”
What do you do next?
“Eat your vegetables”
“No”
“Eat your vegetables, you have to, they are
good for you.”
“No!”
What do you do next?
“Get down from there.”
“No”
“It’s dangerous. Get down from there. You
might fall.”
“No!”
What do you do next?
‘No’ is a very powerful word. It is especially
powerful to people whose lives are
primarily controlled by someone else. If
you are a child it is likely that someone
else decides when you go to bed, when
you get up, when you eat, what you eat,
what you do and so on.
Perhaps you have heard someone say “I
just can’t say ‘no’.” My bet is that they are
an adult fully in control of their lives.
Consider the experience from the point
of view of the child, after the ‘what
happens next?’. If in each case their no is
ignored: their coat gets put on anyway, the
vegetables are spooned into their mouth,
they are lifted down from the top of the
wall. What does that teach them about the
power of their spoken ‘no’?
What they learn is that saying “no” doesn’t
work.
What comes next makes logical sense.
If you want to say “no”, but saying “no”
doesn’t work, then you move on to
showing ‘no’. Perhaps you shout, perhaps
you pull away, perhaps you lash out, you
kick, you punch.
Isn’t it an interesting position we find
ourselves in as the adults in these
conversations? Each one is justifiable. They
do need their coat on. They should eat
their vegetables. And they must get down
before they fall.
But it is important that children learn that
saying “no” works.
We do not want them to learn that
escalating their ‘no’ works. That is, we
do not want to change our position in
response to the ‘no’ being shouted. We
understand that if we crack once, then
they are much more likely to learn that
shouting is a way to get their own way.
We have to take a step back. Is our aim to
teach them that adults are in charge and
they should do as we say because we are
right? Or is our aim to guide their decisions
about their own life and keep them safe? It
is the latter of course!
Direct instructions are an easy first option,
if the child puts their coat on, eats their
vegetables and gets down from the wall
we’ve kept them safe and warm and fed
them a healthy diet. Oh if only it were so
easy!
As wonderful as a child that follows
instructions without quibble sounds, just
consider for a moment the dangers that
might lie in such compliance for them in
the future. We want them to question, to
consider, to reason, and to know how to
say “no” should they ever need to, and to
have the expectation that their ‘no’ will be
heard and respected.
We are the adults and are in a position to
reflect. It is useful to let spoken ‘no’s work
on occasion. If you know the child ate lots
of vegetables at lunch time and really
genuinely hates broccoli, then perhaps this
exchange could be:
“Eat your vegetables”
“No”
“Oh, you don’t want to eat these? They are
good for you.” (Saying “you don’t want to”
is important as it underlines that you have
heard and understood what they meant
when they said “No”)
“No”
“Hmm, well you did eat lots of vegetables
at lunch time so I think it would be okay for
you to leave these.”
We are not simply letting the child get their
own way, we are picking times when it is
appropriate to teach them that their verbal
‘no’ is powerful, and should be respected.
If we are not in a situation where this
is appropriate we can use other work
arounds so that the situation doesn’t lead
to a stand-off. Choices and control are a
powerful tools for doing this.
Choice:
“It is dangerous up there, do you want me
to lift you down or can you climb down on
your own?”
(Whatever their answer, the result is you
directed them to get off the wall).
Control:
“It’s very cold outside. Brrr! When we go out
there we will feel cold. What can we do to
stay warm?” (Giving the lead up information
about how we will feel outside, and using
expressions like “Brrr” to give the child
time to consider what we are saying, is
important before leading into the question).
“We could wear a coat!”
“Good idea! Where are our coats?”
A child saying “no” is not naughty and
defiant, they are road testing a skill you
want them to have. Hearing their ‘no’s and
teaching them their effectiveness is a part
of keeping them safe.
Jo 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. Jo 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
18 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 19

National Adoption Week
Depending on which statistics you read,
there are between 2,000 and 6,000
children in the UK who need adopting at
any one time. Many are sibling groups
who need to be adopted together, which
often makes it more difficult to find the right
adoptive parents. The latest Government
data 1 reports that 3,440 children (who
had previously been looked after), were
adopted in the year ending March 31st
2020. This was down 4% on the previous
year and continues a downward trend
since the peak in adoptions in 2015. With
approximately 80,000 children in care at
any one time, there is an urgent need for
people to come forward to redress the
balance.
In response to this falling adoption
rate, the Government has launched a
new nationwide campaign which is
being delivered by a group of Regional
Adoption Agencies, Voluntary Adoption
Agencies and key stakeholders working
in adoption in England. It is supported
by the Department for Education and
aims to tackle and dispel some of the
myths around who is eligible to adopt
and what the adoption process entails.
It is using the hashtag #YouCanAdopt to
raise awareness and National Adoption
Week 2021 is the perfect platform to raise
awareness and highlight the plight of
would-be adoptees who are waiting too
long for their ‘forever families’.
National Adoption Week runs from the
18th to the 23rd October, the week before
half-term in many English schools and
nurseries, so you can use the week to
discuss a number of issues in your setting
relating to adoption, since it is not just
the time delay or the shortage of suitable
parents that is of concern. There is still a lot
of stigma associated with adoption with
many adopted children reporting being
bullied at school because of their status.
There are issues related to the lack of
people from diverse ethnic backgrounds
who put themselves forward as potential
parents, and an increasing number
of barriers that people believe exist to
adoption including worries about:
• Finance
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Size of house
• Work status
• Age
• Health
The truth about adoption
In reality, there are only a few things
you need to become an adopter. These
include:
• The ability to provide the love, time
and commitment a child needs which
can vary depending on their age
• The ability to empathise with children
who may never have experienced the
security of feeling loved or safe before
• The patience, flexibility, energy and
health to be there for the child as
long-term parents whatever comes up
This means that each year there are
single-parents, same-sex couples and
working people who adopt. In early years,
we are trained to work with children from a
variety of stances, so this year, why not ask
yourself and your staff whether adoption
might be something they could think more
seriously about?
Ethnic diversity issues
Research shows that children from
black and mixed-heritage backgrounds
wait longer to be matched with a new
adoptive family than those from Caucasian
backgrounds. This could be due to a
number of factors that the government is
trying to address. Research also suggests
that attitudes towards adoption from
black communities are positive with 80%
of people from these communities stating
that they have either adopted, considered
or would consider adopting a child in the
future.
Events within National Adoption Week
and Black History Month (which also runs
in September), aim to focus on recruiting
potential parents particularly from these
groups.
The adoption process
There are 4 main stages in the adoption
process after people initially explore and
find out about adoption. These are:
1. Initial checks and registration
2. Training and assessment
3. Matching parents to the right child
4. Child moves in
It can take between 6 months and a year
for these processes to be completed so
patience is necessary when beginning the
adoption process. But when you think about
it from a child’s perspective, the average
number of days that a child waits between
entering the care system and moving in
with their adopted family is 459 days, so it
takes time to match people with the right
families, but this shouldn’t put you off.
How to promote National
Adoption Week in your setting
1. Raise awareness
Spread the word and raise awareness
of the issues around adoption with your
parents and staff by putting up posters and
giving out information about who to contact
or where to find out more information.
2. Address the stigma head on
Tackle some of the stigma associated with
adoption by talking about it to the children
in your setting. You will need to take a
positive and understanding approach
to this and be aware of any child in your
setting who is either adopted or in the
care system who may be affected by this
topic. You can introduce it gently by talking
about the different families that people
have and using story-time and storybooks
such as “Finding a family for Tommy” by
Rebecca Daniel or “The Teazels’ baby
bunny” by Susan Bagnall. There are a lot
of books about adoption and fostering for
both children and adults on the Coram
BAAF website at https://corambaaf.org.uk/
bookshop.
3. Upskill your staff
Train your staff in some of the issues faced
by adopted or fostered children so that they
can better understand and support them.
Many children who have been in the care
system or have been adopted have first
suffered adverse childhood experiences
(ACEs) which can have a profound effect on
their development and behaviour. A lot of
these issues such as attachment disorders,
FASD (foetal alcohol spectrum disorder)
and the effects of early childhood trauma
are not generally well understood by the
general population and these children are
often labelled as ‘naughty’ or ‘disruptive’
when they are only trying to cope with
situations that make them anxious or cope
with their state of perpetual high anxiety,
neither of which is their fault or their
conscious choice.
Whatever you do, remember that the
children who need adopting are vulnerable
and need adopting through no fault of
their own. But with love, attention and a lot
of patience and understanding from the
adults around them, they can start to get
their lives back on track and fulfil their true
potential.
More information
For more information see the adoption
agencies below:
England - First4Adoption
Wales - The National Adoption Service
Scotland - St Andrews Children’s Centre
Northern Ireland - Health and Social Care
(HSC) Adoption & Fostering
References:
1. Children looked after in England
including adoptions – reporting year
2020. Available at gov.uk
20 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 21

Nutrition for learning
Children tend to be naturally inquisitive
and boundless in their approach to
understanding the world around them and
learning new concepts. The early years
setting provides an opportunity to work
with children and their families/carers on
the foods they consume. Helping them
understand some basic nutrition and the
importance of balance in their diet at an
early age can impact them in the short
term, as well as setting them up well for
their long-term health as they mature.
Both factors are also fundamental to
behaviour, as a child who can focus for
even short periods of time, will be able to
engage with new experiences which will
assist their processing, understanding
and ultimately, their progress and
development.
The developing brain:
Brain structure is laid down by both
genetics and environmental factors such
as food, learning and exercise. Early
nutrient deficiencies can impact on the
growing brain and an awareness of key
nutrients for brain development can be a
factor that parents/carers can influence
and therefore can help support optimal
brain health for their child/children. Brain
development is on-going in line with its
amazing plasticity, though significant
stages of brain development include
the third trimester until age 2, when
the brain undergoes rapid-growth, and
adolescence, when the brain undergoes
pruning.
From birth to 6 years old, socialisation,
cognitive, motor, communication and
emotional development is the focus. From
7 to the mid 20s the connections further
develop to establish faster signalling, selfcontrol
and decision making, which are the
last areas to mature.
Key brain nutrients
The development of the brain thrives on
food diversity and requires a wide range
of nutrients, while there are some key
nutrients that play a larger role, which
include:
Protein
Protein provides the building blocks for
brain structure and maintenance and
is also essential for neurotransmitter
production, which influence mood,
thoughts and facilitates the communication
between the cells of the nervous
system. A reduction in protein may
lead to smaller brain growth, so protein
should be included in each meal with a
recommended intake of between 15 to 28g
a day depending on the age of the child.
Focus on: Eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds,
legumes and lentils.
Fats (omega-3)
The brain’s dry weight is made up of
60% fat. Fats are essential for all cell
membranes, cognitive function and
mood. 25% of the brain’s fat is made
up of the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA,
which is essential for structure, function,
metabolism of glucose and for reduction
of oxidative stress. Supplementation
throughout childhood, has shown
improved cognition, focused attention,
and a profoundly positive effect on
neurotransmitters and mental health. It
has also been linked to decreased neurodevelopmental
disorders, lower rates of
allergies, atopic conditions and improved
respiratory health. There is also some
evidence it can improve sleep quality and
duration.
Focus on: Eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds
and avocado.
Supplement: As the body relies on
dietary sources, it is worth considering/
suggesting to parents an omega-3 fatty
acid supplement for your/their child/
children high in DHA and EPA.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide glucose and fuel
for the brain but carbohydrates such
as white bread, rice and sugary foods
rapidly convert to glucose and can have a
detrimental impact and negatively affect
glucose metabolism. Regulating blood
glucose levels is important for mood and
concentration and will also have an antiinflammatory
effect.
Focus on: Slow release carbohydrates
such as wholegrain options (oats, brown
rice, wholewheat/seeded bread), include
protein with carbohydrates at mealtimes
and/or increase vegetable consumption.
Swapping beige foods for green can help
to increase vegetables. Try alternatives
such as courgette/carrot spaghetti, sweet
potato noodles, cauliflower rice or bean
mash.
Iron
Iron increases brain energy production
and is required to supply oxygen. The
relationship between iron and cognitive
performance has been well researched,
so if there are any concerns abut a child’s
development it’s worth suggesting they
are checked for anaemia.
Focus on: Meat, eggs, quinoa, grains,
legumes, lentils and broccoli. Eating these
with vitamin C rich foods, such as peppers,
sweet potato and tomatoes will support
absorption.
Iodine
Iodine is required for the synthesis of
thyroid hormones, which regulate the
body’s metabolic rate, heart and digestive
function, muscle control and brain
development. Any deficiency can impact
on brain growth, signalling and brain
weight. Low levels of iodine have also been
associated with learning difficulties.
Focus on: Sea vegetables (samphire, kelp),
yoghurt, eggs, tuna, cod, salmon and
strawberries.
Zinc
Zinc is abundant in the brain and
contributes to both structure and function
including neurotransmitter release and
the development of the hippocampus for
learning and memory. Several studies
suggest supplementation may impact
on cognition, motor development and
memory, specifically during puberty.
Focus on: Meat, seeds, nuts, lentils,
legumes, quinoa and fish.
Blood sugar balance
A key factor for concentration is ensuring
meals and timings support a balanced
blood sugar. If a child’s blood sugar peaks
and troughs this can have a dramatic affect
on their concentration and ultimately their
behaviour. Therefore breakfast is key to
starting the day and appropriate snacks,
which contain both protein and fibre
throughout the day also support to keep
levels even.
Anti-nutrients
Anti-nutrients are factors, which may have
a detrimental affect on brain health for
some individuals. These include trans fats,
gluten, artificial sweeteners, high sugar,
caffeine, and high toxin exposure (cigarette
smoke, household chemicals, toiletries
etc.).
Lifestyle
Lifestyle factors that support brain health
include keeping well hydrated, getting
adequate sleep, exercise and learning.
How?
Within early years settings a project about
‘Feeding my growing brain’ can be an ideal
opportunity to talk about what the brain
does and introduce key foods and lifestyle
factors that support the brain to grow and
develop.
A simple and delicious brain food recipe to try in your setting
is Mackerel pate - see page 24 to make it yourself!
Being informed of all these factors such
as key nutrients, blood sugar balancing,
lifestyle factors and anti-nutrients can
support early years settings to educate
children and families and ultimately
support optimal brain development,
increased concentration and learning.
For more food fun in your setting, sign up to
the Youngest Chef Award. This award is for
Early Years Foundation Stage pupils (ages
3-5) and is written by teachers for early
years practitioners/teachers. It is designed
around the popular children’s book “The
Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
Katharine Tate
The Food Teacher Founder and
Director, Katharine Tate, has worked
as a teacher and education consultant
internationally in primary and secondary
schools for over 20 years. Qualified as
an award winning registered nutritional
therapist, Katharine, combines her unique
education and nutrition expertise to
offer schools, organisations and families
advice, education programmes, practical
workshops, and individual/family clinical
consultations. She has written and
published several books: “Heat-Free &
Healthy”, the award-winning
“No Kitchen Cookery for Primary Schools”
a series of Mini-Books and has also
co-authored the award-winning “Now
We’re Cooking!” Delivering the National
Curriculum through Food. She has also
launched a programme of Young Chef
awards for schools, which support delivery
of the curriculum and nutrition. In
2019, over 4,000 children completed the
awards across the UK.
LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram
and has been developed and launched
by The Food Teacher. The award is a
‘Mini Muncher Challenge’, which can be
delivered across 5 sessions (every day over
a single week or once a week over a 5
week period) with 50 minutes of planned
teaching time each session. Find out more
at; https://youngest.youngchefoftheyear.
com/
22 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 23

Mackerel pate
By The Food Teacher
Franky & Fiona,
the Friendly
Halloween spiders
You will need:
• 1 mackerel fillet (tin)
• ½ lemon or lime
• 12 fresh chives
• 2 tbsp. sour cream/Greek
natural yoghurt/soya yoghurt
Instructions:
1. Squeeze the lemon/lime to remove the juice.
2. Flake the mackerel using a fork into the mixing bowl
(check for bones).
3. Cut the chives using the scissors.
4. Mix the chives, lemon/lime juice and cream with the
mackerel.
5. Mix thoroughly.
6. Spoon into your serving bowl.
7. Serve with oat cakes, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks
and/or celery.
Instructions:
1. Paint the bauble using black paint and then wait for it
to dry.
2. Fold the pipe cleaners in half and shape them to
resemble spider’s legs (see the photos).
3. Push the pipe cleaners into the sides of the bauble,
doing two on each side.
4. Glue the eyes on the top of the spider.
5. You are done! Happy Halloween!
You will need:
• Styrofoam baubles
• Pipe cleaners
• Black paint + paintbrush
• Googly eyes
24 October 2021 | parenta.com parenta.com | October 2021 25

An introduction to
supervision in the early years
Securing a robust supervision system into each settings practice is a challenge, yet it is a key
component to our work for many reasons. The role of supervision in early years settings
remains a requirement in the latest statutory framework for the EYFS.
Providers must put appropriate
arrangements in place for the supervision
of staff who have contact with children
and families. Effective supervision provides
support, coaching and training for the
practitioner and promotes the interests
of children. Supervision should foster
a culture of mutual support, teamwork
and continuous improvement, which
encourages the confidential discussion
of sensitive issues. (Statutory framework
for the early years foundation stage, Sept
2021 paragraph 3.22).
The call for supervision as a requirement
became an outcome from the Plymouth
Serious Case Review (2009) which looked
at the failings of a nursery and the abuse
one practitioner inflicted on many children
during a short period of employment. One
of the many failings was staff’s lack of
knowledge of safeguarding and where to
go with concerns. The Tickell Review (2011)
tightened up the statutory requirements
around staff supervision and training and
understanding of abuse in the workplace
and the start of a mobile phone policy in
settings.
The role and responsibility for providers
to ensure that practitioners receive
supervision needs to be embedded in
practice across all settings. Knowing what
supervision actually entails is essential
in order to provide it effectively. It is also
important to explore the meanings of
supervision, mentoring, coaching and
performance appraisal and where
they may be interlinked. The EYFS uses
these terms without fully explaining the
differences.
Sturt and Wonnacott (2016) layout four
functions to supervision which explain why
supervision is helpful to embed in practice:
Managerial function
Development
function
Support function
Mediation function
Each of these four functions can be
looked at in more detail. It is important to
remember that supervision needs to be
flexible to respond to individual needs and
that the balance across the four domains
will vary in every session.
In discussion with colleagues, the following
benefits of one to one supervision were
highlighted:
1. As a leader you are more up-to-date
with the ‘temperature’ of the setting,
how staff are feeling about their
performance and where they might
need support. The staff on the ground
know what is going on and any
issues can be identified, explored and
resolved before they escalate.
2. Individual staff can talk about their
key person working, and/or wider
observations about individual
children, in terms of their learning and
development and any barriers that
Are you doing what your provider/leader/
manger thinks they are paying you to do?
Everyone works better when they know
exactly what is expected of them.
Could you improve what you are doing with
some training/professional opportunities for
growth?
What support do you need? What would
help you emotionally to do your job even
better?
Whenever you are at work are you
behaving and therefore representing the
provision, as is befitting your role?
might be present or possible. This
aspect can also support safeguarding
concerns, where both you and the
practitioner can be professionally
curious and ‘think the unthinkable’
about children’s welfare, in a safe
confidential space. This might of
course lead to action to protect a
child.
3. Support can be given more readily
by you when it is required – some
team members might not ask for help
unless they see a window to do so.
These meetings create that window
which can open up your relationship
with each practitioner and will enable
them to ask for support when they
need it, outside of these meetings.
4. The supervising relationship can help
reduce potential fear of the appraisal/
performance system in the setting as
you or a line manager will be meeting
each team member on a regular
basis.
The balance between support
and challenge
Within the supervision relationship, there is
an important balance we need to provide
so that practitioners are encouraged to be
the best they can be, exploring ideas with
motivation and confidence. With a support-
High
challenge
Low
challenge
Adapted from Cook (2016).
Practitioners feel under
pressure, can lose
confidence and avoid
taking risks for fear of
reprisal
Quality of care and
standards tend to drift
downwards as staff feel
uninspired
Low support
Finding time as a leader, and continuing
to develop your skills as a supervisor are
challenges in themselves. It might be worth
asking yourself who is supporting and
challenging you – do you have a coach,
only approach, supervision can become
just a ‘cosy chat’ where little learning takes
place. With a challenge-only approach, the
practitioner can become very anxious or
defensive. The best place for supervision,
and therefore the best place for learning,
takes place where there is both high
challenge and high support as this table
illustrates:
Practitioners explore
new ideas with strong
motivation, trying new
skills and developing their
professional knowledge and
understanding
Staff keep doing what they
have always been doing and
can get bored or laissez faire
about their practice
High support
mentor, peer to provide the same platform
that you are expected to provide for others.
Remember to look after your own needs
as well as those of your team. Supervision
is a huge topic - necessary and worthy of
your time to do well to safeguard children,
strengthen your team and stretch yourself.
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
References:
• Cook, J. (2016) “Leadership and
Management in the Early Years”,
Practical Preschool Books
• Sturt, P. and Wonnacott, J. (2016)
“Supervision for Early Years
Workers”, Pavilion
26 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 27

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This course offers a blended approach
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It costs only £120 per learner
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0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com

The hope of story
They sweep us up in the anticipation and excitement of adventure. We find ourselves intrigued
by mystery or fascinated by the inner workings of complex characters, involved and invested in
the actions they take and the resulting consequences.
Indeed, through works of fiction, young
children begin to enter worlds of fantasy,
with these created landscapes often
becoming a part of their own.
But did you know that this transportation,
this immersion in invention, can foster
hope and lead to healing?
Bessel van der Kolk, the prominent
neuroscientist and trauma specialist, says
that many survivors of childhood trauma
whom he knew ‘were avid readers as
kids. They were terrified, abandoned,
and continuously exposed to violence,
and yet they found Harry Potter or Jane
Austen. They disappeared in the stories.
The imaginary worlds generated by other
people allowed them to create alternate
universes to the ones they were living in.’
(2015). Emily Esfahani Smith in “The Power
of Meaning” (2017) discusses research
showing ‘that fiction can help people who
have endured loss and trauma cope with
their experiences.’
Through story, children can
grapple with and reflect on difficult
and painful issues. Metaphor can
be used to introduce ideas and
gently explore subjects, offering
layers of protection.
Along with the refuge and potential for
processing that story holds, is the hope
that is inherent in many a tale.
What is hope exactly? It can often be
thought of as a somewhat dreamy
emotion when it has, in fact, been defined
as ‘a dynamic cognitive motivational
system’ (Kaufman, 2011). This simply
means that hope is an active, thinking
system that motivates us, reducing
feelings of helplessness.
We sometimes lose ourselves in stories
And how does hope facilitate
healing?
Research has revealed that hope is
related to divergent thinking: the ability
to generate numerous ideas. Story and
imaginative play contain this hope for
children in the form of options. Vivien
Gussin Paley (2005) believed that
‘developing…ideas in play opens the mind
to possibilities.’ Cremin et al. (2006) define
possibility thinking as, ‘imagining what
might be’, with children ‘posing, in multiple
ways, the question, “what if?” It is this
imagining that “is significantly correlated
with…greater physical and psychological
well-being, improved self-esteem, and
enhanced interpersonal relationships”
(Rand & Cheavens, 2012).
As children explore possibilities, agency is
developed. Alone or together, immersed
in story, they analyse, discuss, debate,
expand and consider alternative endings.
The understanding that existing stories can
be critiqued, re-imagined, and reworked
is empowering, with the conceptualisation
of alternative endings incorporating some
core areas of possibility thinking in the
context of children’s learning:
• The making of connections
• Intentionality
• Innovation
• Risk-taking and
• Self-determination
(Adapted from Cremin et al., 2006)
There is an almost ever-present
awareness of struggle and adversity
contained within narrative that reminds
us of the constraints and/or barriers
that exist in life. There is a battle to be
fought, a conquering of some sort to be
achieved, even if it is of the self. The use of
imagination - and at times the adoption of
magical, whimsical thinking - can help to
formulate pathways through and/or out of
situations. In imaginary worlds, anything
is possible: a spell to disappear a disease,
time travel to ensure an accident never
occurred, a powerful salve to cure pain.
Fantastically, we can begin to craft different
endings to ones that were, that are, or that
may be.
WIN A COPY OF HELEN’S BOOK
“USING STORIES TO SUPPORT
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD”
We have a copy of Helen’s book
to give away. One lucky reader
picked at random will receive a
free copy of the book!
Click here enter the competition!
Deadline is Friday 22nd October
Terms and conditions apply
Isn’t this simply denial? I would say not.
Rather, the employment of imagination is
a means through which we can explore
reality. Wishing for different outcomes
allows us to acknowledge disappointment
or come to terms with the handling of
a situation: pretence that causes us
to reflect on what could have been or
could be ultimately brings us back to
an examination of what is now and our
feelings about it. Research has in fact
shown that high-hope people are those
who can anticipate barriers and adapt,
moving forward in the face of hardships.
As children fashion their various endings,
they develop an understanding that it is
within their power to decide where the
focus of a story might lie and what their
story solutions might be. And as they
realise that their ideas can materialise,
a resilient enthusiasm for engagement
is cultivated, one that will aid them in
whatever circumstances they may find
themselves in.
Another healing aspect of story recreation
and composition is that it allows children
to run the gamut of their emotions.
Narratives act as a vehicle for the
expression of what might be positive or
happy but also what is difficult: shame,
embarrassment, frustration, anger, grief,
and despair. Children can speak of and
act out feelings fiercely, something that
may be suppressed in real life. In story,
there is room for the liberation of longings,
and crucially and with consent, these story
offerings can be used a springboard for
dialogue.
The consideration of stories (the ones we
invest in), their creation (the ones we craft
and tell), and the curation of them (the
ones we assimilate) literally make our
lives. Dan McAdams, a story researcher,
after working with life stories and meaning
for 30 years and analysing hundreds of
them, found interesting patterns in ‘how
people living meaningful lives understand
and interpret their experiences’ (Esfahani
Smith, 2017). He found that people
motivated to contribute to society and
future generations were more likely to tell
redemptive stories about their lives, that
is, stories that move from bad to good,
and that extract meaning from suffering.
In contrast, others told what McAdams
described as contamination stories, where
people interpreted their lives in terms of
bad events overshadowing the good.
As we continue to navigate what have
been perilous times for many, we find
ourselves in need of redemptive stories, of
alternative endings, of story arcs that bend
toward wholeness and happiness.
I believe that these endings will be found
when we begin to further champion
children’s choices and value their voices.
This will foster in them a brave self-belief,
and they will begin to operate in the role of
author of their own life stories.
References
• Cremin, T., Burnard, P. and Craft, A.
(2006) “Pedagogy and possibility
thinking in the early years.” Thinking
Skills and Creativity 1, 2, 108–119.
• Esfahani Smith, S.E. (2017) “The
Power of Meaning: The True Route
to Happiness”. London: Penguin
Random House.
• McNamee, G.D. (2005) ‘“The one who
gathers children: The work of Vivian
Gussin Paley and current debates
about how we educate young
children”. Journal of Early Childhood
Teacher Education 25, 3, 275–296.
• Rand, Kevin & Cheavens, Jennifer.
(2012). “Hope Theory”. The
Oxford Handbook of Positive
Psychology, (2 Ed.). 10.1093/
oxfordhb/9780195187243.013.0030.
• Van der Kolk, B. (2015a) “Trauma
in the Body: Interview with Dr.
Bessel van der Kolk”. Foxborough:
Still Harbor. Accessed on
7/7/2020 at www.stillharbor.org/
anchormagazine/2015/11/18/traumain-the-body.
Helen Lumgair
Helen Lumgair is a Montessori teacher,
Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment
Mediator and Education Consultant. She
has worked with families and in settings
for over twenty years. Helen created
the framework and initial lesson plans
of the empathy-focused Think Equal
curriculum which was recognised with
a 2020 WISE award for innovation and
the addressing of global educational
challenges. She has lectured globally on
its implementation.
She authored a chapter on using
the process of narrative to develop
empathy in early childhood in the book,
“Developing Empathy in the Early Years:
A Guide for Practitioners” and then
wrote the book “Using Stories to Support
Learning and Development in Early
Childhood.” She is passionate about
developing holistic educational strategies
to meet the needs of every learner, and
about stories.
LinkedIn | Twitter
30 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 31

Musically
turn, giving each a turn to catch and think of
an activity; passing an instrument, and the
one with it has to choose the activity.
managing self
as an early
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
learning goal
Independence is considered to be a great asset in the West. The
ability to make our own choice is greatly valued, partly because
it frees up the time of others and partly because doing what we
want generally makes us happy. Many activities in pre-school
are aimed at helping to develop independence by improving
children’s confidence in trying new “activities and facing
challenges with resilience and perseverance” (‘Early Years
Foundation Stage Profile - 2021 Handbook’, 2020). Many of these
skills are learned through self-regulation skills, and music is
a fantastic way to support this.
A study (Hautakangas et al., 2021) in
Finland considered the effects of a popular
self-regulation programme on a group of
28 children over 10 weeks. As an essential
skill that helps us to control our attention,
thoughts, feelings and actions, it uses
working memory, behavioural inhibition
and task-switching to help us do this.
Studies have shown that children with
high self-regulation skills achieve highly
academically, which affects their selfesteem
and beliefs about themselves. On
the other hand, poor self-regulation skills
have been linked to aggression and poor
relationship skills.
Research shows that self-regulation skills
can be taught to children, and that in
areas of high deprivation, these taught
skills can help children to achieve equally
as well academically as their more affluent
peers. Self-regulation develops from
repeated experience: from the external, it
becomes internal. It relies on the teacher’s
consistency in achieving goals, rules and
strategies, with regular feedback and
reflection to the child.
Many courses have been developed to
support this skill, but often they require
specific instructions, equipment or finance
that is not easily available. Comparing the
intervention group with a group that had
not been through the course, a statistical
difference in self-regulatory behaviour was
found, showing that it could not have been
coincidentally more effective – the children
had changed their behaviour because of
the course. In fact, these changes were
evident, even when checked 5 months
later, with children showing interest in
wanting to learn even more new selfregulation
skills.
Repetition appeared to be key to the
success of this programme – teachers
referred to activities and reminded children
throughout the day, as opposed to limited
times. Interactive support by a suitably
trained teacher was also found to be
instrumental in its success, with a focus on
problem-solving and the ability to apply
the programme personalised to each
child.
Practically, self-regulatory skills can be
introduced through developing experience
with personal care, addressing basic
hygiene like dressing, toileting and healthy
food choices. There are a number of
musical ways that help to introduce these
skills as fun games.
Here we go ‘round the mulberry
bush
Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go ‘round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning
This is the way we brush our teeth
Brush our teeth, brush our teeth
This is the way we brush out teeth
So early in the morning
This is the way we comb our hair
Comb our hair, comb our hair
This is the way we comb our hair
So early in the morning
This is the way we put on our clothes
Put on our clothes, put on our clothes
This is the way we put on our clothes
So early in the morning
This lovely traditional song is sung with
children walking in a circle around an
imaginary mulberry bush. It could go on
forever with the activities that children could
demonstrate, with the others copying the
actions.
Do pity my case
Do, do pity my case
In some lady’s garden
My room to clean when I get home
In some lady’s garden
Do, do pity my case
In some lady’s garden
My face to wash when I get home
In some lady’s garden
Do, do pity my case
In some lady’s garden
My toys to tidy when I get home
In some lady’s garden
This game could be played in a few
ways: walking behind each other in a line
“through the lady’s garden”, where the
child at the front chooses the activity, e.g.
my face to wash, and then goes to the
back of the line so all have a turn; rolling
or bouncing a ball to a circle of children in
This traditional children’s song has its roots
in an even older tavern song(!), but has
been used to teach body parts to young
children for a number of generations.
Younger children will enjoy matching
the words to the body parts, while older
children will enjoy the challenge of using it
as a memory song, leaving out one or more
of the words. Along with self-control, this
way of singing also teaches musical timing,
as children need to have a sense of how
long not to sing in order to accommodate
the left-out words.
Independence is considered an important
part of self-identity, with research showing
that it leads to not only academic success
but also personal and relationship success,
too. Self-regulation is an important part of
developing independence, and cannot be
taken for granted. Music makes the process
of developing these skills so much more
enjoyable!
More songs like these can be found
on Musicaliti’s account on Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/musicaliti/
sets/learning-with-music, and
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/
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
32 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 33

Safeguarding children
These explain the national framework for
how all agencies working with children
should work together in partnership to
safeguard children effectively. You may
also be interested in reading the Ofsted
advice to its Inspectors about inspecting
safeguarding in the early years.
The safeguarding of children comes before all other requirements in childcare and education and
should not only be a fundamental part of your practice, but embedded throughout everything you
do as childcare practitioners. Safeguarding is not an optional extra – it is a statutory requirement
that all adults working with children should safeguard the children in their care. Where there are
lapses in safeguarding practice within a setting, at best, professional judgement can be called
into question; but at worst, children can suffer extreme abuse and die. Safeguarding children is
therefore extremely serious and your staff need to understand this properly.
There are other aspects to safeguarding
which are also important for early years
settings to consider too. These include:
• Due diligence in the recruitment of
personnel including making relevant
checks (such as enhanced DBS checks,
references and qualifications) as part
of a safer recruitment process
Section 3.1 of the new EYFS states:
“Children learn best when they are healthy,
safe and secure, when their individual
needs are met, and when they have
positive relationships with the adults caring
for them”.
Anyone working with children will know
that if they are not healthy, or do not
feel safe and secure, then they will not
be responsive to learning, socialising or
education until those fundamental things
change. They are the 2 basic layers on
Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” model.
When they do feel safe and secure
however, they can thrive.
What’s the difference
between child protection and
safeguarding?
Safeguarding is an umbrella term which
covers a range of things in relation to
children. In the Government’s published
document “Working Together to Safeguard
Children (2018)”, safeguarding means:
• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s
health or development
• Ensuring the children grow up in
circumstances consistent with the
provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to
have the best outcomes
Safeguarding actions are usually things
that you and your staff do every day to
make sure that the children you look after
are kept safe and well and that you are
always looking out for their safety and
well-being.
Child protection refers to a more specific
process of “protecting a child identified
as suffering from, or potentially suffering
from, significant harm as a result of abuse
or neglect.” This usually involves other
agencies as well as the childcare provider,
such as social services, healthcare services
or the local police to ensure the child is
protected from harm.
Underlying safeguarding
principles
There are some key underlying principles
in regard to safeguarding that everyone
needs to be aware of:
1. The child is the most important
person, and their needs should
always be the first priority
2. Safeguarding is EVERYONE’S
responsibility – it does not just
mean the managers or qualified
practitioners, but everyone who works
in the setting including the facilities
staff, office staff and volunteers
3. You should assume that “it could
happen here” rather than “it would
never happen here” so that you are
always alert to the possibilities and
dangers
4. All safeguarding issues should be
identified and reported as soon as
possible to protect children and ideally
prevent them from escalating into
more serious issues
5. Each person in a child’s life may hold
one small piece of the jigsaw; it is
when these individual jigsaw pieces
are brought together that the true
situation can emerge
Your statutory duty
As a childcare provider, you must ensure
that:
1. You have a designated safeguarding
lead (known as a DSL) who is
responsible for all the safeguarding in
your setting and who is trained in child
protection. In the case of childminders,
they act as their own DSL
2. You have robust written policies and
procedures which are in line with your
local safeguarding partners (LSPs) and
which clearly state how you will deal
with any safeguarding concerns. They
should outline the actions you will take
if you are concerned about a child; if
an allegation is being made against a
member of your staff; the use of mobile
phones and cameras in the setting;
and how you will keep children safe
online
3. You must ensure that all your staff are
adequately trained in safeguarding
issues and understand how to respond
to any safeguarding concerns quickly
and professionally. This training needs
to be updated regularly, at least once
a year
4. All staff must understand the four
categories of abuse – physical,
emotional, sexual abuse and neglect,
and they must understand what the
signs and symptoms are for each
category so they can watch out for
them
5. All staff must understand how to
respond if they are concerned about a
child and how to make referrals to their
DSL or other child protection agencies.
It is NOT the remit of most practitioners
to investigate safeguarding issues,
but it is most definitely their remit to
be alert, be aware and be proactive at
passing their concerns on to their DSL
6. All safeguarding matters should be
recorded securely and confidentially
and passed on to the relevant people
when necessary, such as at times of
transition
Whilst safeguarding and child protection
can seem intimidating to many at first, there
is plenty of guidance and support available
for settings. The government has produced
several documents that are important to
read and understand including:
• Working Together to Safeguard
Children (2018)
• What to do if you’re worried a child is
being abused (2015)
• Safeguarding children and protection
professionals in early years settings;
online safety considerations
• Revised Prevent duty guidance for
England and Wales
• Keeping Children Safe in Education
2021 update
• Effective use of risk assessments to
reduce accidents or other problems
• Any special safeguarding provisions for
SEN or other vulnerable children (such
as looked-after children, adoptees etc)
• The provision you make for the wellbeing
of children under new EYFS
framework 2021 such as nutrition,
exercise, and which now includes oral
health
• Your policies for the administration of
medication in your setting
• The use of ICT and how you keep
children safe online
• Your policies around anti-bullying
• Any use of reasonable force policies
you have
Your safeguarding actions and child
protection policies are important and could
ultimately, save a child’s life.
Click here to
sign up to our
FREE webinar:
Safeguarding in
Early Years
Thursday 7th October
10:30AM
34 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 35

6 ways to ease
children’s worries
• Reflection
Taking time to reflect on our day is powerful
and develops self-awareness. By saying
what went well, what could have been
better and what we have learnt from this,
children are developing their ability to selfreflect
and see the lessons in failure.
• Affirmations
Children worry about lots of different things. At times, it can be hard to understand why something so
trivial can cause so much distress. However, it is important to remember that worries are relative.
Cast your mind back to when you were
fifteen years old. What worried you then,
will probably seem inconsequential now.
However, if you put the actual problem
to the side and focus on how you felt,
there’s a strong chance that the pain was
actually no less than how you feel now
when you face bigger, more grown-up
issues and dilemmas. This is because as
we grow older, our problems also grow
and become more relative to our life
experience and age. However, the feelings
that these issues evoke are equally painful
at every stage in our life.
It is important to remember this when
we are dealing with children and their
big emotions. They are looking at the
world through a lens relative to their age
therefore their problems will always seem
tiny to us. Their feelings, however, are
very real and we need to acknowledge
them and give them the tools to be able to
manage them.
Here are 6 ways that can help
ease children’s worries:
1. Truly listen
Everybody wants to feel heard, including
children. Getting down on a child’s level
and truly listening to their concerns will
give them a safe outlet to express their
feelings. Sometimes all we need is an
arm around us and to feel like we are
not alone. Showing compassion and
understanding for their situation (no matter
how trivial it may seem to you), will make a
child feel acknowledged and will therefore
automatically make them calmer.
2. Validate who they are
Sometimes we all need reminding of our
strength. Build children up by telling them
how strong you think they are and how
you know that they have what it takes to
overcome the problem they are facing.
Explain that it’s okay to feel worried but
remind them of their unique qualities. Also,
if you can think of a time when they faced
and overcame a similar problem, this will
validate the message that they are more
than capable of doing the same again.
3. Face it together
A problem shared is a problem halved. It
is important to face our fears, but this can
be very overwhelming. By finding solutions
together, children will feel supported and
less overwhelmed. Ask them what you
could both do to make things easier or
better. Encourage them to find solutions
and then support them to step into action.
Facing fears builds resilience, however, we
are more likely to step into the unknown if
we have a safety net. Let that safety net be
you.
4. Bring it back to the present
Anxiety is often linked to when we play
out future events in our mind. Most of the
things we worry about never happen, but
our imagination runs away with us, which
can stir up negative feelings. If children are
worrying about a future event or situation,
teach them to bring their mind back into
the present. What can they do now to make
themselves feel better? What can they
control?
5. Do a daily routine
Our mind is programmed by repetition.
What we see, hear and feel on a consistent
basis creates the blueprint for how we view
the world and ourselves. A daily mindset
routine is a powerful way to instil positive
beliefs and to build confidence:
• Gratitude
Practicing gratitude daily has been proven
to reduce anxiety and improve health. By
saying 3 things that they are grateful for
and why, children will start to appreciate
the small things in life and see that even
when times are tough, there are still
blessings surrounding them.
• Self-Love
We are very good at pointing out our faults,
but rarely take time to acknowledge our
greatness. Saying 3 things that they love
about themselves encourages children
to explore their brilliance and builds their
confidence.
Affirmations are powerful statements that
you say to affirm positive beliefs. What we
tell ourselves on a regular basis becomes
our truth. By creating affirmations and
repeating them daily, we can trick our mind
into believing it is true. If a child is worried,
you could create an affirmation that dispels
the problem. For example, “I am strong and
confident, and I am capable of anything I
put my mind to”.
6. Read books
It’s much easier to face a problem if you
have a friend who has been through the
same experience and overcome it. It gives
you a light at the end of the tunnel because
they have shown you it is possible to get
through it. Characters in storybooks can
be that friend to children because the right
storyline can reassure and guide them
through different situations. Through my
business, Early Years Story Box, I have
written and illustrated a collection of
rhyming storybooks to support children
through different emotional problems and
obstacles and to reassure them through
uncertain times like starting and leaving
childcare and school. There are also lots of
other authors out there who have created
books covering a range of topics and all
of them can be used as a powerful tool to
support emotional well-being.
Stacey Kelly
Stacey Kelly is a former French and
Spanish teacher, a parent to 2 beautiful
babies and the founder of Early Years
Story Box. After becoming a mum, Stacey
left her teaching career and started
writing and illustrating storybooks to help
support her children through different
transitional stages like leaving nursery
and starting school. Seeing the positive
impact of her books on her children’s
emotional well-being led to Early Years
Story Box being born. Stacey has now
created 35 storybooks, all inspired by her
own children, to help teach different life
lessons and to prepare children for their
next steps. She has an exclusive collection
for childcare settings that are gifted on
special occasions like first/last days,
birthdays, Christmas and/or Easter and
has recently launched a new collection
for parents too. Her mission is to support
as many children as she can through
story-time and to give childcare settings
an affordable and special gifting solution
that truly makes a difference.
Email: stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com or
Telephone: 07765785595
Website: www.earlyyearsstorybox.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
earlyyearsstorybox
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/
eystorybox
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
earlyyearsstorybox
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
stacey-kelly-a84534b2/
36 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 37

Supporting staff with social,
emotional and mental health needs
In my September article, I talked about supporting children who have high social, emotional and
mental health needs (SEMH). This article will be looking at how we also need to support staff who
have high SEMH needs. 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.
is the coldness; you forget everything else
at that moment. So when work and life
are feeling hard, I increase my cold water
swims.
I am not suggesting that you should
all take up swimming and cold water
swimming! However, I am suggesting we
all need to find our thing. For example, a
friend yesterday told me he had just heard
he was probably losing his job, he went for
a long walk with the dog, he was telling
me that is his equivalent to my cold water
swimming, that is what grounds him,
enables him to let go, that is what nurtures
him.
Often as practitioners, we think about
meeting other people’s needs first, the
children we work with, our families and
colleagues; sometimes, we can be the last
on the list or see looking after ourselves as
a luxury. However, we can only look after
others if we are taking care of ourselves.
When we think about well-being for
adults, the media makes us believe that
well-being means going to nice spas,
having massages, and spending lots of
money; this is not it. Well-being is about
recognising what helps us feel happy,
healthy, loved, connected and putting in
place the things that will support this.
We all need to be in a place where we
recognise what helps us. A question to
think about is: What helps you to thrive
and not just survive?
When we are feeling low, stressed, unwell,
it is easy to forget or drop the things that
help us; they can often end up being the
things that get left off the day because
we are too tired or too busy. This can then
become a negative downward spiral. If we
are too tired or too stressed to do things
that help us, our SEMH needs can become
higher.
On my laptop, I have a photo board called
my happiness board. This happiness
board is there to remind me when I am
feeling tired or stressed about the things
that help me. It is a board of photos, a
mix of my friends and family, my team,
my garden and swimming spots. This
board acts as my reminder, it makes me
smile whenever I open it, and when things
feel too much, it can remind me to do
something that will help me.
Knowing what helps you
One key factor with well-being is knowing
what helps you. I am a swimmer, I swim
each morning Monday - Friday at my
local pool, and whenever I can, I also wild
swim. The daily swims keep me sane!
The routine of getting up at the same
time each morning, going to the pool,
swimming for 30 minutes, and connecting
with my friends at the pool is essential for
my well-being. In the lockdowns, I found
it so painful both physically and mentally
not to be swimming. Alongside my daily
swims, over the last 5 years, I have learnt
to love cold water swimming, where
possible I swim all year, only in a costume,
in the sea and rivers. There is something
about the shock of cold water that is both
exhilarating and incredibly mindful. As you
enter the water, all your body thinks about
My day job is all about nurturing children,
and it can be helpful to think about what
nurtures us. Below are some ideas :
• Exercise
• Being with friends
• Being with family
• Laughing - listening to comedy or
watching something funny
• Eating well
• Baking
• Gardening
• Knitting
• Music
• Being in a choir
• Being in nature
• Yoga/mindfulness
• Engaging in faith-based activities
• Being creative
• Pets
Take a look at the list, are there things
on that list that you enjoy? Maybe you
do them regularly, or perhaps there are
things you would like to do more often or
try. As you will see from the list, they are
not radical new ideas; in many ways, they
are simple everyday activities, but they can
bring us joy and connection and help us
relax and let go.
How can we support our
colleagues?
We must be recognising and talking
about what supports our well-being in our
workplaces. It needs to be an embedded
part of the environment to recognise the
importance of well-being for staff and
children. This is not met by holding a oncea-year
or once-a-term well-being week;
as lovely as they can be, there is a danger
of them being tokenistic. We can promote
well-being in our workplaces by having an
emotionally literate environment, where
we can all safely recognise our feelings
and ensure these are respected by others.
We can provide basics, e.g. a safe and
healthy workspace, availability of drinks,
and child-free spaces to have our breaks.
We also need to check in with one another,
make sure others are OK. We could do
small acts of kindness for others, some
examples are:
• Making a drink for others
• Covering a late shift if you can see
a colleague is especially tired or
stressed
• Bringing in flowers or chocolates for
everyone to enjoy
• Thanking people for doing their job
and telling them how much you
appreciate their work
These are very basic and simple ideas,
and of course, they will not be enough
when someone is struggling, but they
can go a long way in helping staff feel
appreciated. For example, in our team,
we talk to each other about what we do
to support our well-being; our manager
actively encourages us to go and do those
things, helping us all to recognise we need
to look after ourselves and encourage one
another to do the things that help us.
Key points
Looking after our well-being is essential,
not a luxury.
We are unable to support others wellbeing
if we are not in a good place
ourselves.
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 well-being 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 Well-being 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
Write a list or make a photo board of
things that help you to feel happy, healthy,
loved, connected.
Have conversations in your team about
what supports well-being.
For more information, take a look at my
new book.
38 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 39

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