May 2024 Parenta Early Years Magazine
FREE Early Years Magazine - Out Now! The May edition of Parenta's FREE 40-page early years magazine is ready to download now and do we have a special edition for you! It’s been a busy few months in the world of early years with updated legislation, guidance, staff ratios and apprenticeship standards. We cover it all in the Parenta magazine! Our focus in this edition is around Ofsted and looking at ways in which we can continue to support settings with preparing for inspections. We have a wealth of advice, tools and resources to help with this, including author Chloe Webster’s guidance on a paperless and play-based approach to Ofsted inspections.
FREE Early Years Magazine - Out Now!
The May edition of Parenta's FREE 40-page early years magazine is ready to download now and do we have a special edition for you!
It’s been a busy few months in the world of early years with updated legislation, guidance, staff ratios and apprenticeship standards. We cover it all in the Parenta magazine!
Our focus in this edition is around Ofsted and looking at ways in which we can continue to support settings with preparing for inspections. We have a wealth of advice, tools and resources to help with this, including author Chloe Webster’s guidance on a paperless and play-based approach to Ofsted inspections.
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Issue 114<br />
MAY <strong>2024</strong><br />
COVER<br />
A.R.T. - more<br />
than paintbrushes<br />
Summary of statutory<br />
“Working Together to<br />
Safeguard Children”<br />
<strong>Early</strong> years movement<br />
in a wonderful,<br />
musical world<br />
+ lots more<br />
EYFS activities<br />
inside!<br />
This month…<br />
Personal, Social<br />
& Emotional<br />
Development<br />
Play-Based approach<br />
to Ofsted inspections<br />
How to improve your setting’s image<br />
The new Level 3 EYE - all you need to know
12<br />
30<br />
24<br />
Hello<br />
Welcome to our family<br />
Welcome to the <strong>May</strong> edition of <strong>Parenta</strong> magazine!<br />
18<br />
It’s been a busy few months in the world of early years with updated legislation, guidance, staff ratios and apprenticeship<br />
standards. We cover it all in the <strong>Parenta</strong> magazine!<br />
Our focus in <strong>May</strong> is around Ofsted and looking at ways in which we can continue to support settings with preparing for<br />
inspections. We have a wealth of advice, tools and resources to help with this, including author Chloe Webster’s guidance on<br />
a paperless and play-based approach to Ofsted inspections.<br />
Save the date! Join us on 21st <strong>May</strong> for our highly anticipated Ofsted webinar, with seasoned HM Inspectors Wendy Ratcliff<br />
and Phil Minns. They will be discussing the recent changes to the EYFS and the results of the Best Start in Life research. Don’t<br />
forget to register at www.parenta.com/webinars - you will earn a CPD certificate if you attend!<br />
Regulars<br />
10 Write for us<br />
36 EYFS Activities: Personal, Social &<br />
Emotional Development<br />
News<br />
Advice<br />
26<br />
4 Congratulations to our <strong>Parenta</strong> Learners<br />
6 Improving your setting’s image: lessons from a<br />
business expert<br />
8 Childcare news and views<br />
Industry Experts<br />
12 Strategies to try when they won’t eat: part 2<br />
18 Paperless & play-based approach to Ofsted<br />
inspections in early years settings<br />
22 Summary of statutory “Working Together to<br />
Safeguard Children”<br />
26 A.R.T. - more than paintbrushes<br />
30 Musical medicine: early years movement in a<br />
wonderful, musical world<br />
38 One size doesn’t fit ALL!<br />
38<br />
We have more fantastic articles in store for you this month including; <strong>Parenta</strong>’s CEO Dr Allan Presland continues his expert<br />
advice on how to improve your childcare business, early years safeguarding expert Yvonne Sinclair updates us on the latest<br />
statutory guidance, we take a deep dive into the new staff ratios and we are given a musical medicinal dose of dance and<br />
music with Frances Turnbull and Gina Bale.<br />
Don’t forget to share the magic of our magazine with your friends, colleagues, and parents alike. They can receive their own<br />
copy in digital or printed format by signing up at www.parenta.com/magazine.<br />
Allan<br />
14 Mental health strategies for early years practitioners<br />
20 International Family Equality Day<br />
24 Outdoor Classroom Day<br />
28 Tools and resources to help improve your setting<br />
32 A guide to Level 3 childcare apprenticeships<br />
34 Understanding the impact of new staff ratios in early years<br />
2 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 3
What do our customers<br />
say this month?<br />
Just a few of the many terrific testimonials we have received in April!<br />
“I am really thankful to my tutor Tonni, she has been<br />
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Extremely happy and thankful!”<br />
Biatriz Jimenez Haro<br />
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My tutor, Naomi, was great and quick with marking<br />
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“Tonni has been an absolute godsend throughout<br />
my journey studying for my Level 3 in childcare. Her<br />
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With her guidance, I’ve not only gained valuable<br />
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Donnell Griffiths<br />
Laxmi’s care and commitment to her learners are truly<br />
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I am continually impressed by Laxmi’s willingness to<br />
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In summary, Laxmi is not just a tutor, but a<br />
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Beverleigh Azebiah<br />
Molly<br />
Congratulations<br />
to all our <strong>Parenta</strong> learners!<br />
Massive CONGRATULATIONS to all our learners this<br />
month who have completed and gained<br />
their qualifications!<br />
4 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 5
Improving<br />
your setting’s<br />
image<br />
Dr Allan Presland<br />
Lessons from a business expert<br />
Back in the day, I frequently socialised<br />
with the CEO of a prominent nursery<br />
chain. Our relationship began when we<br />
acquired their training company, now<br />
known as <strong>Parenta</strong> Training. Over time, our<br />
collaboration expanded, with us providing<br />
various services, starting from software<br />
solutions and eventually extending to a<br />
comprehensive redesign of their company<br />
website, covering around 50 settings.<br />
This partnership proved fruitful, benefiting<br />
both parties by leveraging our respective<br />
expertise to improve operations and<br />
services for their customers.<br />
I remember vividly his passion for his<br />
brand, and how fastidious he was about<br />
getting every detail right. He was proud<br />
of the company he’d built and wanted<br />
to control the narrative about how his<br />
settings were seen both by customers and<br />
within each community.<br />
At the time, <strong>Parenta</strong> was situated in one<br />
of Kent’s most prestigious business parks,<br />
formerly a WWII airfield. While our offices<br />
were in the historic officers’ area, the<br />
remainder of the park was brimming with<br />
the sleek and contemporary structures<br />
synonymous with major blue-chip<br />
companies. These modern glass and<br />
steel buildings exuded an air of efficiency.<br />
Notably, the business park attracted a<br />
clientele of affluent professionals who<br />
cared about their appearance.<br />
During the website development process<br />
for the CEO, he proposed visiting our offices<br />
to collaborate directly with our designers.<br />
As he had a setting in the business park,<br />
he planned to meet with them in the<br />
morning before joining us in the afternoon<br />
for our session.<br />
6 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
He arrived late. A bit flustered. Something<br />
wasn’t right in another setting, and he’d<br />
been dealing with that. “Can we go and<br />
grab a sandwich; I need food and the<br />
walk to clear my head?”. Of course, we<br />
obliged, and we walked down together to<br />
the nearest sandwich shop, passing his<br />
setting on the way. As we walked past his<br />
place, he was describing how excited he<br />
was about what they were doing there<br />
and how pleased he was with the way the<br />
team were progressing.<br />
Of course, I asked about occupancy, and<br />
he explained it was only just over half<br />
full, which he didn’t understand given the<br />
amount of people on the business estate,<br />
and the prestigious nature of the setting.<br />
He explained that the website work he<br />
was doing with us was part of addressing<br />
this issue and how he was expecting lots<br />
of leads to be generated from their new<br />
online presence.<br />
Suddenly, he halted abruptly, his face<br />
flushing with colour and his breaths<br />
becoming laboured. Concerned, I<br />
wondered if he was unwell. However, it<br />
wasn’t until I followed his gaze outside the<br />
sandwich shop that I realised what had<br />
caught his attention.<br />
There was a group of his staff. You couldn’t<br />
miss them, bright yellow polo shirts with<br />
the logo on the front and his brand name<br />
emblazoned on the back in large capital<br />
letters. But this group were all smoking<br />
and had food stains all down the front of<br />
their uniforms.<br />
He was furious, and understandably so.<br />
This was a company spending a huge<br />
amount of money on its image, and yet<br />
they’d missed the most basic issue of all.<br />
The biggest advert for any business is the<br />
staff and how they conduct themselves,<br />
especially if they are wearing branded<br />
clothing with the company’s logo.<br />
While I respect individuals’ choices<br />
regarding smoking, branded staff must<br />
exercise discretion. Additionally, staff may<br />
inevitably get food on their uniforms while<br />
serving young children. However, it’s<br />
simple for you to ensure clean uniforms<br />
are available for them after mealtimes if<br />
needed.<br />
Upon recognising these concerns, my<br />
CEO friend quickly addressed and fixed<br />
the issue by providing a smoking shelter<br />
discreetly positioned at the back of the<br />
setting, away from parents’ view. He also<br />
provided additional uniforms for staff to<br />
change into as necessary. Furthermore, he<br />
established clear behavioural guidelines<br />
for all staff wearing the uniform, whether<br />
on-site or off-site. Consequently, his<br />
prospective client base witnessed<br />
impeccably presented staff outside the<br />
sandwich shop, elevating rather than<br />
tarnishing his brand image.<br />
The moral of the story is this - branding<br />
is so much more than your logo, your<br />
uniform, your signage, or your website.<br />
How staff conduct themselves when<br />
wearing their uniform, whether within the<br />
setting or outside, affects how your setting<br />
is perceived by local parents.<br />
For more hints and tips about how<br />
successful settings run their early<br />
years businesses – get a copy of Dr<br />
Allan Presland’s number one bestselling<br />
book from Amazon here.<br />
Call 0800 002 9242 and quote ’<strong>Magazine</strong>’
Childcare news<br />
and views<br />
The number of extra childcare<br />
places and staff needed in<br />
England released<br />
The Government has released statistics<br />
indicating a need for 40,000 more<br />
educators and approximately 85,000<br />
additional childcare places by September<br />
2025. In April, working parents of twoyear-olds<br />
became eligible for 15 hours per<br />
week of Government-funded education<br />
and childcare for 38 weeks annually and<br />
since January, parents have been able to<br />
apply for an eligibility code to access this<br />
funded education. According to the latest<br />
Government data, 195,355 two-year-olds<br />
currently benefit from Government-funded<br />
places, with 79% of eligibility codes issued<br />
now validated by providers. Looking<br />
ahead, the Department for Education<br />
(DfE) estimates that an additional 15,000<br />
places, a 1% increase, will be needed by<br />
September <strong>2024</strong>. Additionally, around<br />
70,000 more places will be required by<br />
September 2025, when the offer expands<br />
to 30 Government-funded hours for<br />
children from nine months old until they<br />
start school.<br />
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:<br />
“We are transforming childcare in this<br />
country to deliver the support that hardworking<br />
parents deserve.<br />
“As today’s figures show, our plan is<br />
working. Thousands of parents are<br />
returning to work, and tens of thousands<br />
more will be able to do so later this year<br />
and next.”<br />
“Childcare expansion on this scale is<br />
unprecedented in this country, and we will<br />
continue providing maximum support to<br />
nurseries and all providers to make it a<br />
reality.”<br />
Neil Leitch, CEO of the <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Alliance,<br />
commented: “Today’s Government<br />
statistics paint an incomplete picture of the<br />
situation facing early years providers and<br />
families alike.<br />
“Let’s be clear, England’s early year<br />
sector continues to face severe capacity<br />
challenges. So, while these statistics may<br />
show the number of places that have been<br />
granted, what they don’t reveal is whether<br />
families have been able to access all the<br />
days and sessions they need: a parent<br />
who has been given one day a week at<br />
their local setting – but needs five – may<br />
technically have a funded place, but<br />
not one that meets their needs. And, of<br />
course, it’s highly likely that those families<br />
accessing places will be facing sharp fee<br />
increases for any unfunded hours they<br />
take up, or additional charges as a direct<br />
result of years of sector underfunding.”<br />
“What’s more, it’s not clear from these<br />
figures how many two-year-old places are<br />
newly-created places, rather than existing<br />
places where parents have switched from<br />
paying privately to accessing Government<br />
funding. With the Government admitting<br />
not only that 40,000 additional educators<br />
are required by September 2025 but<br />
also 85,000 new places, it’s clear that,<br />
regardless of the positive spin the<br />
Government is trying to put on the current<br />
situation, the challenge facing the sector is<br />
an immense one.”<br />
“Even for a healthy sector, rolling out such<br />
an ambitious scheme would have been<br />
a tall order – but, of course, our early<br />
years sector was already incredibly fragile<br />
coming into this policy. If the Government<br />
is to have any hope of rolling out this<br />
offer successfully in the long term, it’s<br />
crucial that ministers acknowledge and<br />
tackle the fundamental issues facing<br />
nurseries, pre-schools, and providers.<br />
That means a comprehensive workforce<br />
strategy that focuses on retention as well<br />
as recruitment, and crucially, funding that<br />
reflects delivery costs – both now and in<br />
the future.”<br />
New consultation launched for<br />
EYFS safeguarding changes<br />
The DfE has published a new<br />
consultation on proposed changes to<br />
EYFS safeguarding requirements. The<br />
Government says it aims to strengthen<br />
existing requirements and any changes<br />
must “ensure that all children are kept as<br />
safe as possible in early years settings.”<br />
The consultation proposals, which the DfE<br />
says were informed by conversations with<br />
a wide range of stakeholders and early<br />
years providers, include:<br />
New requirements for safer<br />
recruitment, including obtaining<br />
references and updating safeguarding<br />
policies to include recruitment<br />
procedures for suitable individuals<br />
Introduction of measures to follow<br />
up on prolonged child absences and<br />
ensuring providers have additional<br />
emergency contact details<br />
Implementation of new regulations to<br />
ensure safer eating practices<br />
Addition of a safeguarding training<br />
criteria annex and inclusion of<br />
details on how safeguarding training<br />
is delivered and supported in<br />
safeguarding policies<br />
Clarification that early years students<br />
and trainees must undergo paediatric<br />
first aid (PFA) training<br />
Amendments to consider children’s<br />
privacy during nappy changes and<br />
toileting while balancing safeguarding<br />
needs<br />
Minor changes to improve clarity<br />
in the structure and wording of<br />
safeguarding requirements<br />
The consultation is running until Monday<br />
17th June and is available here for you to<br />
share your feedback.<br />
This story can be found on the <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong><br />
Alliance website here.<br />
DfE pulse survey of childcare and<br />
early years providers published<br />
The DfE has released its most recent<br />
findings from a Pulse survey of childcare<br />
and early years providers, conducted<br />
in November 2023. This survey, the<br />
seventh in a series since the summer<br />
of 2020, involved a sample of groupbased<br />
providers (GBPs), school-based<br />
providers (SBPs), and childminders (CMs)<br />
in England, who participated via a 10-20<br />
minute web survey. The survey covered<br />
eight key topics, including inquiries<br />
about the early years workforce, funding,<br />
capacity, and staff-child ratios. Additionally,<br />
questions regarding space requirements,<br />
experiences with children with SEND,<br />
initial teacher training, and childminders’<br />
experiences were included.<br />
Highlights of the survey include:<br />
Over half of PVI (Private, voluntary,<br />
or independent) nurseries and<br />
pre-schools don’t believe their<br />
income covers their costs (53%). This<br />
has improved since the previously<br />
published figures in Nov 2023 of 58%<br />
There’s uncertainty with 43% of<br />
PVIs, 51% of schools and 25% of<br />
childminders not knowing if planned<br />
funding rates for the expansion will<br />
improve their profitability<br />
PVI nurseries and pre-schools have<br />
a higher staff turnover (22%) than<br />
school-based providers (12.5%)<br />
They are also more likely to have 3<br />
or more vacancies (11% of PVIs) than<br />
schools (3%)<br />
36% of school-based providers and<br />
34% of PVI providers said they had<br />
had to turn a child away or reduce<br />
their hours due to SEND<br />
Insufficient funding rates and a lack of<br />
staff were commonly reported reasons<br />
for why providers may have to turn<br />
away children with SEND<br />
Responding to the findings Jonathan<br />
Broadbery, Director of Policy and<br />
Communications at National Day Nurseries<br />
Association (NDNA) said: “The DfE’s own<br />
findings are echoing what we reported<br />
on earlier this year. Providers are still<br />
struggling to get enough income to<br />
remain sustainable and there are real<br />
challenges in expanding places to meet<br />
the Government’s offer to parents.<br />
“Over half of nurseries and pre-schools<br />
told the DfE that income is not covering<br />
their costs and their staff turnover is still<br />
above 20% which is unsustainable. Where<br />
providers were worried about funding<br />
rates over three-quarters said that the<br />
rates for three and four-year-olds were the<br />
problem. This is the area we have called<br />
on the Government to review because<br />
these rates are increasing at a much lower<br />
rate than staffing costs.”<br />
“The study also shows there is more to<br />
do on staffing challenges as this was the<br />
number one challenge for nurseries and<br />
preschools in limiting their ability to offer<br />
more places. The fact that almost half said<br />
they would not have the finances to be<br />
able to expand premises shows that the<br />
Government also needs to do more on<br />
capital funding.”<br />
“There are a lot of positive plans in place<br />
to try and help the sector, but there<br />
isn’t one silver bullet. To help deliver the<br />
extra 70,000 places and 40,000 staff the<br />
sector needs more support. Addressing<br />
underfunding for three and four-year-olds,<br />
supporting expansion through capital<br />
funding and having a long-term workforce<br />
plan must be a priority. Ministers should<br />
also relieve business rates to all early<br />
years settings to help them financially and<br />
remove a deterrent to expanding.”<br />
The survey results can be found here.<br />
This story can be found on the NDNA<br />
website here.<br />
8 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 9
Write for us!<br />
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D A Y<br />
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to our guest author competition winner, Joanna Grace!<br />
Congratulations to Joanna Grace, our guest author<br />
of the month! Her enlightening article, “Strategies<br />
For When Sensory Needs Means They Won’t Eat<br />
Part: 1” continues her series, exploring how you can<br />
support children who struggle with eating.<br />
Well done Joanna!<br />
A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for<br />
writing for us. You can find all of the past articles<br />
from our guest authors on our website:<br />
www.parenta.com/parentablog/guest-authors<br />
10 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
Call 0800 002 9242 and quote ’<strong>Magazine</strong>’
I’m Jo Grace: a Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist and Founder of The Sensory Projects. In this series of articles, I am going to<br />
share some of my passion for understanding the sensory world with you.<br />
Make sure to read part 1 of Joanna’s<br />
article from last month in the April<br />
edition of the <strong>Parenta</strong> magazine!<br />
Don’t miss out, subscribe now at:<br />
www.parenta.com/magazine/<br />
Graze<br />
Providing graze boards is a great way of<br />
taking the pressure off eating. Eating is<br />
pressurised in all sorts of ways, including<br />
time and place. We are expected to eat at<br />
particular times and in particular places.<br />
Although the timing and setting of a taste<br />
experience do not affect the sensory<br />
pressure of it, the requirement adds to the<br />
Joanna Grace<br />
Strategies to try when<br />
they won’t eat: part 2<br />
list of things a child is asked to do. Earlier<br />
in this article, I asked you to imagine being<br />
asked to learn five difficult things all at<br />
once. Now, imagine if I asked you to do<br />
that while also completing several easy<br />
tasks at the same time. Even though these<br />
extra things are not part of the problem,<br />
it’s still easier to tackle the problem<br />
without them there. By recognising the<br />
considerable demands we place on<br />
people who struggle with eating due to<br />
sensory reasons, we can understand that<br />
any small way we can make it easier for<br />
them is worthwhile.<br />
Before I continue here, I just want to dart<br />
back to one of the duff bits of advice given<br />
as an example at the start of this article.<br />
It is a classic, it goes to the tune of: “just<br />
don’t feed them, once they’re hungry they<br />
will eat”. Parents receiving this advice<br />
despair because they know it is not true;<br />
their children do not become any more<br />
willing to eat when hungry, because the<br />
reason they were refusing to eat in the<br />
first place was never anything to do with<br />
hunger. If they have sensory differences,<br />
it is likely that one of the senses that<br />
is working differently is their child’s<br />
interoceptive sense. This is the sensory<br />
system that feels whether you are hungry<br />
or not, so if you cannot feel that you are<br />
hungry, being hungry isn’t going to make<br />
any difference. So providing graze boards<br />
is not a way of supporting the ‘making<br />
them wait until they’re hungry’ line of<br />
thinking.<br />
A graze board is exactly what it sounds<br />
like, a board, or plate, or tray, with a few<br />
things to graze upon. I would advise<br />
putting very little on there. A child faced<br />
with a plate of food they must finish is<br />
faced with a mammoth task. A single<br />
morsel is eaten, and completed, very<br />
quickly, there is a lot less pressure there.<br />
A graze board is left out, and the child<br />
is made aware of it and told they are<br />
allowed to eat from it, but is not asked to<br />
eat from it. No one pushes them towards<br />
it, it is simply available to them. When<br />
starting with a grazing board you have<br />
to remember you are trying to create the<br />
opposite of the pressurised environment of<br />
sitting down to eat. You might even opt to<br />
not mention it to the child at all, simply put<br />
it somewhere that they will encounter it.<br />
Another great tip for starting with a<br />
grazing board is to not put too many<br />
different things on it, and if the child (or<br />
adult) has food they favour, make sure<br />
that is there, even if it is junk food. Say, I<br />
know a child who will only eat chocolate<br />
buttons. I might start a grazing board for<br />
them that has three chocolate buttons, a<br />
frozen pea, a small salted cracker, and a<br />
slice of sausage on it. I would expect the<br />
chocolate buttons to be gone instantly.<br />
This is great, it means they have found<br />
the board, and they will have had the<br />
experience that when they eat from it they<br />
are not told off. So they know there is a<br />
board, they know it has food on it, and<br />
they know they can eat that food. I would<br />
not expect any of the other food to go<br />
missing for a long while. I might top it up<br />
with a chocolate button or two just to keep<br />
the board in their mind.<br />
But maybe after a while, once they were<br />
returning to the board quite often, I’d<br />
stop that. And just leave the other items<br />
there. Will they get curious? <strong>May</strong>be I<br />
choose a slice of sausage that is similar<br />
in appearance to the buttons, it is round,<br />
thin, a dark brown colour... (I know the<br />
mention of a frozen pea above might have<br />
sounded strange, it’s there as it’s been<br />
one of the things I’ve had the most success<br />
with when establishing graze boards. The<br />
coldness of the pea protects against the<br />
smell and taste, the hardness of it gives<br />
bold feedback to the jaw and it is small<br />
and easily eaten, plus it is healthy!)<br />
Over time, you would hope to be able to<br />
provide things on the board that the child<br />
was happy to eat. You provide eating in a<br />
way that fits with how the child needs to<br />
eat (not how society deems we must eat –<br />
remember that originally we were animals<br />
that grazed, the ritual of sitting down to<br />
three meals a day with the expected social<br />
conventions of doing so is a relatively<br />
recent invention, it is not necessary to<br />
eat, it’s just tradition). Top the board up<br />
regularly so that over the course of a day,<br />
the child eats a wide range of foods they<br />
enjoy and that provide nutrition to their<br />
body.<br />
Of course, with all of the strategies listed<br />
here, and the many more you’ll find online,<br />
the person still needs to eat. With any<br />
other situation, you could stop asking them<br />
to do it all together and build them up<br />
slowly, but with food, it is different. So think<br />
sensory. Can you help them to escape<br />
some of the challenges even if you cannot<br />
help them escape all of them? Can they<br />
eat away from others, so they only have<br />
to deal with their eating, not everyone<br />
else? Can their food be blended so they<br />
do not have to deal with texture? Could it<br />
be eaten cold, or even frozen, to mitigate<br />
smell and taste? Would they cope better<br />
with a meal replacement drink (not one of<br />
the diet ones but one intended to be a full<br />
meal)?<br />
These might not be strategies you can<br />
use all the time, but even just a bit, to give<br />
them a break, could help. If they have a<br />
preferred food celebrate that and avoid<br />
the temptation to doctor it. I have been<br />
there - (slicing open chips and trying to<br />
hide vitamin pills inside.) It is such a big<br />
gamble because if they no longer consider<br />
that food is safe because it might have<br />
been tampered with, they lose the calories<br />
it could have provided.<br />
Eating and the senses is a very<br />
complicated thing, this article has barely<br />
scratched the surface, but I hope it will<br />
help. Take off the pressure, be playful,<br />
create space, and respect how big of an<br />
ask it is. You are doing a brilliant job!<br />
I hope you have enjoyed this series of<br />
ten articles exploring the sensory world<br />
in all its wonders and possibilities. Do<br />
come and connect with me online the<br />
connection links for my social media<br />
accounts can be found on my website<br />
www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk and if you<br />
want to re-read any of the earlier articles,<br />
remember they are all available online to<br />
explore and share with families.<br />
Click here for<br />
more resources<br />
from Joanna:<br />
12 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 13
Mental health strategies for<br />
early years practitioners<br />
Strategies for self-help in<br />
managing anxiety<br />
When it comes to tackling anxiety, selfhelp<br />
strategies can be powerful tools for<br />
regaining control and promoting wellbeing.<br />
Here are some effective methods<br />
to address anxiety and cultivate a sense<br />
of calm:<br />
As early years practitioners, we play<br />
a pivotal role in shaping our future<br />
generation’s well-being and mental health.<br />
In the bustling world of childcare and<br />
education, it’s easy to prioritise the needs<br />
of the children in our care while neglecting<br />
our own mental well-being. However,<br />
just like the little ones we nurture, we too<br />
need care, support, and understanding.<br />
Mental Health Awareness Week, running<br />
from 13th to 19th <strong>May</strong>, provides a timely<br />
opportunity to reflect on our own mental<br />
health needs and advocate for the wellbeing<br />
of both ourselves and the children in<br />
our care.<br />
Understanding mental<br />
health<br />
Mental health is not simply the absence<br />
of mental illness; it encompasses a<br />
spectrum of emotional, psychological,<br />
and social well-being. Just as physical<br />
health fluctuates, so does mental health.<br />
<strong>Early</strong> years practitioners often face unique<br />
stressors, from managing challenging<br />
behaviours to balancing administrative<br />
tasks. Recognising the signs of stress,<br />
burnout, and other mental health concerns<br />
is crucial for maintaining a healthy worklife<br />
balance.<br />
Anxiety and other mental<br />
health disorders<br />
There are several types of mental health<br />
disorders where anxiety plays a large role<br />
including:
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Chloe Webster<br />
Play-Based approach<br />
to Ofsted inspections<br />
In recent years, the landscape of early<br />
years education in the UK has seen a<br />
significant shift towards more dynamic,<br />
child-centred approaches. As a result of<br />
this, the concepts of paperless recordkeeping<br />
and ‘in-the-moment planning’<br />
have gained significant traction;<br />
empowering educators to streamline<br />
tasks and assessments, and prioritising<br />
spontaneous, play-based learning<br />
experiences.<br />
Inspections<br />
As early years settings prepare for Ofsted<br />
inspections, they are still required to<br />
demonstrate that children’s learning and<br />
development progress effectively within<br />
this framework. For many practitioners<br />
who have been in the sector for a long<br />
time, these new systems and ways of<br />
working can be a challenge, especially<br />
when it comes to demonstrating these in<br />
practice to external observers. However,<br />
embracing paperless systems and ‘inthe-moment<br />
planning’ can pave the way<br />
for a successful Ofsted inspection whilst<br />
simultaneously fostering rich, meaningful<br />
learning experiences for young children.<br />
Thankfully, gone are the days of endless<br />
reams of paperwork dominating the<br />
administrative landscape of early years<br />
settings; with advancements in technology,<br />
paperless and digital systems have<br />
emerged as a game-changer, enabling<br />
educators to streamline documentation<br />
processes and focus more on interactive<br />
teaching and learning experiences with<br />
children.<br />
Transitioning from traditional paper-based<br />
learning journals to digital platforms<br />
offers numerous advantages – they allow<br />
educators to capture children’s learning<br />
moments in real time through photos,<br />
videos, and audio recordings and by<br />
documenting observations digitally,<br />
educators can provide rich, visual insights<br />
into children’s progress, facilitating more<br />
comprehensive assessments during<br />
Ofsted inspections. These digital recordkeeping<br />
systems not only ensure data<br />
security but also enable easy collaboration<br />
among staff members. We can easily<br />
access and update children’s records,<br />
progress reports, and assessments from<br />
any device with internet connectivity.<br />
This accessibility fosters transparency<br />
and enables continuous monitoring of<br />
children’s development, aligning perfectly<br />
with Ofsted’s emphasis on ongoing<br />
assessment and progress tracking.<br />
Parent communication<br />
Paperless systems also enhance<br />
communication between educators and<br />
parents, fostering stronger partnerships<br />
in children’s learning journeys. Through<br />
digital platforms, parents can actively<br />
engage with their children’s learning<br />
experiences, accessing real-time updates,<br />
feedback, and insights into their progress.<br />
This transparent communication channel<br />
not only enriches parental involvement but<br />
also provides Ofsted inspectors with clear<br />
evidence of collaborative partnerships<br />
between the setting and families.<br />
Let’s look at in-themoment<br />
planning<br />
‘In-the-moment planning’ is a pedagogical<br />
approach that values spontaneity and<br />
responsiveness to children’s interests and<br />
needs. Rooted in the belief that meaningful<br />
learning occurs when children are fully<br />
engaged and motivated, this approach<br />
encourages practitioners to seize<br />
teachable moments as they arise, rather<br />
than adhering to pre-planned activities<br />
which may lack relevance for the children<br />
they have been planned for.<br />
Central to ‘in-the-moment planning’<br />
is the recognition of children as active<br />
participants in their learning journey.<br />
Settings can prepare for Ofsted inspections<br />
by showcasing a learning environment<br />
that encourages exploration, creativity,<br />
and critical thinking. By documenting<br />
instances where children initiate activities,<br />
make discoveries, and solve problems<br />
independently, practitioners can effectively<br />
demonstrate the richness of learning<br />
experiences facilitated through child-led<br />
approaches.<br />
Flexibility is key in ‘in-the-moment<br />
planning,’ allowing educators to adapt<br />
and modify learning experiences<br />
based on children’s evolving interests<br />
and developmental needs. During<br />
Ofsted inspections, early years settings<br />
can exemplify their commitment to<br />
personalised learning by showcasing<br />
how they tailor activities and resources<br />
to meet individual children’s strengths,<br />
interests, and learning styles. This flexibility<br />
not only fosters a supportive learning<br />
environment but also highlights the<br />
setting’s responsiveness to the unique<br />
needs of each child – a key element of our<br />
curriculum and teaching.<br />
Effective implementation of ‘in-themoment<br />
planning’ requires practitioners to<br />
engage in reflective practice and ongoing<br />
documentation and assessments. By<br />
capturing spontaneous learning moments<br />
through digital platforms, educators can<br />
provide concrete examples of children’s<br />
progress and achievements. Additionally,<br />
reflective journals and staff meetings can<br />
serve as forums for educators to review<br />
and refine their pedagogical practices,<br />
ensuring continuous improvement and<br />
alignment with Ofsted’s standards and<br />
expectations.<br />
As early years settings prepare for<br />
Ofsted inspections, embracing paperless<br />
management systems and ‘in-themoment<br />
planning’ can serve as powerful<br />
tools for demonstrating children’s learning<br />
and development progress.<br />
By leveraging these digital platforms to<br />
document spontaneous learning moments<br />
and fostering child-led experiences,<br />
settings can showcase their commitment<br />
to providing high-quality, play-based<br />
education that nurtures each child’s<br />
unique potential.<br />
As the early years landscape continues<br />
to evolve, integrating these innovative<br />
approaches not only prepares settings<br />
for inspections but also cultivates rich,<br />
meaningful learning environments where<br />
children thrive and flourish.<br />
References<br />
www.learningjournals.co.uk/benefits-ofusing-in-the-moment-planning-for-youngchildren/<br />
www.gov.uk/Government/publications/<br />
education-inspection-framework<br />
Click here for<br />
more resources<br />
from Chloe:<br />
18 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 19
International Family<br />
Equality Day<br />
Celebrating the rainbow of families in our world<br />
(spanner, stethoscope, hairbrush etc.,)<br />
and run a competition to see if people can<br />
match the items to different families?<br />
Include some arts and crafts stalls such as<br />
a handprint station, where all members of<br />
the family can leave a handprint and/or<br />
write their name. You could do the same<br />
with a computer and get people to create<br />
an avatar for free online (see avatarmaker.<br />
com/) and then download and print their<br />
pictures.<br />
The words “We are family” may have you<br />
reaching for your Lycra and hitting the<br />
dance floor, but the famous Sister Sledge<br />
song title has also taken on a whole new<br />
meaning this month as it’s the motto of<br />
this year’s International Family Equality Day<br />
(IFED) which is celebrated on 5th <strong>May</strong>.<br />
Thirty-six countries will celebrate the day,<br />
from Australia to Venezuela, as an official<br />
LGBT awareness day, with more countries<br />
joining in each year. The aim of the day is<br />
to celebrate the diversity of families around<br />
the globe, and anyone can join regardless<br />
of sexuality.<br />
IFED was first celebrated in 2012 and is<br />
set as the first Sunday in <strong>May</strong>. The Council<br />
of Europe has recognised the IFED as an<br />
important tool “to combat homophobia<br />
and transphobia and to promote a tolerant<br />
and cohesive society”. It also falls within<br />
three of the United Nation’s Sustainable<br />
Development Goals, mainly:<br />
✨ Goal 3 – Good health and well-being<br />
✨ Goal 5 – Gender equality<br />
✨ Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong<br />
institutions<br />
In 2015 the Council of Europe<br />
Congress adopted a resolution entitled<br />
“Guaranteeing lesbian, gay, bisexual<br />
and transgender (LGBT) people’s rights:<br />
a responsibility for Europe’s towns and<br />
regions”. The resolution invites local<br />
and regional authorities to commit to<br />
diversity policies inclusive of LGBT rights,<br />
and to work closely with LGBT advocacy<br />
organisations and human rights NGOs,<br />
to promote good practice through local<br />
networks such as the Rainbow Cities<br />
Network project. See www.rainbowcities.<br />
com/.<br />
The official IFED website is at:<br />
internationalfamilyequalityday.org/ and<br />
you can find more information there on<br />
how to celebrate the day and register any<br />
events that you organise.<br />
<strong>Early</strong> years & IFED<br />
In early years, talking about human<br />
sexuality needs to be done in an ageappropriate<br />
way, and LGBTQ+ rights may<br />
not be easily understood by pre-schoolers<br />
due to their age. However, acceptance<br />
and tolerance of all people as individuals<br />
is definitely something that can be easily<br />
promoted, and a celebration of the many<br />
different family structures that exist in our<br />
society and around the world, can be a<br />
great foundation for future learning on this<br />
subject as children get older.<br />
There are also a lot of age-appropriate<br />
books and videos that you can use which<br />
are suitable for children and toddlers to<br />
help you with this subject.<br />
How to mark the day in your<br />
setting<br />
IFED is a day to celebrate everything<br />
about families, be they big, small, twoparent,<br />
single-parent, grandparent,<br />
foster, adopted, LGBTQ or not! It’s about<br />
celebrating the people we call family<br />
regardless of sexuality, gender, socioeconomic<br />
group and blood relation. The<br />
diversity of families in our world is now<br />
so wide and varied that it is difficult to put<br />
together a credible notion of an ‘average’<br />
family anymore. Indeed, as the world turns<br />
towards a better understanding of our<br />
interconnectedness and interdependence,<br />
you could take the motto of “We are<br />
family” to mean a more global family<br />
altogether, emphasising the need to<br />
recognise humanity as one big family.<br />
However you interpret the day, here are<br />
some ideas for celebrating it.<br />
Organise a family<br />
celebration event<br />
You can organise an event and invite your<br />
parents and carers in to celebrate with<br />
you. Make it as wide as possible so invite<br />
extended families, grandparents and<br />
friends too.<br />
Why not ask people to bring in something<br />
that is unique to them, such as a musical<br />
instrument, an item they use for work<br />
People usually like a bake sale, so invite<br />
people to contribute an item that they love<br />
or that shows something unique about<br />
them or their family. You can also make<br />
your own rainbow cupcakes and get the<br />
children to decorate them with rainbowcoloured<br />
sprinkles or smarties.<br />
Other arts and crafts ideas include:<br />
✨ Create a rainbow wall mural and ask<br />
children/parents/carers to bring in a<br />
photo of themselves with their family<br />
to stick to the display<br />
✨ Use rainbow coloured lolly sticks to<br />
create simple stick people and put<br />
them into a base of sand or soil. You<br />
can help the children to make different<br />
people in their family and group them<br />
together or arrange them into one big<br />
circle to represent the global human<br />
family<br />
✨ Write the names of each family<br />
member on a piece of card and use<br />
different coloured ribbons to tie them<br />
onto different coloured coat-hangers<br />
to hang around the setting<br />
✨ Use some branches collected from<br />
outside and tie them together to<br />
create a ‘family tree’. You can create<br />
small individual ones or one large<br />
‘human family tree’ and tie names,<br />
photos or suitable items to the tree to<br />
represent different family members<br />
Use storytime to celebrate<br />
diversity<br />
Read the children stories that incorporate<br />
many different types of families. You<br />
can find an up-to-date list of books<br />
that celebrate LGBT+ families at www.<br />
booktrust.org.uk/booklists/l/lgbt-picturebooks/<br />
including “My Daddies”, “My Mums<br />
Love Me” and “Everywhere babies” for<br />
even the smallest eyes and ears!<br />
Review your policies &<br />
practice<br />
IFED is also a time to reflect on your own<br />
diversity and inclusion policies and to<br />
ensure that you are doing all you can to<br />
promote tolerance, diversity and tackle<br />
prejudice in the workplace and in society<br />
at large. Look at your own marketing and<br />
promotional materials to see if they truly<br />
reflect the families and communities you<br />
serve and review your policies to ensure<br />
that they are indicative of your practice.<br />
Spread the word<br />
The IFED website are looking for pictures<br />
of families and ‘families in action’ to use<br />
throughout their website and their annual<br />
report. Information on how to upload any<br />
photos and videos is available on their<br />
website and they also encourage everyone<br />
to share events, ideas and photos on<br />
social media networks using the hashtag:<br />
#IFED<strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Whatever you do, remember that we at<br />
<strong>Parenta</strong> love to hear about what you’ve<br />
been doing too, so send us your stories<br />
and pictures to hello@parenta.com.<br />
Share your impressions on social<br />
networks hashtag: #IFED<strong>2024</strong><br />
Click here for<br />
more references<br />
& information.<br />
20 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 21
Yvonne Sinclair<br />
Summary of statutory<br />
“Working Together to<br />
Safeguard Children”<br />
Working with parents/families<br />
(Chapter 2)<br />
Focus on improving family functioning<br />
and developing the family’s capacity<br />
to establish positive routines and solve<br />
problems.<br />
Expectations for all practitioners<br />
(Chapter 3)<br />
Introduces a set of multi-agency<br />
expectations for safeguarding and child<br />
protection practitioners, split over three<br />
sectors, early help, safeguarding and<br />
promoting the welfare of children, and<br />
child protection.<br />
Multi-agency practice standards<br />
(Chapter 3)<br />
outside (from the wider community),<br />
including online<br />
⚙ Preventing impairment of children’s<br />
mental and physical health or<br />
development<br />
⚙ Ensuring that children are growing up<br />
in circumstances consistent with the<br />
provision of safe and effective care<br />
⚙ Taking action to enable all children to<br />
have the best outcomes<br />
Extra-familial harm refers to:<br />
⚙ Children may be at risk of or<br />
experiencing physical, sexual, or<br />
emotional abuse and exploitation in<br />
contexts outside their families<br />
⚙ While there is no legal definition<br />
for the term extra-familial harm, it<br />
is widely used to describe different<br />
forms of harm that occur outside the<br />
home. These could include a range<br />
of environments outside the family<br />
home in which harm can occur e.g.<br />
peer groups, school, and community/<br />
public spaces, including known<br />
places in the community where<br />
there are concerns about risks to<br />
children (for example, parks, housing<br />
estates, shopping centres, takeaway<br />
restaurants, or transport hubs), as<br />
well as online, including social media<br />
or gaming platforms.<br />
history, and risks. This shared<br />
knowledge enhances decisionmaking<br />
and helps create a protective<br />
safety net<br />
⚙ Reflecting on the ‘good assessment’<br />
guidance within your safeguarding<br />
teams<br />
⚙ Reviewing relevant policies,<br />
procedures and considering what<br />
training is required to upskill staff<br />
Resources<br />
⚙ Summary of changes<br />
⚙ Working together to safeguard<br />
children 2023: Statutory framework<br />
⚙ Stable homes, built on love (2023)<br />
⚙ Children’s social care: national<br />
framework<br />
⚙ Improving practice with children,<br />
young people and families<br />
⚙ Supporting local areas to embed<br />
working together to safeguard<br />
children and the national framework<br />
⚙ Background information for Working<br />
Together and the National Framework<br />
Introduction<br />
As early years practitioners, you will be<br />
only too aware that no single person can<br />
safeguard children. It is only when we<br />
understand that working together is of<br />
paramount importance that we can ensure<br />
the well-being, safety, and protection of<br />
those in our care who are most vulnerable.<br />
Schools, early years and childcare settings,<br />
and other educational providers all have a<br />
pivotal role to play in safeguarding children<br />
and promoting their welfare. Your insight<br />
and co-operation is vital to the successful<br />
delivery of multi-agency safeguarding<br />
arrangements. When services work<br />
effectively together, they can provide<br />
coordinated support tailored to the child’s<br />
needs, preventing duplication, ensuring<br />
consistency, and minimising gaps in care.<br />
Adults working in educational settings play<br />
an important role in building relationships,<br />
identifying concerns, and providing direct<br />
support to children. In fact, they may be<br />
the first trusted adults to whom children<br />
report safeguarding concerns.<br />
The updated statutory guidance, “Working<br />
Together to Safeguard Children” is<br />
central to delivering on the Government’s<br />
commitment strategy set out in “Stable<br />
Homes, built on love” (2023), which<br />
outlines every child deserves to grow up in<br />
a stable and loving home.<br />
Children, who need help and protection,<br />
deserve high quality and effective support.<br />
This requires all those working directly<br />
with them to be clear about their own, and<br />
each other’s, roles and responsibilities,<br />
and how we need to work together.<br />
What’s new?<br />
This is a statutory guidance which should<br />
be complied with in its entirety, to all<br />
education providers, including childcare<br />
settings, unless exceptional circumstances<br />
arise and apply.<br />
The guidance emphasises the importance<br />
of strengthening multi-agency working<br />
across the whole system, including<br />
support and protection for children and<br />
their families.<br />
Safeguarding practitioners should<br />
have agreed, consistent and effective<br />
multi-agency child protection practices<br />
which have a child-centred approach<br />
incorporating a whole-family focus.<br />
The updated guidance is now broken<br />
down into 6 chapters:<br />
⚙ Chapter 1: A shared responsibility<br />
⚙ Chapter 2: Multi-agency safeguarding<br />
arrangements<br />
⚙ Chapter 3: Providing help, support<br />
and protection<br />
⚙ Chapter 4: Organisational<br />
responsibilities<br />
⚙ Chapter 5: Learning from serious child<br />
safeguarding incidents<br />
⚙ Chapter 6: Child death reviews<br />
The key changes and<br />
updates cover:<br />
Clarification of roles and<br />
responsibilities (Chapter 1)<br />
Structured across three levels:<br />
⚙ Strategic leaders (chief executives)<br />
⚙ Senior leaders (headteacher/<br />
managers)<br />
⚙ Direct practice (frontline)<br />
Support for disabled children<br />
(Chapter 2)<br />
Practitioners should recognise the<br />
additional pressures on families and<br />
the challenges they may have had to<br />
negotiate as a result of their child’s<br />
disability.<br />
Any assessment process should focus<br />
on the needs of the child and family, be<br />
strengths-based, and gather information<br />
to inform decisions on the help needed to<br />
achieve the best outcome for the child and<br />
family.<br />
Introduces new national multi-agency<br />
practice standards for all practitioners<br />
working in services and settings that come<br />
into contact with children. They provide<br />
clear guidelines for practice and set out<br />
expectations for professionals, ensuring<br />
consistent and effective child protection<br />
across the board.<br />
Education and childcare partners<br />
(Chapter 3)<br />
Highlighting the role of education and<br />
childcare settings which includes that<br />
safeguarding partners should work<br />
closely with education and childcare<br />
settings to share information, identify, and<br />
understand risks of harm, and ensure<br />
children and families receive timely<br />
support.<br />
Tackling extra familial<br />
harm (Appendix A)<br />
Consideration of the needs, experiences<br />
and vulnerabilities of the individuals or<br />
groups who are experiencing, or are at<br />
risk of experiencing, harm outside the<br />
home – including child exploitation, (CCE<br />
and CSE), or serious violence.<br />
Updated definitions<br />
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare<br />
of children now refers to:<br />
⚙ Protecting children from maltreatment,<br />
whether the risk of harm comes<br />
from within the child’s family and/or<br />
What should you do now?<br />
Remember, safeguarding children is a<br />
collective responsibility. Whether you are<br />
a safeguarding practitioner, teacher or<br />
early years practitioner, your collaboration<br />
contributes to a safer environment for<br />
children.<br />
Let’s continue to work together to protect<br />
our future generation by:<br />
⚙ Ensuring all key stakeholders read the<br />
latest statutory guidance “Working<br />
Together to Safeguard Children” and<br />
are clear about their own, and each<br />
other’s roles and responsibilities, and<br />
how we need to work together<br />
⚙ Understanding the importance for<br />
collaboration and information sharing,<br />
as it enables the exchange of vital<br />
details about a child’s circumstances,<br />
Click here for<br />
more resources<br />
from Yvonne:<br />
22 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 23
Outdoor<br />
website: “Play not only teaches critical<br />
life skills such as resilience, teamwork<br />
and creativity, but is central to children’s<br />
enjoyment of childhood.”<br />
How can I get involved?<br />
Classroom<br />
It’s Spring, and there’s no better time<br />
to get out into the great outdoors and<br />
give your curriculum a new spin. Most<br />
children thrive on being outdoors and you<br />
can often see their engagement levels<br />
soar as they marvel at the wonders of<br />
nature as their imaginations are set free.<br />
Outdoor Classroom Day is a bi-annual<br />
event organised in the UK and Ireland<br />
by Learning through Landscapes (LtL)<br />
as part of the global campaign through<br />
ActionFunder. It was originally sponsored<br />
by Unilever’s ‘Dirt is Good’ brands Persil/<br />
OMO to make it global, although there are<br />
many more partners and sponsors now.<br />
The days will be celebrated on 23rd <strong>May</strong><br />
and 7th November in <strong>2024</strong> and they are<br />
a perfect time to rethink your teaching<br />
and learning style and offer something<br />
new and exciting. Whether you have your<br />
own outdoor space or not, there is always<br />
something that you can do to turn the<br />
outdoors into an innovative learning space<br />
for children.<br />
The origins and aims of<br />
Outdoor Classroom Day<br />
The original campaign to get children<br />
outdoors started in 2011 after the<br />
publication of Tim Gill’s “Sowing the Seeds”<br />
report on how to reconnect London’s<br />
children with nature. That led to the<br />
formation of Empty Classroom Day, which<br />
expanded and developed into<br />
Outdoor Classroom Day in 2016. It is now a<br />
global movement to “inspire and celebrate<br />
outdoor learning and play”. Although<br />
there are two campaign days each year,<br />
the aim is to use the days as a catalyst to<br />
give children more time outdoors every<br />
day at home, school, nursery, or anywhere<br />
Day<br />
outdoors. Since the start of the movement,<br />
over 4 million children have taken part<br />
in the UK and Ireland and over 12 million<br />
worldwide.<br />
The longer-term goals of the project<br />
include:
Sandra Duncan<br />
A.R.T. - more than<br />
paintbrushes<br />
be a completely different motive why some<br />
children naturally gravitate towards the<br />
painting easel. It’s called RELIEF.<br />
Times Square<br />
classrooms<br />
Have you ever been to Times Square? It’s<br />
a busy, noisy, and chaotic environment.<br />
Lights are blinking, horns are honking,<br />
people are rushing, sidewalks are<br />
bustling, and smells are interesting. Life<br />
in early childhood classrooms is much<br />
the same: crowded, busy, loud, and<br />
sometimes overwhelming for young<br />
children. It’s no wonder that children<br />
intuitively look for RELIEF from the physical<br />
classroom environment and escaping to<br />
the easel is just the perfect place. Since<br />
painting requires focused concentration,<br />
children direct their entire attention to the<br />
immediate tasks at hand such as selecting<br />
colours, applying brush-strokes, and<br />
creating their artwork.<br />
This focused attention can help restore<br />
their cognitive resources, allowing them to<br />
recover from mental fatigue and improve<br />
their ability to concentrate. Also, painting<br />
calms children because when they engage<br />
in art making, it helps the nervous system<br />
relax. Providing continuous opportunities<br />
for art making in chaotic-reduced<br />
environments, therefore, is an important<br />
responsibility of early childhood teachers.<br />
Chaotic-reduced<br />
environments<br />
One strategy for helping children get<br />
RELIEF from chaotic environments is to<br />
understand the Attention Restorative<br />
Theory (A.R.T.) founded by psychologists<br />
Rachel and Stephen Kaplan. This theory<br />
is grounded in the concept of directed<br />
attention and the role of attentional<br />
fatigue. Directed attention refers to the<br />
conscious effort and focus needed to<br />
attend to specific tasks or stimuli, while<br />
attentional fatigue occurs when this<br />
directed attention becomes depleted<br />
over time. In adults and older children,<br />
attentional fatigue can lead to reduced<br />
cognitive performance, increased negative<br />
behaviours, and decreased well-being.<br />
Young children - who are developing<br />
executive function skills - are especially<br />
impacted by mental and physical or<br />
visual fatigue. Their bodies and young<br />
minds are not capable of filtering out<br />
heavily ladened classroom walls and<br />
floors, cluttered shelves, or dealing with<br />
physically confining spaces. This chaos can<br />
lead to emotionally-bankrupt as well as<br />
physically-spent children. To reduce these<br />
possibilities, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan’s<br />
Attention Restorative Theory suggests<br />
that exposure to nature and natural<br />
environments can have a restorative effect<br />
on attention.<br />
Consequently, incorporating nature-based<br />
experiences into children’s routines,<br />
such as spending time in green spaces,<br />
engaging in outdoor play, or participating<br />
in nature-based activities, may contribute<br />
to their emotional development and<br />
well-being. But, how does painting at<br />
the classroom easel, nature-based<br />
experiences, and restoring children’s<br />
attention link together... and what can you<br />
do to help strengthen this link?<br />
Linking art and A.R.T.<br />
Overall, painting offers children a creative<br />
outlet that engages their attention,<br />
promotes relaxation, and provides<br />
opportunities for self-expression. By<br />
immersing themselves in the painting<br />
process and engaging with aesthetically<br />
pleasing and nature-based stimuli,<br />
children can experience the benefits of<br />
attention restoration, leading to increased<br />
engagement, focus, cognitive functioning,<br />
and overall well-being.<br />
Painting at the easel, particularly in a<br />
natural or peaceful setting, can serve as<br />
a restorative activity for young children.<br />
Engaging in painting allows children<br />
to focus their attention on the creative<br />
process, promoting a state of flow where<br />
they become fully absorbed in the task at<br />
hand.<br />
The importance of children painting lies<br />
in its potential to serve as a restorative<br />
and enriching activity. It can help children<br />
replenish their attention and cognitive<br />
resources, enhance fine motor skills and<br />
cognitive abilities, promote emotional wellbeing,<br />
and foster social interaction and<br />
communication skills.<br />
By encouraging children to engage in<br />
painting, we can support their holistic<br />
development and provide them with a<br />
creative outlet for self-expression and<br />
growth.<br />
Click here for<br />
Why is it that most children absolutely<br />
love to paint? Brightly coloured paint, wide<br />
paintbrushes, and large sheets of white<br />
paper are strong and undeniable magnets<br />
for young children -pulling them into the<br />
wonderful world of swishing, swirling, and<br />
moving the paint across the paper.<br />
Perhaps it’s the multi-sensory experiences<br />
that paint offers young children. They<br />
can feel the texture of the paint, see the<br />
vibrant colours, and observe how the paint<br />
spreads and changes on the canvas or<br />
paper. These sensory experiences can<br />
be intriguing and pleasurable for children<br />
as they enjoy engaging their senses on<br />
many levels. The magnetism of painting<br />
might be the pure freedom of standing at<br />
the easel with (hopefully) no adult telling<br />
them what colour to use, how to hold the<br />
paintbrush, or where to put the paint on<br />
the paper.<br />
Through painting, children can visually<br />
represent their imaginations, experiences,<br />
and inner world, which gives them a sense<br />
of agency and empowerment. Another<br />
possibility of why children enjoy painting<br />
so much is because it is an emotional<br />
outlet. It allows them to freely express<br />
and process their feelings, whether it’s<br />
joy, sadness, excitement, or frustration.<br />
Painting can provide a safe space for<br />
children to explore and navigate their<br />
emotions, which contributes to their overall<br />
emotional well-being.<br />
Young children may flock to painting<br />
easels because they enjoy experimenting.<br />
Painting offers children the opportunity<br />
to explore and experiment with various<br />
materials, colours, and techniques.<br />
They can mix colours, create different<br />
textures, and observe cause-and-effect<br />
relationships. This sense of discovery and<br />
experimentation can be highly captivating<br />
for children and fosters their sense of<br />
wonder and curiosity. They feel a sense<br />
of accomplishment and pride when they<br />
complete a painting because they can<br />
see the tangible result of their efforts,<br />
which undoubtedly boosts their selfconfidence<br />
and self-esteem. Although all<br />
these reasons why young children adore<br />
painting may be true and right, there could<br />
more resources<br />
from Sandra:<br />
26 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 27
Inspections<br />
Tools and<br />
resources to help<br />
At some point in a setting’s life, all settings<br />
will be inspected by the local inspecting<br />
authority to ensure that they comply with<br />
statutory requirements. Ofsted operates as<br />
the inspection body in England, however,<br />
other agencies are responsible for<br />
inspecting other areas of the UK.<br />
improve your setting<br />
Starting a business in childcare can be<br />
a daunting prospect. You know you<br />
want to work with children and you are<br />
passionate about the positive difference<br />
you can make, but when you start to<br />
think about and research it, you soon<br />
realise that running a childcare business<br />
is not just about spending time with the<br />
children. There are risk assessments to do,<br />
curriculums to design, and many policies<br />
to write. And when the big ‘O’ (Ofsted) is<br />
mentioned, it can feel as if the ‘to do’ list<br />
becomes almost impossible.<br />
Navigating this ocean of paperwork,<br />
administration nightmare and neverending<br />
list of ‘dos and don’ts’ can be offputting<br />
to even the hardiest of would-be<br />
practitioners, but don’t despair; there are a<br />
lot of training courses, toolkits and sources<br />
of useful information out there to help<br />
every size business - as long as you know<br />
where to look and how to use them. So, in<br />
this article, we’re going to sign post you to<br />
some of the most useful ones, and let you<br />
get back to the thing you love most, being<br />
with the children.<br />
Statutory guidance<br />
and requirements<br />
The <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Foundation Stage (EYFS)<br />
is the main source of guidance and<br />
information for the early years in England<br />
and should be the starting place for all<br />
practitioners and pre-school settings.<br />
However, there are different standards for<br />
different parts of the UK:
Frances Turnbull<br />
Musical medicine<br />
<strong>Early</strong> years movement in a<br />
wonderful, musical world<br />
All of these activities can be accomplished<br />
with a song or piece of music to inspire.<br />
Here are a few songs with specific gross<br />
motor activity suggestions.<br />
Thula Thul’<br />
Thula thul, thula baba, thula sana,<br />
(Toola tool, toola baba, tool a sana)<br />
Thul’ubab uzobuya, ekuseni<br />
(Tool-oo-baab, oo-zo-boo-ya e-koo-zenee)<br />
Thula thul, thula baba, thula sana,<br />
(Toola tool, toola baba, tool a sana)<br />
Thul’ubab uzobuya, ekuseni<br />
(Tool-oo-baab, oo-zo-boo-ya ekoo-ze-nee)<br />
Movement is an important part of early<br />
years music education and can help to<br />
identify not only potential developmental<br />
delays but also future strengths and<br />
natural abilities. Movement is also a<br />
natural human response to the world.<br />
We naturally want to explore, to learn, to<br />
dance, to share. To love. And we can do all<br />
that through musical movement.<br />
Many dancers’ parents claim, as the<br />
ABBA song line says: “Mother says I<br />
was a dancer because I could walk”.<br />
And the same can be said of singers,<br />
singing before they could talk. This isn’t so<br />
surprising. From the earliest days, adults<br />
have been using singing and dancing<br />
to relax and calm little ones, to capture<br />
their interest and imagination as children<br />
grow older, and ultimately to enchant and<br />
inspire as adults.<br />
One of the ways that we can check<br />
developmental progress is by using the<br />
ASQ3 questionnaire: sets of interview<br />
questions that identify developmental<br />
milestones, including communication,<br />
gross motor movement, fine motor<br />
movement, problem solving and personal<br />
social skills. This article focusses on<br />
using early years music to support the<br />
development of gross motor movement.<br />
At 2 months, most children will:
As childcare professionals, we strive for excellence and seek to cultivate top talent in our<br />
settings. While experience is invaluable, formal qualifications enhance our capabilities and<br />
empower staff for career growth, raising childcare standards.<br />
Unlike Level 2 qualifications, Level 3 courses provide deeper theoretical insights and a<br />
thorough grasp of childcare practices. Let’s look at the benefits of achieving the Level 3<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Educator qualification.<br />
Typically lasting 18 months to 2 years,<br />
apprenticeships may vary based on the<br />
institution and whether they are full-time or<br />
part-time. The Institute for Apprenticeships<br />
and Technical Education works with early<br />
years employers to ensure relevance and<br />
effectiveness.<br />
According to the Government:<br />
“Apprenticeships can support your<br />
business to grow talent and develop a<br />
skilled workforce.<br />
Offering an apprenticeship can:<br />
⭐ Introduce fresh talent and ideas to<br />
your business by recruiting new staff<br />
and upskilling existing members<br />
⭐ Align training to your business needs<br />
⭐ Boost staff loyalty and motivation<br />
Studies show that because of<br />
apprenticeships:<br />
⭐ 80% of employers report higher staff<br />
A guide to Level 3<br />
childcare apprenticeships<br />
Benefits to the individual<br />
Increased earning potential<br />
Improved employability prospects within the sector<br />
Increased job security over less<br />
qualified staff<br />
Stepping stone to further higher-level qualifications,<br />
more responsibility and management<br />
Demonstrable commitment to high-quality provision<br />
and dedication to the industry<br />
Benefits to the workplace of employing/<br />
training staff with a Level 3 <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong><br />
Educator qualification<br />
Staff members can be counted in the EYFS Level 3<br />
staff:child ratios (as long as they also have English<br />
Language at Level 2)<br />
Improved quality of provision within<br />
the setting<br />
Enhanced professional image with the local<br />
community and potential parents<br />
Ability to demonstrate investment in high-quality<br />
training for staff and an investment in people<br />
Most Level 3 apprenticeships are 95% funded by the<br />
Government making them a cost-effective way of<br />
employing additional staff<br />
retention<br />
⭐ 92% of employers see a boost in<br />
workforce motivation and satisfaction<br />
⭐ The St Martin’s Group study on the<br />
benefits of apprenticeships found,<br />
that despite associated costs, UK<br />
employers see an average annual<br />
gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output<br />
per apprentice during their training<br />
period.”<br />
Funding<br />
If you hire an apprentice, they will be<br />
employed by your business for the<br />
duration of their apprenticeship, and you<br />
must pay them at least the minimum<br />
wage for their age group.<br />
Current minimum wage information can<br />
be found at: gov.uk/national-minimumwage-rates#apprentices.<br />
Settings can receive full funding of<br />
apprenticeship training costs, up to<br />
£7,000, for eligible apprentices aged 16<br />
to 21 (for new starts from April 1, <strong>2024</strong>)<br />
and aged 22 to 24 at apprenticeship<br />
start, with an Education, Health, and Care<br />
Plan (EHCP) or in local authority care.<br />
Additionally, settings may qualify for an<br />
extra £1,000 toward training costs if the<br />
apprentice is aged 16 to 18, aged 19 to 24<br />
with an EHCP or aged 19 to 24 and has<br />
been in local authority care.<br />
What will a Level 3 EYE<br />
apprentice learn?<br />
The knowledge, skills and behaviours<br />
for this apprenticeship standard<br />
are defined by the Institute for<br />
Apprenticeships at the EYE detailed<br />
webpage at: instituteforapprenticeships.<br />
org/qualifications/finder/early-yearseducator-13.<br />
More specifically, according to the<br />
Government EYE apprentice web page, an<br />
EYE apprentice will learn to:<br />
⭐ Recognise when a child or a colleague<br />
is in danger or at risk of abuse and<br />
act to protect them in line with the<br />
safeguarding policy and procedure<br />
⭐ Apply legislation, policy, and<br />
procedure to protect the health,<br />
safety and well-being of children in<br />
the setting (for example, food safety,<br />
diets, starting solid food, allergies,<br />
COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and<br />
emergencies)<br />
⭐ Apply the principles of risk<br />
assessment and risk management<br />
within documentation and practice<br />
⭐ Teach children to develop skills to<br />
manage risk and maintain their own<br />
and others safety<br />
⭐ Use a range of communication<br />
methods, including technology,<br />
with other professionals to meet the<br />
individual needs of the child<br />
⭐ Develop and maintain effective<br />
professional, collaborative<br />
relationships with others involved in<br />
the education and care of the child<br />
⭐ Undertake the role and responsibilities<br />
of a key person<br />
⭐ Recognise and apply theories of<br />
attachment to develop effective<br />
relationships with children<br />
⭐ Provide sensitive and respectful<br />
personal care for children from birth<br />
to 5 years<br />
⭐ Advocate for all children’s needs,<br />
including children who require SEND<br />
or EAL support<br />
⭐ Promote and facilitate children’s<br />
interpersonal communication to<br />
develop their social interactions and<br />
relationships<br />
⭐ Support children to develop a positive<br />
sense of their own identity and culture<br />
Roles and responsibilities<br />
Roles<br />
Apprentice<br />
Improved<br />
employability<br />
prospects<br />
within the<br />
sector<br />
Responsibilities<br />
⭐ Support children to understand<br />
and respond to their emotions and<br />
make considered choices about their<br />
behaviours<br />
⭐ Assess the responsiveness of the<br />
environment for effective child-centred<br />
experiences in line with curriculum<br />
requirements<br />
⭐ Create inclusive, child-centred,<br />
dynamic, innovative, and evolving<br />
physical environments both indoors<br />
and outdoors<br />
⭐ Create an inclusive and supportive<br />
emotional environment that enables<br />
the child to feel safe, secure,<br />
respected and experience a sense<br />
of well-being; maintaining and<br />
prioritising the individual child’s voice<br />
⭐ Apply strategies that support<br />
children’s ability to manage change,<br />
transition, and significant events<br />
⭐ Analyse observation evidence to<br />
assess and plan holistic individual<br />
As a minimum, the apprentice should:<br />
✏ Complete on-programme training to meet the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed<br />
outlined in the apprenticeship standard for a minimum of 12 months<br />
✏ Complete the required amount of off-the-job training specified by the apprenticeship<br />
funding rules and as arranged by the employer and training provider<br />
✏ Understand the purpose and importance of EPA<br />
Prepare for and undertake the EPA including meeting all gateway requirements<br />
✏<br />
As a minimum, the apprentice's employer must:<br />
✏ Select the training provider<br />
✏ Work with the training provider to select the EPAO<br />
✏ Work with the training provider, where applicable, to support the apprentice in the<br />
workplace and to provide opportunities for the apprentice to develop the KSBs<br />
✏ Arrange and support off-the-job training to be undertaken by the apprentice<br />
✏ Decide when the apprentice is working at or above the apprenticeship standard and is<br />
ready for EPA<br />
✏ Ensure the apprentice is prepared for the EPA<br />
✏ Ensure that all supporting evidence required at the gateway is submitted in line with this<br />
EPA plan<br />
✏ Confirm arrangements with the EPAO for the EPA promptly, including who, when, where<br />
✏ Provide the EPAO with access to any employer-specific documentation as required, for<br />
example, company policies<br />
✏ Ensure that the EPA is scheduled with the EPAO for a date and time which allows<br />
appropriate opportunity for the apprentice to meet the KSBs<br />
✏ Ensure the apprentice is given sufficient time away from regular duties to prepare for and<br />
complete the EPA<br />
✏ Ensure that any required supervision during the EPA period, as stated within this EPA<br />
plan, is in place<br />
✏ Ensure the apprentice has access to the resources used to fulfil their role and carry out<br />
the EPA for workplace-based assessments<br />
✏ Remain independent from the delivery of the EPA<br />
Pass the certificate to the apprentice upon receipt<br />
✏<br />
learning based on a comprehensive<br />
understanding of the child’s needs<br />
and interests<br />
⭐ Facilitate and support child-centred<br />
opportunities and experiences based<br />
on the setting’s curriculum and<br />
pedagogy<br />
⭐ Provide adult-led opportunities and<br />
experience based on the setting’s<br />
curriculum and pedagogy<br />
⭐ Use reflection to develop themselves<br />
both professionally and personally<br />
The criteria for EYE Level 3 qualifications<br />
are due to change from 1st September<br />
<strong>2024</strong>. See here for the most up-to-date<br />
criteria.<br />
Training providers will have their own<br />
information which is available to<br />
employers and apprentices. <strong>Parenta</strong> has<br />
trained thousands of apprentices in this<br />
qualification, and you can download a<br />
course guide for the Level 3 EYE course<br />
here. This includes information about the<br />
structure of the course too.<br />
What qualifications do<br />
apprentices need to apply?<br />
To meet Ofsted staff-child ratios as a<br />
Level 3 EYE, apprentices must have a<br />
Level 2 qualification in English Language;<br />
the previous requirement for a Level 2<br />
Maths qualification has been removed.<br />
All apprentices must undergo a clear DBS<br />
check and hold a Paediatric First Aid or<br />
Emergency Paediatric First Aid qualification<br />
as part of safer recruitment.<br />
References and more<br />
information<br />
⭐ Find apprenticeship training<br />
⭐ Institute for Apprenticeships<br />
⭐ <strong>Parenta</strong> - Recruit an apprentice<br />
⭐ Gov.uk - Apprentices national<br />
minimum wage rates<br />
Click here for<br />
more references<br />
& information.<br />
32 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
parenta.com | <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 33
Understanding the<br />
impact of new staff<br />
ratios in early years<br />
In the March 2023 Budget, following<br />
a consultation with the industry, the<br />
Government announced changes to the<br />
<strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Foundation Stage (EYFS) that<br />
would affect nurseries, childminders and<br />
group provisions. The changes were in<br />
response to concerns about early years<br />
provision including:
EYFS activities:<br />
Personal, Social &<br />
Emotional Development<br />
In the EYFS, personal, social, and emotional development activities are crucial for building essential life skills<br />
in children. Through structured play and interactions, they learn to manage emotions, build relationships, and<br />
develop resilience. These activities lay the groundwork for academic growth as well as lifelong well-being by<br />
promoting communication, cooperation, and problem-solving abilities.<br />
Father’s Day medals – a favourite with the children!<br />
Why not celebrate Father’s Day with a<br />
personalised medal to let father figures know<br />
how special they are?<br />
You will need:<br />
Ì 23cm paper plates<br />
Ì Yellow or gold washable paint or yellow<br />
tissue paper<br />
Ì Paintbrush<br />
Ì Glue stick<br />
Ì Star foam stickers<br />
Ì 1cm width ribbon (various colours)<br />
Ì Hole puncher<br />
Ì Safety scissors<br />
Ì Ruler or tape measure<br />
Ì Sticky tape<br />
Ì Printed Father’s Day award template<br />
(optional)<br />
Ì Pen/marker<br />
Method:<br />
1. Decide how you want to create the<br />
background of the medal. Option 1: Paint<br />
the paper plate yellow or gold. (Takes time<br />
to dry.) Option 2: Use yellow or gold tissue<br />
paper with Pritt Stick glue. (Dries quickly.)<br />
2. If you use tissue paper for the background,<br />
place the paper plate over the tissue paper,<br />
draw around the plate, then cut the tissue<br />
paper and glue it to the plate.<br />
3. Take the printed Father’s Day award<br />
template and cut out the award circle. If<br />
you do not wish to use the template, you<br />
36 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong> | parenta.com<br />
can always make your award circles and<br />
write the message with a pen.<br />
4. Once the paper plate is dry, stick the<br />
template to the centre.<br />
5. Punch two holes at the top of the plate to<br />
hang the medal.<br />
6. Now it’s time to decorate! Stick foam stars<br />
around the outside of the plate however<br />
you would like.<br />
7. Time to add the ribbons! Take your<br />
chosen coloured ribbon and cut a piece<br />
approximately 40cm long, then tie it<br />
through the holes to make the handle.<br />
8. Cut 30cm lengths of ribbon for the bottom,<br />
being as creative with the colours as<br />
possible.<br />
9. Use the sticky tape to secure the ribbons to<br />
the back of the plate at the bottom.<br />
10. Adjust and make any final tweaks as<br />
necessary, and then present the medal to<br />
Dad on Father’s Day!<br />
Fabulous Father’s Day cards!<br />
Creating a personalised card is a wonderful<br />
way for children to celebrate Father’s Day.<br />
You will need:<br />
Ì Cardstock paper<br />
Ì Pens/Markers<br />
Ì Scissors<br />
Ì Decorating materials e.g. stickers, ribbons<br />
Ì Ruler<br />
Method:<br />
1. Find or print block letter templates for “D”,<br />
“A” and “Y” onto cardstock paper.<br />
2. Trace and cut out the letters, ensuring<br />
they’re the same size.<br />
3. Place the letters in a straight line so they<br />
touch and spell out “DAD” or “DADDY”. You<br />
can use a ruler to make sure they’re in a<br />
straight line.<br />
4. Use scissors to carefully cut out the centres<br />
of each letter.<br />
5. Fold the word where the letters touch to<br />
create the card.<br />
6. Use your chosen coloured pens and<br />
markers to colour in each letter.<br />
Painted ties – so much fun!<br />
A simple activity that the children will love!<br />
You will need:<br />
Ì Paper<br />
Ì Paints<br />
Ì Paintbrushes<br />
Ì Ribbon<br />
Ì Scissors<br />
Ì Tape<br />
Ì Hole punch<br />
Method:<br />
1. Give the children the freedom to paint on<br />
the paper in any way they choose.<br />
2. Let the paper completely dry and then cut<br />
out a tie shape, using a tie as a template if<br />
needed.<br />
3. Cut out a small strip roughly 2 inches high<br />
and 6 inches long to create the knot.<br />
4. Hole punch both ends of the strip to create<br />
space to weave the ribbon through.<br />
7. Decorate further with any ribbons, stickers,<br />
or any other embellishments to give the<br />
card a personal touch.<br />
8. Your card is now ready to give to Dad,<br />
showcasing your creativity and love.<br />
More on this activity and others can be found<br />
here: https://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.<br />
com/2012/03/fathers-day-dad-card-craft.html<br />
5. Wrap the strip around the top of the tie and<br />
tape it in place.<br />
6. Thread the ribbon through the punched<br />
holes, and that’s the tie complete!<br />
7. Top tip – encourage the children to use their<br />
father figure’s favourite colours to make the<br />
craft even more personalised.
How do we strike the balance between the<br />
dance of “in the moment” and “guided”<br />
activities? Firstly, we need to recognise the<br />
strengths of both “child-led” and “adultguided<br />
learning” experiences.<br />
Picture this: a classroom buzzing with<br />
energy as little learners explore, create,<br />
and imagine. That’s the magic of childled<br />
learning! It’s all about letting children<br />
take the lead. Fostering their creativity,<br />
independence, and love for learning.<br />
But wait, there’s more! Cue the spotlight<br />
on adult-guilded learning. It’s like having<br />
a wise mentor guiding you through the<br />
steps, providing structured opportunities<br />
to learn specific skills and concepts<br />
while promoting collaboration and<br />
communication.<br />
Together, these two approaches create a<br />
dynamic duo that nurtures every child’s<br />
growth and development and highlights<br />
the importance of your flexibility and<br />
responsiveness in your pedagogy as...<br />
“One size doesn’t fit ALL!”<br />
Gina Bale<br />
One size doesn’t<br />
fit ALL!<br />
In the world of early childhood education,<br />
we all know flexibility is the name of<br />
the game. We know that every child is<br />
unique, with their rhythm and pace of<br />
learning. That’s why teaching is rather like<br />
a beautifully choreographed dance – fluid,<br />
adaptable, and responsive to the needs of<br />
every little explorer.<br />
By being flexible, we ensure that our<br />
teaching strategies, and pedagogies,<br />
evolve alongside the changing interests<br />
and abilities of our students, creating a<br />
learning environment where everyone can<br />
shine.<br />
The potential disadvantages of not being<br />
adaptable and focusing solely on one<br />
specific approach could be limiting the<br />
development of skills, experiences, and<br />
learning for children.<br />
Like us, every child is unique, and “One<br />
size doesn’t fit ALL”. Don’t forget to<br />
offer a breadth of different activities,<br />
including structured group activities, and<br />
experiences for your little ones. By doing<br />
this you are ensuring ALL children are<br />
invited to play and learn and they are not<br />
getting bored or just repeating the same<br />
activity because it is safe and known to<br />
them. Just like adults they want to live<br />
wildy and experience new things. Take<br />
them outside their comfort zone and don’t<br />
hinder their joy of learning by fixating on<br />
ONE approach in the setting.<br />
Go wild in the “pick<br />
and mix”<br />
From my many years of teaching in, and<br />
training settings, I have seen first-hand<br />
how the seamless blending of child-led<br />
and adult-guided activities ensures that no<br />
child is disadvantaged. We need to ensure<br />
they are ALL invited to learn.<br />
As educators, we need to find and<br />
blend our own “secret sauce” of perfect<br />
ingredients that will provoke and engage<br />
our little explorers.<br />
Set the stage with a rich variety of<br />
materials and multiple open-ended<br />
provocations that ignite everyone’s<br />
curiosity and imagination. Then, sprinkle in<br />
some structured FUN activities facilitated<br />
by adults, providing opportunities for<br />
children to develop specific skills and<br />
collaborate with their peers.<br />
Remember, it’s all about finding that<br />
“sweet spot” where child agency meets<br />
adult guidance, creating a meaningful<br />
learning experience that’s engaging and<br />
playful.<br />
Combining and being creative is KEY to<br />
finding your “s ecret sauce”. To do this you<br />
need to recognise the strength of both<br />
“child-led” and “adult-guided” learning<br />
experiences.<br />
Your “secret sauce” is informed by several<br />
key theories and approaches that highlight<br />
the importance of both child-agency and<br />
adult support in facilitating optimal and<br />
meaningful learning experiences. Here is a<br />
sample of the ingredients and spices that<br />
will help you develop your recipe for your<br />
little explorers. Imagine only being able to<br />
cook with one ingredient day after day –<br />
BORING!<br />
Ingredients: guided<br />
play and scaffolding<br />
learning<br />
Guided play serves as a cornerstone for<br />
children’s development:
TM<br />
Pssst... Let the Littlemagictrain<br />
take your children on a magical<br />
journey of learning and lots of<br />
fun!<br />
Pssst...<br />
Let the Littlemagictrain take your<br />
children on a magical journey of<br />
learning and lots of fun!<br />
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“<br />
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their confidence and desire to communicate,<br />
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By week 6, I observed clear improvement in<br />
attention, memory and narrative skills.”<br />
Liz Shoreman, Senior Speech and Language<br />
Therapist and Manager, The Speech Bubble<br />
Liz Shoreman, Senior Speech and Language<br />
Therapist and Manager, The Speech Bubble<br />
“The staff always join in and I can honestly<br />
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“The staff always join in and I can honestly<br />
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Scan Me!<br />
Nicky Sanford, <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Teacher,<br />
Marcham Pre-school<br />
Nicky Sanford, <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Years</strong> Teacher,<br />
Marcham Pre-school<br />
“<br />
“<br />
www.littlemagictrain.com<br />
www.littlemagictrain.com<br />
Or email: Hello@littlemagictrain.com<br />
Or email: Hello@littlemagictrain.com<br />
for wee ones