Partnership Plus Spring 2010 - Leicestershire County Council

Spring 2010 

Outdoor Play with 

Marjorie Ouvry 

Healthy Tots 

Men in Childcare 

Forest Schools 

Early Years Census 

Your News 

Leicestershire’s termly magazine for early learning and childcare

THIS ISSUE… 

Outdoor Play 3 

Early Education Consultant Marjorie 

Ouvry gives her take on outdoor play. 

Local Authority Update 7 

We look at the work of the Council's 

Toy and Resource Library and recap 

on the Single Funding Formula 

consultations 

Your News 10 

We attend an aerobics class at Thorpe 

Acre Infants School and visit Kidaroo 

Ravenhurst on their 'male-day' 

National News 12 

We take a look at the new inspection 

criteria from Ofsted and report on the 

national childcare news 

Jobs and Training 14 

We look at the new Workforce 

Development website and talk to 

Dean Duncan about his experience of 

being a male childcare worker 

Sharing Practice 28 

We find out about Forest Schools, 

'Stay to Play' training and look ahead 

to the Summer Playschemes 

Market and Money Matters 32 

In this edition we recap on the basics 

of Nursery Education Funding and 

bring you important information about 

this year’s Early Years Census 

Dates for your diary 35 

Contact us 36 

2 Partnership Plus 

Happy New Year… 

Welcome to the start of 2010, which promises to be a busy 12 months for 

Leicestershire’s childcare providers. The focus of this edition is what makes a 

healthy child; including articles from the new Healthy Tots Initiative and Thorpe 

Acre Infant School who talk us through their daily aerobics class. 

We start this issue off by looking at outdoor play through the eyes of Marjorie 

Ouvry, a Consultant in Early Education who will be making the keynote speech at 

the upcoming Early Learning and Childcare Service Conference. 

We visit Kidaroo Ravenhurst to see how their 'male-day' went and talk to Dean 

Duncan from the setting about his experiences of being a male childcare worker. 

We bring you all the latest national and local childcare news and we give you a 

refresher course on the basics of Nursery Education Funding. 

As always we are keen to hear from you about ideas for future stories. All of our 

contact details can be found on the back cover. 

Finally, let me take this opportunity to wish you all every success in 2010. 

Best wishes 

Michelle Nicholls 

Service Manager 

Early Learning and Childcare 

All content correct at time of publishing. 

The views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of Leicestershire County Council.

Outdoor play is a key part of a child’s education 

and should be embraced by all who spend time 

with any child. Marjorie Ouvry is a freelance 

consultant in early years education and has 

written many books about outdoor play for 

children. Here she explains why it is such a 

crucial part of any child’s development: 

Fascination 

‘The curriculum starts with children’s 

ecstatic response’ 

Keiran Egan (1988) 

‘From the very beginning of their 

education the child should experience 

the joy of discovery’ 

Alfred North Whitehead 

"Have you ever stopped to observe what happens when 

children are digging outside? Suddenly, someone finds a 

worm or a similar small creature in the earth. Hardly any 

other ‘serendipitous happening’ fills children with such 

emotions. Are they scared? Well yes, a little. Are they 

excited? Well yes, a lot! Do they want to find out more 

Special Feature: Fascination, Freedom and fun outdoors 

Fascination, freedom 

and fun outdoors 

about the creature they have discovered? Very definitely. 

This is the moment where our real work, as educators, 

begins. This is the zone of proximal development as 

Vygotsky calls it. In other words, this is the time when we 

have the power to crush or deepen that child’s enthusiasm 

and perseverance by how we react to the ‘ecstatic 

response' that the child is making to his or her find. 

Imagine saying, ‘Yuk, put that down, it’s horrible’ or ‘Let’s 

put it back gently where we found it’. Both these responses 

are dismissive. But imagine saying, ‘Wow! Look what you’ve 

found; you’ve found a worm. Just look at that’ Then you go 

on to comment, and listen to the hypotheses put forward 

by the child. You are finding things out together. ‘Look at 

the fascinating way your worm moves - long, short, long 

short’ 

The possibilities for extending learning are limitless. Even 

if some children think that you are a bit strange liking 

worms, or daddy-long-legs or bees, they are influenced by 

your reactions from a very early age. Their enthrallment, 

together with your fascination in their discoveries, becomes 

the most certain way of turning children into lifelong 

learners. 

A good outdoor environment holds so many possibilities for 

practitioners to share with children a fascination in nature. 

What about the weather, for example? 

Some of our greatest assets in helping children to love 

learning are the opportunities for capitalising on children’s 

fascination in a rainy, windy or sunny day. But be sure to 

be prepared beforehand! It is such a waste of time if you 

are scrabbling around on the rainy day trying to locate a 

few umbrellas or waterproofs. I have observed that when 

practitioners are not prepared to exploit the learning 

potential of the weather, they make some excuse not to 

go out at all. ‘It’s too rainy, windy, sunny, too cold, or hot’ 

But when you are already geared up with resources that 

you can offer to the children to keep them absorbed and 

interested you can’t wait for the next bout of weather. 

In my book, ‘Exercising Muscles and Minds’ I detail the 

ingredients of ‘weather boxes’ for a windy and a rainy day. 

First, it is important to see the reaction of the children 

because it is their response to the type of weather that 

will be your trigger for action. If they run about and are 

excited, then after a while you can reach into your prepared 

weather box and take out long strips of crepe paper or 

chiffon scarves or noisy cellophane and offer them to the 

children. 

Material © Marjorie Ouvry: Fascination, Freedom and Fun - Outside 

Partnership Plus 3

Special Feature: Fascination, Freedom and fun outdoors 

This gives their excited exuberance a 

purpose and focuses the children’s 

attention on the wind. When the crepe 

paper breaks, it can be gathered 

and stuck onto a huge windy day 

collaborative painting outside.Some of 

the paper can be added to individual 

paintings in the painting area inside. 

Here we have two ways in which 

children can record their experience 

of the wind; one through movement, 

the other through collage. There are 

yet more resources we need to have 

ready. Which songs about the wind do 

you know to sing with the children? If 

you don’t know any then you will have 

to learn some! You can’t wait until the 

windy day to find poems and stories 

about the relevant weather. They 

will have to be found and practised 

beforehand and recorded in the 

weather box, to remind you on the 

day. 

Mini-beasts and the weather are 

just two areas in which the outdoors 

uniquely provoke fascination in 

young children. That enthralment is 

our starting point for enabling young 

children to love learning. 

Freedom 

‘We need to make 

sure that we evaluate 

safety from the child’s 

perspective and not solely 

on the basis of our own 

fears and anxieties’ 

Mary Jane Drummond 

‘There is always a certain 

risk in being alive, and if 

you are more alive there is 

more risk.’ 

Ibsen 

Another of the aspects of the outdoors 

is the opportunity for children to play 

and explore without apparent adult 

supervision. Children know their own 

limitations - if they are not given the 

chance to take risks they will take 

them anyway, possibly in dangerous 

situations. 


At the entrance to the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground there is a 

large sign that describes its purpose: 

“The facilities provided are designed to comply with European and British 

legislation. However, it is now recognised that risk-taking is an important element 

of play and physical development. Parents and carers must note that the design 

of this playground does allow for a degree of risk. This is provided so that your 

child can develop an appreciation of risk in a controlled play environment rather 

than taking similar risks in the unregulated wider world”. 

A sterile and badly designed environment, unchallenging resources and adults 

who see themselves as supervisors, not educators, are three of the elements 

that lead to accidents. 

So how do we achieve risky freedom in our outdoor areas? 

The first way is for us to be confident in our own knowledge of each of our 

children so that we are not frightened to give them independence. This means 

that we see each child as unique. For one child it is very risky to go on the slide 

or the climbing frame; for another it is risky to go behind the bushes into that 

dark area, or to go fast on the wheeled toy. These are not dangerous pursuits 

but they do require individual feats of courage and we are there to support only 

when, and if, necessary. If children are offered a tricky environment where they 

can make mistakes from the beginning and take responsibility, little by little, then 

they are more able to act maturely as they get older. 

However, the provision must be well organised outdoors and risks do need to be 

assessed from the child’s point of view and not just to make us feel less anxious. 

It takes courage as a practitioner to let children try out their growing powers. 

Fun 

‘There is evidence that children’s brain chemistry actually 

changes in moments of enjoyment making them more 

receptive to learning’ 

NCB video ‘Tuning into Children’ 

There is no doubt that outdoors is where children like to be. All available 

research points to that conclusion. Children know that their ‘default setting’, 

moving in the open air, gives them the satisfaction and fulfilment that nothing 

else can. That is why they rush to the door from whatever they are doing, when 

they hear the handle being turned. 

We can't allow this powerful, challenging and naturally fun-giving opportunity of 

being outdoors to be curtailed to a few minutes a day. It must be available all 

day, in all weathers and throughout the year. 

Remember, movement is vital for growth and requires SPACE. 

If you would like more information about improving your outdoor space contact 

your Development or Improvement Advisor - all the contact details can be found 

on the back cover. 

If you would like to hear more from Marjorie Ouvry she will be at the Early 

Learning and Childcare Service Conference giving the keynote speech and 

running a workshop. For more information about the conference, or if you 

would like to book a place visit www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning 

Material © Marjorie Ouvry: Fascination, Freedom and Fun - Outside

Special Feature: Healthy children become healthy adults 

Healthy children 

become healthy adults 

Since the early 1990’s increasing recognition has 

been given, both nationally and locally, to the 

integral relationship between health and learning 

and the importance of promoting health in early 

years settings and schools. Research also shows 

us that good health habits developed in the early 

years are likely to continue into adulthood - 

healthy children become healthy adults! 

In 1999 the government formally launched the National 

Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP), a partnership initiative 

between the Department of Health and the Department 

for Education and Skills (now the Department for Children 

Schools & Families) which aimed to support children and 

young people develop healthy behaviours. Over the last 

ten years, we have found that schools participating in 

the programme have demonstrated numerous benefits, 

including increased parental involvement in the setting, 

improved children’s learning ability, better understanding of 

healthy lifestyles and recognition by Ofsted. 

Healthy Tots Leicestershire 

Building on the success of our Healthy Schools 

Programme, Leicestershire's Healthy Schools Team have 

developed ‘Healthy Tots Leicestershire’, an early years 

health promotion programme designed to promote healthy 

environments and healthy lifestyles in our early year 

settings. The initiative is based on a similar tried and tested 

programme for the under fives, established in a number 

of localities including London Boroughs, Nottingham and 

Cambridge. Our key aims are: 

• to encourage early years settings to provide a health 

promoting environment 

• to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the under fives 

by promoting positive attitudes and behaviour and 

developing the knowledge and skills of the early years 

community 


Special Feature: Healthy children become healthy adults 

Healthy Tots Leicestershire operates a whole system 

approach to healthy early years to ensure that everyone 

including staff, children, parents and carers are involved 

in the process. Settings will be asked to demonstrate 

standards in the core themes of: 

• physical activity 

• healthy eating 

• emotional health and well-being 

The programme has been designed using the National 

Healthy Schools framework and has been adapted to 

support the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

What’s in it for your settings? 

Settings are required to demonstrate to Ofsted how they 

contribute to the five Every Child Matters outcomes: 

• be healthy 

• stay safe 

• enjoy and achieve 

• make a positive contribution 

• achieve economic well-being 

The Early Learning and Childcare Service 

Improvement Advisors are taking to the 

road during March on the Mobile Community 

Centre (MCC). 


Participation in Healthy Tots Leicestershire will provide your 

setting with evidence of how you contribute to the Every 

Child Matters outcomes, for example in relation to ‘Be 

Healthy’ by helping you to: 

• increase children’s understanding and adopt healthy 

habits 

• encourage children to be active and understand the 

benefits of physical activity 

• encourage children to make healthy choices about what 

they eat and drink 

Settings registered with the programme will benefit from 

support from the Senior Healthy Early Years Advisor and 

Healthy Tots support material. We are also in the process 

of designing our website so please look out for information 

about this as we will be recruiting settings to take part in 

phase one of the programme in the near future. 

If you would like to find out more information 

please contact Cara Rowlett (Senior Healthy 

Early Years Advisor) on 0116 305 5418 or email 

cara.rowlett@leics.gov.uk 

Improvement Team road shows 

They will be giving out tips about boy’s mark making 

and offering a drop in sessions to answer any questions 

or queries Leicestershire’s providers can throw at them. 

There’s no need to book, just turn up on the day. 

The road show dates are below... 

Location Date Time 

Co-op Superstore, Station Road, Castle Donnington, DE74 2NL Monday 22nd March 9.00am - 10.30am 

Snibston Discovery Park, Ashby Road, Coalville, Leicester, 

LE67 3LN 

Monday 22nd March 12.00pm - 1.30pm 

Ashby Tesco, Resolution Road, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester, 

LE65 1TE 

Monday 22nd March 3.00pm - 4.30pm 

Asda Car Park - Fosse Park, Narborough Road South, 

Braunstone, LE3 2LL 

Tuesday 23rd March 10.00am - 12.30pm 

Morrisons Store, Normandy Way, Hinckley, LE10 1YA Tuesday 23rd March 2.00pm - 4.30pm 

Quorn Hall, Meynell Road, Quorn, Leicester, LE12 8BG Wednesday 24th March 10.00am - 13.00pm 

The Edge SureStart Children's Centre, Community Centre, 

Dalby Road, Melton, Leicester, LE13 0BQ 

Wednesday 24th March 14.30pm - 17.30pm 

The Parade, Oadby - on the main shopping strip Thursday 25th March 9.00am - 10.30am 

Junction Road Car Park, Wigston Magna, Leicester, LE18 1PN Thursday 25th March 12.00pm - 13.30pm 

Sainsburys, Springfield Street, Market Haborough, Leicester, 

LE16 7DR 

Thursday 25th March 1.00pm - 16.30pm

Childcare 

link offline 

The online service from Childcare 

link - www.childcarelink.gov.uk has 

recently been taken offline. The 

site used to provide information for 

both parents/carers and childcare 

providers about: 

• national and local childcare 

• national and local childcare job vacancies 

• training opportunities for childcare 

workers 

All of this information is still available on 

a national level by visiting the government 

website - www.direct.gov.uk. At a more 

local level you can access the Early Learning 

and Childcare Service web pages: 

For local, up-to-date childcare job vacancies, 

or to advertise a job, visit 

www.leics.gov.uk/earlyyearsjobs or speak 

to an advisor on 0116 305 6555. 

For local childcare training visit 

www.leics.gov.uk/index/ 

trainingopportunities or call us on 

0116 305 6555. 

Local Authority Update 

Toy and 

Resource 

Library update 

The revamped Early Learning and Childcare Service 

Toy and Resource Library had a successful first outing 

in the Autumn term. The entire library is now on the 

Mobile Community Centre (MCC) with a comprehensive 

collection of resources for children between the ages 

of 0-5 years. 

To build on the success of the re-launch Toy and Resource Library 

Co-ordinator Rachel Condon has new plans for the library: 

“It would great to join up with childminder groups and try and 

bring the MCC to their meetings. The programme is still at an early 

stage and we are still trying to find the most convenient places 

to visit with the MCC, the published schedule is not set in stone, 

but just a starting point. As the service develops we are hoping 

to incorporate drop-in sessions with the Development Advisors 

and other professionals which should enhance contact with 

childminders especially in rural areas.” 

If you would like to join the Toy and Resource Library or 

would just like more information, contact Rachel Condon 

on 0116 305 8061. We would especially like to hear from 

childminder groups. 



Changes to 

cost of training 

From the start of the Spring 2010 term the prices of training 

courses run by the Early Learning and Childcare Service will be 

changing. This is due to the recent review of expenditure which 

is currently in progress at Leicestershire County Council - the 

changes are: 

• the booking fee has increased from £10 to £20 for all general core and 

developmental training 

• for childminders, the fee will remain at £10 

• for those practitioners on the Voluntary Register or working in the wider or 

local authority provision, the fee will remain at £35 

• some longer full day Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses will 

now be charged at £35 

• when courses aren’t full any setting which needs to send more than 2 

members of staff can do so for £35 per place. These places can only be 

confirmed, however, if spaces allow, a fortnight before a course begins 

We feel it is important to offer a broad range of courses, and the increase in 

charges will allow us to continue to offer the same high quality levels of training 

we currently provide. 

Full details of course costs will be shown in the Spring 2010 Training 

Opportunities Booklet which should have arrived at your setting in December 

2009. You can also access a full list of the changes at 

www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning by clicking on 'latest news'. 

For more information on training courses running in your area, please 

visit www.leics.gov.uk/trainingopportunities or call us on 0116 305 6555. 


DCSF 

guidance 

for mobile 

phones and 

cameras in 

settings 

The Department for 

Children, Schools (DCSF) 

and Families has releases 

best practice guides for 

the use of mobile phones 

(with cameras) in settings. 

The guidance states that it is 

important for childcare providers 

to embrace modern technology 

to support children’s learning 

and development, whilst 

ensuring children in their care 

are kept safe. In general mobile 

phones should not be used 

when staff are with children and 

that provisions safeguarding 

policies and procedures should 

reflect this. 

The guidance for cameras is 

for providers to continue to use 

them as a tool to support and 

record children’s development 

and to evidence children 

achievements for parents/ 

carers. However it is imperative 

that managers seek permission 

from parents before taking any 

photographs. 

For more guidance and 

support about safeguarding 

issues, or help with policies 

and procedures contact 

your local Development 

or Improvement Advisor - 

contact details can be found 

on the back cover.

Single Funding 

Formula consultations 

As many of you will be aware 

there was a consultation period 

in the autumn term for the 

Single Funding Formula, which 

is a statutory duty for all local 

authorities to implement for 

distributing Nursery Education 

Funding (NEF) across the 

private, voluntary, independent 

and maintained sectors. 

Business Help 

The Business Link Start-Up Service 

has begun working closely with 

Leicestershire County Council to 

provide expert, specialist information 

and advice to entrepreneurs in the 

County. The Childcare sector is 

one of the first to be targeted with 

Business Link with a range of free 


There were consultation meetings arranged across Leicestershire to give you 

a chance to voice your views on the proposed formula. The events, along with 

the consultation documents were well received with a lot of different views and 

opinions expressed. Some of the most popular concerns raised were: 

• the current definition of flexibility - being open from 8am till 6pm doesn’t 

support pre-schools and playgroups 

• will the local authority support providers to gain the necessary qualifications? 

• why aren’t Ofsted ratings being used as part of the formula? 

For responses to all of the concerns raised visit 

www.leics.gov.uk/single_funding_formula 

Despite some initial concerns we are hopeful that we can, thanks to the huge 

amount of consultation documents received and the feedback from those 

that attended the consultation events, produce a formula which supports the 

sustainability of our childcare sector, continues to offer choice for parents and 

supports the costs of offering flexibility and better qualified staff. 

The local authority is committed to ensuring that the implementation of the 

Single Funding Formula is a positive move and will respond to the concerns 

raised around the definition of flexibility, graduate leader paths and the route to 

EYP, making clearer those graduate leader paths that will be supported by the 

supplements and look at a more varied understanding of flexibility. 

Details concerning any changes made to the formula and a formal response 

to consultation will be released later in January along with a revised indicative 

budget if necessary. 

If you have any further queries or questions you would like to raise 

around the implementation of the Single Funding Formula please contact 

Jodi Smith on 0116 305 6581, email her on jodi.smith@leics.gov.uk or 

visit www.leics.gov.uk/single_funding_formula 

courses designed to help you move 

your business forward, courses 

include: 

• Sales and Marketing 

• Managing the Money and Risk 

• Business Planning 

• ICT 

• Financial Planning 

If you would like more 

information about the 

free range of courses visit 

www.thinkbusiness.org.uk or 

call on 0845 058 6644. 


Your News 

Oadby & 

Wigston 

Toy 

Libraries 

Oadby & Wigston Community 

Action re-launched their Toy 

Library last October. Based 

at the Bassett Centre in 

South Wigston the library is 

available for both parents/ 

carers and childminders to 

access. 

The Toy Library is open every 

Tuesday between 9.30am and 

11am and it’s free to join and 

borrow toys. For information about 

joining or becoming a Toy Library 

volunteer contact Angela Clarke, 

Toy Library Co-ordinator on 

0116 281 0026 or by email 

aclarke@owcommunityaction.org.uk 

You can view some of the 

toys on offer by visiting the 

Toy Libraries' new web site at 

www.oadbyandwigstontoylibraries. 

co.uk 

Oadby and Wigston Community 

Action has another Toy Library in 

the SureStart Children’s Centre 

on Long Street in Wigston Magna. 

This is open on Monday afternoons 

from 1.45 pm to 3.45 pm 

For more information contact 

Angela Clarke 0116 281 0026. 


Move it in 

the Morning! 

Children, parents/carers and staff at Thorpe Acre Infant School 

have been taking part in ‘Move it in the Morning’ - a carefully 

planned aerobic exercise programme to ‘wake up’ the brain and 

improve children’s readiness to learn. 

Each morning, children are encouraged to arrive on the playground at 8.40am 

and get ready to ‘work out’ with movements which are designed to be fun, 

active and improve co-ordination, strength and balance. Auditory skills are also 

improved through listening and moving to the rhythm and beat of the music. 

Following training for the staff from the local authority, Clare Yates, the school’s 

PE and Healthy School’s Co-ordinator has led the initiative "It is wonderful to 

see mums, dads, brothers and sisters getting active and having lots of fun. The 

children feel good about themselves, their attitudes are really positive and they 

arrive in the classroom ready for learning". 

Headteacher Jane Fines is also very keen to join in and encourages others 

to give it a try. "There is a real ‘feel good’ factor on the playground. Here at 

Thorpe Acre Infants we work very hard to promote and develop parents/carers 

partnerships and this is a healthy and fun way for everyone to start the day".

Rated 

Outstanding 

Daisy Chain Childrens Nursery in Blaby has been 

awarded an outstanding grading by Ofsted. 

The nursery was taken over six months ago by Manager 

Amanda Donkin who worked closely with her nursery 

team and Sarah Lissaman (Improvement Advisor) to 

improve their grade from satisfactory to outstanding. 

Daisy Chain currently have several staff working towards 

Foundation Degrees (funded by Leicestershire County 

Council) which Amanda highlighted as key to their 

success: 

“Staff working towards Foundation Degrees use their new 

knowledge to ensure our care is constantly improving 

which has helped us achieve our outstanding rating”. 

If your provision has achieved an Outstanding rating 

please send us an article to childcare@leics.gov.uk 

or phone us on 0116 305 7373. 

Correcting an error 

In the autumn 2009 Partnership Plus there 

was an article on page 9 about Childminder 

assistants guidance. The guidance was split 

into two groups; 

• Childcare Register: children aged 0 - 5 years 

• Early Years Register: children aged 5 - 8 years 

Male-day 

at Kidaroo 

An error on our part meant that the wrong ages were 

printed for the different registers and it should have 

read: 

• Childcare Register: children aged 5 - 8 years 

• Early Years Register: children aged 0 - 5 years 

We are sorry for any confusion caused. If you would like 

more information about the different registers contact 

your Development or Improvement Advisor - the contact 

details are on the back cover. 

Your News 

Friday 16th October 2009 was a special day at Kidaroo 

Ravenhurst. All the dads, grandads, step-dads, uncles, 

older brothers or any significant males were invited 

to attend a pre-school session for the morning or 

afternoon. A great day was had by all and a big thank 

you goes out to all the men who came to join us. 

Male-day gave dads and significant males the opportunity 

to become involved in their child’s early years education 

and experience activities the children are engaged in whilst 

attending Kidaroo. There were a host of activities throughout 

the day including digging, leaf collecting, making play dough 

and painting. 

During the day we were visited by a male nurse and the fire 

service who brought along a fire engine for everyone to sit in 

and even have a go with a hose! 

Thank you to everyone who made the event so special, 

we appreciate you taking the time to come and visit us. 


National News 


Changes to Ofsted 

early years inspections 

From 1st September 2009 Ofsted have introduced some 

changes to the early years inspection framework. The 

changes have been made to coincide with a new school 

inspection framework. 

The changes have been made to enable Ofsted to consistently inspect the Early 

Years Foundation Stage across all schools and registered childcare settings. The 

changes won’t have a major effect on inspections, and no extra evidence will 

need to be provided. 

Ofsted have summarised the main changes as: 

• one combined judgement on the quality of provision, which brings together 

‘how effectively a setting promotes children’s welfare’ with ‘how effectively it 

promotes children’s learning and development’ 

• one additional judgement about outcomes for children 

• some further judgements that contribute to the existing judgement on the 

effectiveness of leadership and management. These include two separate 

questions on how well the setting engages with parents/carers and children 

and how well it works in partnership with others. The judgement on inclusion 

has also moved to this section and will look at the effectiveness with which 

the setting promotes equality and diversity 

• two additional judgements for which we already collect evidence. These are 

the effectiveness with which the setting uses resources and how leadership 

and management embed ambition and drive improvement 

(Information from www.ofsted.org.uk) The new inspection reports are very similar 

to the existing format used. 

For more information contact your EYFS Development Advisor or 

Improvement Advisor - contact details are on the back cover.

National News in brief 

1 

2 

ContactPoint moves forward 

National News 

Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls, and Children’s Minister, Delyth Morgan, have 

confirmed that ContactPoint is starting to be rolled out across England. 

ContactPoint is a secure online directory for authorised practitioners in 

different services to find out who else is working with the same child or 

young person so they can offer co-ordinated support. 

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has also published 

a report: ContactPoint - Lessons Learned from the Early Adopter Phase. 

The report summarises the key achievements of Early Adopter organisations 

since ContactPoint was first made available in January 2009, and how their 

experience has fed into improvements. Crucially, it also includes encouraging 

feedback from practitioners. 

The key message is that ContactPoint does what it was designed to do, is 

working, and is already making a positive difference. More information on 

ContactPoint can be found by visiting www.dcsf.gov.uk 

Think Fathers Guide 

Think Fathers has released a father’s guide to highlight the benefits of a 

male role model for a child. The guide is full of tips to make your setting 

more father-focussed to encourage more fathers to play an active part 

in their child’s care. 

You can read the father's guide by visiting www.think-father.org and 

clicking on news and updates. You can also get guidance from your 

EYFS Development or Improvement Advisor - their contact details are 

on the back cover. 

3 

National Day Nursery Association milestone 

The National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) celebrated its ten year 

birthday in November 2009. Throughout 2009 the NDNA has been 

celebrating all that the sector has achieved with its members through 

conferences and on its website. A special photo gallery is on the NDNA 

website which contains a round-up of images from the last ten years. 

To look at the images visit the NDNA website at www.ndna.org.uk and 

click on the ‘about us’ section. 


Jobs and Training 

Men in childcare: 

Dean Duncan 

Traditionally the majority of 

workers in childcare provisions 

are women, the idea of men 

working with children can still 

be an uneasy thought for some 

people - but why? 

Male workers still have to have a CRB 

check and they can bring a whole 

new dimension to the time children 

spend in childcare provisions. A 

number of Leicestershire childcare 

provisions are trying to change these 

traditional views by employing male 

workers. Kidaroo Ravenhurst in 

Braunstone is one such provision, 

Dean Duncan has just started at the 

setting so we caught up with him to 

find out his views and experiences on 

male childcare workers. 


Why did you choose a career in childcare? 

When I was growing up I had younger brothers and sisters so was used to 

looking after children. Growing up without my dad being around meant I almost 

took on a father role and I used to baby-sit for family and friends. 

My previous job was driving a forklift truck in a warehouse but I was made 

redundant and began looking around for work. I was disappointed to find that 

there was lots of funding available for people aged between 19 and 25 but as I 

had just turned 26 this didn’t really help! 

I looked for work in childcare and discovered that I was eligible for funding to 

study for an NVQ level 2 in childcare at Soar Valley College. I enrolled on the 

course and after a few weeks I was told that I needed a placement as part of my 

course. I wanted to find a provision which had lots of children so i could throw 

myself in the deep end. A friend recommended Kidaroo so I arranged a visit and 

here I am! 

I initially joined as a volunteer but am now a full-time member of staff and fit my 

college work in during the evenings as I still need to complete my level 2. 

Is it hard work? 

The work is hard but very enjoyable; I find some parts of the job easier than 

others. When I have looked after children in the past, I never had to deal with 

Learning Journeys, but now each child has their own to track their progress 

and learning. I am the key person for about ten children and use their Learning 

Journeys to identify which skills they need to improve and then plan tasks and 

games for each child - at first this seemed a little daunting but with help from 

colleagues I am beginning to feel more confident. 

What are the benefits of a male childcare worker for the 

children and parents? 

Some of the children at the setting don’t have a male role model at home, 

so I am able to fill that gap and allow the children to feel comfortable around 

men. Not taking anything away from the other workers at the provision but I am 

more than happy to get muddy with the children outside and play football or 

hide and seek. Getting involved in outdoor play is important to keep the children 

interested - encouraging outdoor play helps children to stay healthy and for them 

to have fun.

What’s your biggest 

achievement in childcare 

so far? 

Without a doubt my biggest 

achievement is the work I have done 

with twins who joined the provision 

shortly after I arrived. When they first 

started both would cry and scream 

whenever their parents tried to leave. 

I spent time with the children and the 

parents and developed a level of trust 

with both of the twins. We set targets 

for the twins to gradually spend longer 

without their parents and after a lot 

of work they both felt happy for their 

parents to leave. Every so often they 

still ask ‘is mummy coming back?’ but 

once they are reassured they soon get 

back to playing. I am really proud that 

I have made such a positive difference 

in a child’s life. 

What advice would you give 

to other men who want to 

work in childcare? 

A lot of men are too bothered about 

what other people think of them, I 

was the same when I started. I was 

worried that parents would react 

badly to a man looking after their 

children, but what I have experienced 

is the total opposite. I have had really 

positive comments from parents. I 

met some parents at a party I took my 

young son to and they were all full of 

praise for the work I had done. 

I got a little bit of stick from my 

mates, especially when I played 

football, but they soon get bored. 

Having a male friend who also works 

in a childcare provision has helped as 

we can talk to each other about work 

issues and college work. 

Where do you see yourself 

in the future? 

I haven’t really thought too far ahead 

– at the moment I am just enjoying 

working with the children and am 

concentrating on finishing my level 

2 and moving on to get my level 3 

qualification as well. 

Dean isn’t the only male childcare 

worker in Leicestershire but there 

certainly aren’t enough. 

If you are interested in recruiting 

a male childcare worker in your 

setting contact us on 

0116 305 6555 or send us an 

email to childcare@leics.gov.uk 





Computer 

skills training 

Over the past ten years, the use of computers and digital 

technology has been continually increasing across all aspects of 

life and childcare is no exception. 

The Early Years Foundation Stage guidance, released in September 2008, was 

accompanied by a CD Rom of resources. Ofsted publications are now readily 

available online and the administration of Nursery Education Funding is now 

moving to a computer based system called INFORM. 

The shift to more computer-based resources makes it important for all of 

Leicestershire’s childcare providers to brush up on their IT skills. The Early 

Learning and Childcare Service offer a course which helps providers do just that; 

Basic IT course: Using Media - Internet / CD ROM's. 

The courses run every term and are tailored to the needs of childcare providers 

and cover everything they might use a computer for, including; 

• using and accessing information on CD ROMs 

• visiting websites to download publications and information 

• how memory sticks work 

• how to use search engines e.g. Google and Yahoo 

• using online forms 

• inserting images into documents 

• uploading photos from digital cameras 

• text wrapping and re-sizing images 

• using the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) Early Years 

Workforce Qualifications Audit Tool 

There is also a part of the course where delegates can ask questions and find 

out answers to their own work-related computer problems. 

It is no longer the case that people who don’t like computers can simply ignore 

them, computers, the internet and e-mails aren’t going away so it’s time to 

embrace technology and see what it can do for you. 

If you are interested in booking onto the Basic IT course contact us on 

0116 305 6555 or visit www.leics.gov.uk/trainingopportunities for 

up-to-date course information.

Workforce development 

training and recruitment website 

www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning 

The Early Learning and 

Childcare Service website is 

an easy and informative way 

for Leicestershire’s childcare 

providers to keep up-to-date with 

the latest news and services on 

offer from the Local Authority. 

With the disappearance of 

the childcare link website, 

an information gap was 

created surrounding training 

courses available and vacancy 

advertisements – the new website 

has now filled this gap. 

The new web pages are split into two main sections; 

• workforce development training and funding 

• workforce development recruitment and retention 


Workforce development training and funding pages: 

These pages explain about the training and funding available to 

Leicestershire’s childcare providers such as; 

• Level 3 courses 

• Level 5 foundation degrees leading on to an Early Years Professional 

Status pathway 

• core training and short courses 

• the termly Training Opportunities Booklet is also available online at 

www.leics.gov.uk/trainingopportunities 

Workforce development recruitment and retention pages 

Recruiting and retaining high quality workers can be difficult so a whole host 

of resources and information is available for you to download from this page 

and use in your setting, such as: 

• sample job descriptions 

• sample interview questions 

• sample safe recruitment health checks 

• recruitment and retention advice 

There is also a page for any childcare providers who would like to advertise 

a job vacancy free of charge (www.leics.gov.uk/earlyyearsjobs) which is 

updated regularly. 

There are lots more pages full of information and resources for 

Leicestershire’s childcare providers to download and use for free - simply 

visit www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning. 

If you have any ideas of things you would like to see on our web 

pages please contact us on 0116 305 7373 or email to 

childcare@leics.gov.uk 


Sharing Practice 

Our emotionally 

Enabling Environmen 

Liz Smith is a Foundation Stage 

Teacher (EMP) at Belvoirdale’s 

Primary School and like all 

provisions she wants to make 

the most out of the available 

space for the children she 

teaches. After a lot of hard 

work she has achieved this, 

here’s how: 


“It all began one afternoon when 

somebody raised the question 'could 

we not make better use of this 

space?’ I gave this a lot of thought 

(mainly during the early hours when 

you can’t sleep and school is running 

around your head). Before I knew 

where we were, the Acting Head and 

Governors had agreed to support 

my proposal for moving our 2 very 

separate Foundation stage classes 

from the mobile and annex building, 

into the main school. 

Gillian Skyes (Improvement Advisor) 

had visited and given us the thumbs 

up, the builders had been in and 

taken out walls and the moving day 

had arrived. The children and parents 

were fabulous, helping us move and 

constructing new furniture. I even got 

my mum making new curtains and my 

sister painting our cloakroom into a 

fantasy castle scene. 

After a lot of work, we were settled. 

We have 2 separate classes, with 2 

separate carpet areas, a 4+ class and 

a reception class - but the children 

enjoy free-flowing together through 

the whole area. 

Here are some of 

our seperate zones 

We have tried to incorporate all 

aspects of the Early YEars Foundaton 

Stage (EYFS) - examples include: 

Unique Child 

• welcome boxes and treasure boxes 

• children’s involvement in planning 

• photograph boards in all areas 

• key workers 

• children ‘owned’ display boards 

• dressing up days 

Positive Relationships 

Parents are fully involved and informed 

about their child’s learning through 

communication books, daily message 

board, open days, adult suggestion 

boxes, home visits and WOW boxes - 

to name just a few. 

Enabling Environment 

• snack & milk bar 

• a parents Area where parents/ 

carers are encouraged to stay till 

9.15am - 9.30am to share their 

child’s Learning Journeys with 

them 

• separate zones for all areas of 

curriculum, both indoor and 

outdoor 

• floating adults are used to scaffold 

children’s learning

t 

Learning and Development 

Due to the close proximity of the 

classes we are able to differentiate 

phonics and oral numeracy further, 

using all adults across both classes. 

Shared Planning 

We are currently taking part in the 

Social and Emotional Aspects of 

Development (SEAD) project and have 

decided to develop our new, small and 

secure outdoor yard with a fantastic 

canopy. We aim to take on board the 

view that nature provides endless 

scope for free-flow play, fostering 

emotional well-being - something 

technology can not do (SEAD 2009). 

We are also involving both the parents 

& children in ways we can bring 

natural play into our yard. Last week 

two of our parents moved our tyres 

and filled them with soil ready for the 

trees (suggested by one of our boys). 

There is a still a lot to do, but we are 

all thrilled. The hard work has really 

paid off and we have had a great term 

so far.” 

If you would like more information 

or support about developing your 

space contact you Development 

or Improvement Advisor – all the 

contact details are on the back 

cover. 

Beaumanor Hall is offering an 

outdoor learning experience 

inspired by the story of ‘The 

Gruffalo’. 

The day long experience, which 

fits in with the Foundation Stage 

Curriculum, is set around the 

grounds of Beaumanor Hall. The 

activities encourage children to 

develop their enjoyment of being 

outdoors, their awareness of the 

environment and problem solving 

skills - the activities include: 

Natural art 

Children gather natural materials 

from the surrounding area and then 

work in small groups or pairs to 

make their Gruffalo collage. 

Making musical 

instruments 

Children will have the opportunity to 

experiment with natural resources 

to create their own sounds and 

musical instruments. 

Woodland walk 

Children follow a trail of animal 

footprints, through the woodland 

area. They observe, touch and 

discuss features of the natural 

environment, noting similarities and 

differences to the Gruffalo book. 


Learning 

Outdoors at 

Beaumanor Hall 

Den building 

Children will work in small 

groups, selecting from a variety of 

resources and problem solving, to 

make a den for the forest animals 

in the story. 

Treasure hunt 

Children find a note from the Park 

Keeper telling them that all the 

animals are so frightened by the 

Gruffalo that they have hidden. The 

children look for hidden soft toy 

animals in the surrounding area, 

explore the grounds during their 

search and make sure that they 

have found them all and that they 

are safe. 

Making animal tracks 

The children discover laminated 

animal tracks near the sandpit and 

try to match photos of animals to 

the tracks they have discovered. 

Using natural resources, they then 

make their own animal tracks in the 

sand pile representing the snake, 

the Gruffalo, the mouse, fox and 

owl. 

For more information contact 

Beaumanor Hall on 

01509 890119, or visit 

www.leics.gov.uk and search for 

“The Gruffalo”. 

19


Breedon Play & Learn 

go the eXtra mile! 

Last year there were over 

70 playschemes running in 

Leicestershire providing over 

500 places for children of 

all ages. One such scheme 

was Breedon Play and Learn. 

Jane Hancox Early Years 

Professional Status(EYPS), 

leader of Breedon Pre-school 

tells us how the scheme was 

set up and what they got up to 

over the summer. 


“Following our move from sessional pre-school to full day care which 

incorporated an after school club, a holiday playscheme seemed the next natural 

step. We decided to go the extra mile creating the Breedon eXtra logo and name 

for our extended or extra services. 

We first canvassed parents of our local adjoining primary school and pre-school 

to get an idea of take up, but with time against us to apply for funding we took 

the plunge - seemed like a good idea in February! 

As the summer approached we started to market our scheme by getting booking 

forms and flyers out to all families we knew through school and pre-school in 

Breedon. We also visited all local village schools within a five mile radius. 

As far as we knew no-one else was doing any sort of summer scheme so we had 

no problem in approaching our friendly neighbouring pre-schools for staff to help 

us out and gain a bit of extra cash over the holidays. 

The end of term approached rapidly with not as many booking as we’d hoped 

but having made the commitment we kept our fingers crossed - for both the 

weather and for some children!

We needn’t have worried - the rain 

didn’t dampen our enthusiasm and 

with a staff team 15 strong and 

support for three special needs 

children we were in business. 

Over 100 children registered with us 

over the three weeks, aged between 

2 - 10 years, attending between 

9am - 5pm each day or just half a 

day, with around 30 children across 

the age groups each day. 

We were able to use the Community 

Room for the under 5’s (our normal 

pre-school environment) and the 

school hall, stage, field, tennis court 

and parish play area, giving us space 

to provide activities that were varied 

and appropriate for all ages. 

Each day was themed - cooking, 

construction, creative activities and 

wheels and run-around sessions with 

related activities each day and free 

choice for those wishing to opt out. 

Those children aged under five were 

provided with opportunities to learn 

through their play following their 

individual interests both indoors and 

outdoors - adhering to the Early Years 

Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. 

The children used their cooking 

skills to make fairy cakes, bread 

and flapjacks. They also made 

pencil cases, frisbees, bracelets and 

spinning tops; they brought their own 

bikes in on “wheels” day and made 

use of the field and wooded areas to 

build dens and go on treasure hunts. 

A visiting sports development coach 

was able to put the children through 

their paces on run around days by 

playing rugby, cricket, dodge ball and 

his own “island game” to give the 

children outdoor fun and exercise. 

The feedback from the children and 

families using the playscheme has 

been hugely positive with requests 

for further schemes to run over half 

term, Christmas and Easter holidays. 

The grant from the Early Learning and 

Childcare Service’s playscheme fund 

meant that costs to families were kept 

to an affordable level. 

Our success can be attributed to the 

dedication and commitment of the 

pre-school staff who gave up a big 

chunk of their summer holiday to plan 

and support the scheme, and to all 

staff who joined us for the scheme 

who worked well together to support 

and encourage the children. And of 

course the families who came on the 

day!” 


about running a playscheme or 

to find out about funding contact 

the Early Learning and Childcare 

Service on 0116 305 6613. 


Playscheme 

Funding 

2010 

Funding for running a 

playscheme in the summer 

is currently being finalised 

with funding forms and 

guidance being sent out at 

the end of January to all 

settings that ran schemes 

last year and schools and 

persons who are interested 

in setting up new schemes. 

We are running two ‘Playscheme 

Information Sessions’ in February 

2010, one in the evening and one 

during the day that will provide 

an opportunity for prospective 

Playschemes to; 

• ask questions about the 

funding process 

• attend a short workshop 

looking at aspects of working 

in a scheme 

• network and discuss ideas with 

other schemes 

Look out for the Playscheme 

training dates at the end of 

January 2010. 

One of the areas we are looking 

to promote in schemes this year 

is the recruitment of volunteers 

and the local community and how 

these can be used. One scheme 

last year linked in with the users 

of the local community centre 

evening and day classes and 

asked them to be involved and 

use there interest/skills with the 

children attending the scheme. 

If you have examples of 

when your setting has used 

volunteers we would live to 

hear from you - simply contact 

your Development Advisor from 

the contact details on the 

back cover. 



Nurturing Well- 

Do you feel like a fish in water? 

During the 2009 Autumn term 

we introduced a brand new 

course for schools which looks 

at ‘Nurturing Well-Being’. 

We believe this is central to 

children’s success. 


Nurturing and well-being is 

what it’s all about 

We need to learn how to take 

more time out 

Understanding 

everyone’s needs 

to plant the learning seeds 

Laever tells us 

“The level of well-being in 

children indicates how they 

are developing emotionally. If 

their emotional development 

is unhindered they can 

become ‘fully functioning’. 

By well-being we mean 

‘feeling at home’, ‘being 

oneself’, ‘feeling happy’, 

essentially ‘like a fish in 

water’. " 

However, for us to ensure children’s 

levels of well-being are high we need 

to ensure that first and foremost our 

levels of well-being are high as well 

as those of the children’s parents and 

carers. 

This course helps us to reflect 

upon the well-being of ourselves 

and colleagues, parents/carers and 

children and how we can further 

support and develop these levels. 

We will have time to learn fun games, 

team building exercises, connect 

with nature, inspire parents, learn 

through children’s stories, reflect more 

upon the importance of emotional 

intelligence, and to hopefully enjoy. 

"I can only think of one thing 

greater than being happy and 

that is to help another to be 

happy, too." - Jim Thomson 

"Happiness is not in our 

circumstance but in ourselves. 

It is not something we see, 

like a rainbow, or feel, like 

the heat of a fire. Happiness 

is something we are." 

- John B. Sheerin 

In October 2009 we ran the first 

round of the course with providers 

from around Leicestershire and had 

a really positive response - part of 

the course involved providers writing 

poems about what nurturing and well 

being means to them, here are some 

of our favourites; 

Look in the clouds for the 

dinosaur 

Look in the leaf for the broom 

Look in the twig for 

the magic wand 

Look in the child for 

the person

Being 

Working outside the box 

Enjoyable 

Love 

Learning 

Belonging 

Encourage and engage 

Imagination 

Narrative, new games, friends 

Good fun 

If you would like to attend the course in the 

Spring term, or for more information about 

courses near you contact us on 0116 305 6817 

or visit www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning 


New grant 

for overnight 

childminding 

A new grant has just been 

introduced for registered 

childminders, or those 

going through the process 

to enable overnight care to 

be offered. The grant is up 

to £150 and is available 

to help towards the start 

up costs of providing 

overnight care such as 

interlinked smoke alarms 

[not a requirement but good 

practice], a bed or bedding. 

The criteria for accessing the 

grant is:- 

• the need for overnight 

care - e.g. approached 

by a parent or requested 

by Menphys SOS 

• the legal requirements 

of the Early Years 

Foundation Stage (EYFS) 

Statutory Framework are 

met 

• Ofsted registration 

certificate is amended to 

reflect that overnight care 

is provided 

If you would like further 

information please 

contact your Development 

Advisor - you can find 

their contact details on 

the back cover. 



Forest Schools 

Forest Schools is an innovative 

educational approach to 

outdoor play and learning 

Ruth Smith from Woodland 

Grange School went on a Forest 

Schools training course - here 

is how she got on: 

"Ask anyone over the age of 20 what 

they remember about their childhood 

and the answer will most certainly 

involve being outdoors, climbing trees, 

getting muddy and weeing in a bush! 

I am concerned that a large majority 

of children nowadays lack these vital 

lifelong learning experiences that 

lay the foundations for education. 

Quite frankly, Power Rangers and Play 

Station just don’t cut it! 

Two years ago I began to look closely 

at the Scandinavian pre-school 

system and discovered Forest 

Schools. It appeared to be offering 


children exactly the type of thing that 

they were being denied in our modern, 

risk averse society. 

The philosophy of Forest Schools is 

to encourage and inspire individuals 

of any age through positive outdoor 

experiences, encouraging children 

to have self-belief, self-regulation 

and self-motivation and enabling 

every individual to shine in a natural 

environment. 

Now, I wouldn’t call myself an 

outdoorsy person but if it came to a 

choice between TV and chocolates 

and a walk in the country, then I 

know which one I would choose. 

But I recognise that children are 

instinctively curious about the 

outdoors and welcomed the changes 

that were happening with the 

implementation of the Early Years 

Foundation Stage (EYFS). Children 

should be given the opportunity to 

explore and experience an outdoor 

environment. 

I was hopeful that Forest Schools 

was exactly what I had been looking 

for and in October 2008 I attended 

a taster day run by Archimedes. My 

expectations were high and the day 

didn’t disappoint, even though it 

was freezing! No such thing as bad 

weather though and I was all wrapped 

up and ready! I found the session 

inspirational and emotionally draining 

(involving a little cry towards the end) 

but most importantly, I took away the 

enthusiasm needed to incorporate 

Forest Schools into my setting. 

Woodland Grange School has a slim 

woodland walkway running alongside 

the field and throughout the next 6 

months I tried to use this as much 

as I could. The children delighted in 

collecting sticks of varying lengths and 

thicknesses to build with, following 

a Gruffalo trail, making sculptures, 

weaving willow, playing sensory games 

and carrying logs. Most delightful of 

all was making mud pies, creating so 

many ways for using mathematical 

language and developing social skills.

Throughout this time I began to 

witness certain children behaving 

differently in the outdoor environment. 

One little boy who was passive and 

hard to engage indoors, said more 

to me in one afternoon than I had 

heard all week. Totally enthused by 

his environment, he demonstrated 

knowledge and language that I was 

previously unaware he had. 

Following their enthusiasm for the 

woodland environment I booked a trip 

to Ulverscroft Manor, where we went 

to immerse ourselves in a ‘proper’ 

woodland. The day involved den 

building and tree climbing and the 

children were engrossed throughout; 

even the more challenging ones were 

on task. 

Throughout those six months I 

tried to use the school’s woodland 

environment as best I could but I 

was mindful that it was not Forest 

School. I was eager to train in Forest 

School and to learn the philosophies 

and practices that are woven into its 

holistic learning approach. 

In August 2009 I began my Forest 

Schools OCN level 3 Award with full 

support and funding from my school. 

The week was intense; I learnt so 

much about myself and my abilities 

and learnt many new skills. I can 

now whittle a log into a spoon, light a 

fire using birch bark and assemble a 

shelter for the night, although I think 

I need to work on my knot skills if it is 

to withstand the wind! 

The week also made me more aware 

of myself as a learner and an educator 

and how I present myself to others - 

giving me time to reflect and review. 

Within two weeks of completing 

the training I had found a piece 

of woodland that I wanted to use, 

negotiated usage with the council 


and obtained volunteers to help run 

the sessions. This leads me up to the 

present day. 

I am so glad that I embarked upon 

this journey. Although the workload 

is daunting and the task often 

seems mammoth - I know that the 

outcome will be equally as immense 

and impact on the lives of so many 

children. 

I want to be able to give children 

what they truly deserve, a thirst for 

learning, an exciting environment and 

firm foundations for life long-learning. 

I believe that adopting the holistic 

philosophies of Forest Schools will 

provide children with a brilliant start." 


about Forest Schools contact your 

Improvement Advisor - contact 

details can be found on the back 

cover. 



Start to Play 

In the summer term all North 

West Leicestershire (NWL) early 

years providers were offered 

free Start to Play training as 

part of an initiative led by Kelly 

Baker (Early Years Physical 

Activity Specialist). Start to 

Play is aimed at 0-5 year olds 

and replaces the Youth Sports 

Trust Top Tots and Top Start 

programmes. 

In order to support settings and 

providers with this resource 

Improvement Advisors and 

Development Advisors working in NWL 

underwent the training. They had a 

great afternoon exploring the brightly 

coloured equipment, stimulating 

resources, storybooks and activity 

cards. They all agreed that this was 

a fantastic free resource which could 

be used in numerous ways to support 

children’s physical activity. 

Through work in NWL they have seen 

the positive impact the resource has 

had. One practitioner, Sarah Jacklin 

from Christ Church Pre-school, shares 

her setting's experiences. 


“As with many other settings in our 

area, we are now taking full advantage 

of the free Youth Sport Trust ‘Start to 

Play’ sports equipment given to us by 

NWL District Council - a fantastic bag 

of goodies which offers so much more 

than bean bags, cones, balls and 

scarves. 

Our initial reaction was to get 

everything out and play with it, 

(this was just the staff) but then 

we decided that a more structured 

approach would really enhance our 

physical play sessions. So we devised 

a set of activity plans, using the 

cards and books to help us plan for a 

holistic approach to the activities. 

We now use the contents of the bag 

every day. However, that’s not to say 

we have full-on physical play sessions 

using all the equipment, but we link 

it into our ‘theme’ to ensure that we 

have a cross curriculum approach to 

physical play. 

At Christ Church Coalville, we are 

very lucky to have a huge enclosed 

garden where the children really can 

let off steam with the resources from 

the bag. A favourite is den building 

or playing games such as '10 in a 

bed' and games that require fast and 

furious actions, all with the parachute. 

We use the ‘Fizz and Friends Come 

Out to Play’ to guide us on games 

for individual play, partner and 

team games. The action stories are 

always made more elaborate by our 

enthusiastic team of staff who create 

wild adventures for the children to go 

on. 

On very rainy and colder days we 

especially enjoy using the ‘5 a day’ 

cards. These cards give us ideas for 

small indoor group activities that can 

be slotted into our provision planning 

and are excellent for getting the 

younger, less experienced children 

really involved in physical play. Small 

groups and one-to-one work really 

well. They help the children with 

co-ordination, balancing and 

sequence movements, as well as 

counting, colour recognition and 

matching. They also help us to 

promote the key message of healthy 

eating. 

An invaluable part of the pack for us is 

the information for parents. Working in 

partnership with parents and helping 

children to be healthy were key 

issues picked up on our Early Years 

Foundation Stage (EYFS) 

Self-Assessment, so using the 

information cards, participation award 

scheme, and combining music and 

movement sessions (sticky kids) we 

are working towards making a DVD for 

our children to take home and do the 

activities with other family members. 

Parental support and awareness is 

also crucial to increasing children’s 

levels of in the involvement as they 

grow. 

The ‘Fitness Through Play’ is an 

excellent initiative from NWL District 

Council, and they should be thanked 

for their generosity.

It has enhanced all three of our 

settings and has encouraged us to 

have a more enthusiastic approach to 

our teaching skills of physical play. We 

need to ensure that children continue 

to be active later in life and so as 

professional carers of early year’s 

children it is up to us to sew the seed 

to encourage them to participate and 

have fun in physical play. 

At the beginning of our training with 

Kelly Baker, we were asked to write 

on a post-it note what we wanted 

from the training - I wrote “to get the 

children excited and really wanting 

to join in with all our physical play 

sessions” I feel we are certainly on our 

way to achieving this." 


about ‘Start to Play’ contact your 

Improvement or Development 

Advisor - contact details are on the 

back cover. Alternatively, you can 

visit the Youth Sport Trust website 

at www.youthsporttrust.org 




Autumn Out-of-School 

Network Meetings 


The Autumn Out-of-School Network Meetings ran throughout 

the Autumn Term. Out-of-school providers got together 

to share ideas and access training provided by the Early 

Learning and Childcare Service. 

This term’s Out-of-school Network Meeting was the fourth session 

covering the four elements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). 

The Learning & and Development theme was explored using food to 

implement the six areas of learning within an out-of-school setting. 

Providers, who included childminders and breakfast and after school 

club staff, engaged in a practical activity using a variety of different 

fruits. The food fun provided an opportunity to share ideas about how 

to promote healthy eating and to allow children of all ages to use their 

imagination within settings. 

Some wonderful ideas emerged about how to engage older children 

in discovering different food by exploration, experimentation and 

discussion. 

By using the 'Principles into Practice' cards from the EYFS pack, the 

providers were able to link the six areas of learning to simple every day 

food activities. 

This has been the most useful meeting I have 

attended. The practical activities followed 

by referencing to EYFS cards allowed me to 

expand my understanding greatly. 

I now feel motivated to use this and i have lots 

of ideas to support all areas of learning. 

All food provided on a school site is required to meet the School Food 

Trust standards. A guidance booklet is available from 

www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk or by phone on 0800 089 5001. 

To find out about Provider Network Meetings in your area 

speak to your EYFS Development Advisor - all their contact 

details are on the back cover.


Do you need business support? 

Research from the National Day Nursery Association 

(NDNA) about the effect of the recession on Nurseries 

showed that more would welcome business help from their 

local authority. 

Are you concerned about 

the future sustainability 

of your setting? 

Do you need help with 

your Business Plan? 

Are you looking to develop 

your business planning skills? 

The Early Learning and Childcare Service offer training and 

advice for childcare providers about running a business 

effectively. For more information about training available or 

for business advice call us on 0116 305 6816 or visit 

www.leics.gov.uk/trainingopportunities 

Practical business 

planning workshop 

The Early Learning and Childcare Service 

Business Support Officers are running a 

three part course tailored to help you plan 

successfully for your business. 

Dates: 19 th January 2010, 

26 th January 2010, 2 nd February 2010 

Venue: Educ8 Leicestershire LTD, 

2 Oswin Road, Braunstone, LE3 1HR 

To book you place call the training booking 

line on 0116 305 6392 and quote the 

course reference 1600x 



Parenting Top-Tips 

The Family Information Service 

(FIS) is part of Leicestershire 

County Council’s Children & 

Young People Service and 

provides free and impartial 

information, advice and 

guidance to families and 

practitioners for children and 

young people aged between 

0-20 years. 


National research from the Department for Childrens, Schools and Families 

shows that 75% of parents view their child’s childcare setting as a key source 

for information advice and guidance on a wide-range of topics. This is causing 

settings to increasingly offer a holistic approach to families and their needs. 

Childcare staff need to be aware of available FIS resources that can support 

them in this approach, such as the Parenting Top-Tips which provides useful 

information on all aspects of family life. 

The Parenting Top-Tips are split into three age ranges; 0-5 years, 5-13 years and 

13-19 years and has five broad themes that cover lots of subjects and issues 

that families face, which both families and staff can refer to. The Top-Tips are 

really easy to use and give you access to other websites and resources that 

provide family information. Visit www.leics.gov.uk/family to have a look. 

Another resource is the Leicestershire Parent Know How Directory. Due to be 

launched in spring 2010 the directory is a website which will be like a ‘Google’ 

for families and practitioners to help them find local support services and 

organisations. The aim of this new resource is to make information straight 

forward and easy to find for both families and practitioners. 

To find out more information about FIS and what it provides, please visit 

www.leics.gov.uk/family or contact them by phone on 0116 305 6545, 

or by e-mail family@leics.gov.uk

Provider Support Groups 

Childminder Support Groups are 

a fantastic way for providers to 

get together and share ideas, 

practices and problems. We 

would love to hear from you if 

you run, or attend a support 

group - simply give us a call 

on 0116 305 7373 or e-mail 

information about your group to 

childcare@leics.gov.uk. 

This term we find out about 

two support groups in the 

Melton district: 

A childminder support group has 

recently been set up at The Edge 

Children’s Day Centre, Dalby Road in 

Melton Mowbray. The support group 

takes the form of a Stay & Play session 

for childminders and their children. 

It is a great opportunity for 

childminders to share ideas and 

network with each other, whilst at 

the same time having fun with their 

children. Regardless of whether you 

are going through the process of 

registering to become a childminder, 

have recently registered, or have been 

childminding for many years, you will 

benefit from the friendly environment 

full of likeminded people. 

A member of the Children’s Centre 

team sets up the room with exciting 

and fun activities, relating them to the 

Early Years Foundation Stage for the 

children to play with, and at the end 

of the session she packs it all away for 

us! These are very informal, sessions 

that are well worth a visit and you can 

drop in any time between 10am and 

11.30am 


Another newly set up group is the 

Childminder Development Group. This 

is intended to offer childminders in 

the Melton Mowbray area a chance to 

get together without children. It gives 

everyone the opportunity to discuss 

issues such as support requirements 

they may have, training or topical 

issues - regardless of whether they are 

local or national. 

The group is run by the Early Learning 

& Childcare Services and is for 

registered childminders. The first 

group meeting was held on Tuesday 

3rd November 2009 at the Oasis 

Family Centre in Melton Mowbray. 

Brenda Clayton and Sandie Wrzyszcz, 

Development Officers, led the initial 

meeting and were keen to inform 

those who attended that it was very 

much 'your meeting'. 

These sessions are run once a term 

and will normally run from 7 - 9pm. 

They will be held at various locations 

within the Melton area. 

For more information on either of 

these groups contact The Early 

Learning & Childcare Service on 

0116 305 8038. Alternatively, if 

you would like to have a chat with 

another childminder about these 

groups, contact Helen Cunningham 

on 07825 687 966 or email 

helenthechildminder@hotmail.com 


Market and Money Matters 

Nursery Education 

- back to basics 

Lots of providers offer Nursery 

Education Funding (NEF) and no 

matter if you’ve offered it from 

the start or have just 

started, it is always good to 

catch up on the basics. So here 

is a guide to the basics of NEF: 


Which children are eligible? 

Knowing if a child is eligible for the funding can be confusing, the table below 

shows which children are eligible: 

A child born 

between: 

1st April and 

31st August 

1st September and 

31st December 

1st January and 

31st March 

Will be eligible for a free place from: 

The start of the Autumn Term following their 3rd 

birthday until statutory school age 

The start of the Spring Term following their 3rd 

birthday until statutory school age 

The start of the Summer Term following their 

3rd birthday until statutory school age 

How to claim for a child 

To claim NEF for a child you need to see and verify their date of birth either 

by their birth certificate or any other legal document. A Parental Statement of 

Undertaking (PSOU) must be signed and dated by the parent prior to the start 

of every term. Any amendments to the funded hours, eg increased/decreased, 

must be written on the PSOU and signed by the parent. 

At the beginning of the term you will receive an initial payment. This is based on 

50% of the previous term's total payment. 

You will then be required to complete headcount information using an online 

system called INFORM. This must be completed by the deadline date given 

otherwise no NEF final payment will be made - for more information on INFORM 

visit www.leics.gov.uk/inform 

Once we have collected your headcount information we will calculate your final 

payment figure. When your final payment has been made a payment breakdown 

will be sent to you and a mid-term adjustments questionnaire will be made 

available. The mid-term adjustment form is how you inform us of any starters, 

leavers or children that have changed their hours during the term. 

If a child has transferred to or from another provision, then the funding 

immediately follows the child and the funding must be transferred to the relevant 

provision. It is the responsibility of the provisions to transfer funding between 

themselves. However, it is important that these adjustments are included on 

your mid-term adjustments questionnaire, this will help us calculate your initial 

payment for the following term.

Funding 

Key Points: 

Things to do before the beginning of each term: 

• ensure you have obtained a copy of every child’s birth 

certificate/legal document 

• all PSOU’s are signed and dated by parents for the 

relevant term 

• check your NEF calendar for relevant dates 

The initial payment will be made at the beginning of term so 

make sure you complete the headcount uestionnaire which 

are available for two weeks around the headcount date on 

INFORM. Failure to submit before the deadline will result in 

a delay in payment being made to you. This will mean that 

you will not receive your final payment until the following 

term. 

Final payment will be made usually around half term and 

a payment breakdown will be sent to you (currently via 

the postal service). When it's time fill in the mid-term 

adjustments questionnaire which will be made available 

on INFORM and ensure that you submit any adjustments 

before the deadline date. 

Some aspects will change over time so it is important to 

read all correspondence that is sent to you and keep up to 

date with the NEF guidance. 

Further guidance can be found by visiting: 

www.leics.gov.uk/nefresourcepage 

www.leics.gov.uk/inform 

www.informleics.co.uk (a username and password will be 

required to gain access - for further information navigate to 

the INFORM Resource Page) 

You can also get advice or guidance by calling our Finance 

helpline on 0116 305 5788. 

Handy hint 


Don’t forget - when using INFORM to submit your 

headcount and mid-term adjustment details - always 

review your information before you send it back. The 

questionnaires can only be submitted once and if 

child details are missed off your funding may not be 

accurate. 

If you need any support in using 

INFORM please contact Keith Morrison on 

0116 305 5788 of email inform@leics.gov.uk 



Early Years Census 

January will once again see 

the release of the annual Early 

Years Census - a mandatory 

data collection exercise which 

allows the government to 

collect valuable information 

about the Private, Voluntary 

and Independent childcare 

sector. The information 

gathered allows the 

government to accurately 

allocate Nursery Education 

Funding (NEF) based on the 

uptake across the country. 

INFORM update 

Since launching INFORM 

in 2008 just under 60% of 

Leicestershire's Nursery 

Education Funding (NEF) 

providers have signed up to 

the system and now submit all 

of their funding information 

electronically. 


The Census becomes more important in 2010 as the information collected 

will also be used to feed the Single Funding Formula. This makes it essential 

that providers are able to submit precise information which will lead to an NEF 

base rate being set which reflects the provision inline with the base rates and 

supplements set out in the Single Funding Formula guidance. 

For the first time INFORM users will be able to complete the Census 

questionnaire online - this will be a simple and efficient way of completing your 

Census, and any help needed is only an email away. Our data administrators can 

offer advice and guidance on the completion of the Census forms, as well as any 

technical advice if you run into difficulties. Please contact inform@leics.gov.uk or 

call us on 0116 305 5788. 

As with previous years the Census is linked in with the collection of 

Headcount data and the date for both is the 21st January 2010, with a 

return date of 29th January 2010. 

Feedback about the system has been hugely positive with providers finding it 

simple and easy to use. We have also received some ideas on improvements to 

the system, all of which have been taken on board and we are currently working 

with developers to make INFORM even better; with heightened security in terms 

of access, simpler navigation and most importantly an upload facility which will 

enable us to forward important personalised information such as remittance 

advice and roll reports to you electronically. You will even be able to access 

publications such as Partnership Plus and the Training Opportunities Booklet via 

INFORM. 

Further road shows were held in November and December to give providers 

another opportunity to see the system first hand, talk to administrators and pick 

up some expert advice on how to use it. Additionally, we have ensured that a 

number of training resources are available online - please go to 

www.leics.gov.uk/INFORM for more information. 

The Early Learning and Childcare Service hope to have the majority of providers 

using INFORM by the Summer Term 2010. It is expected that by this time 

the only providers who will not be using INFORM will be those with physical 

barriers such as lack of internet connections or IT equipment. In such instances 

providers will be supported to ensure a smooth transition onto INFORM as soon 

as possible. 

If you are not already using INFORM and would like to register please 

send your provider name and number, e-mail address and NEF contact 

name to INFORM@leics.gov.uk or call us on 0116 305 5788.

Dates for your diary 

Dates for your Diary 

Nursery Education Funding dates 

Friday 8 th January 2010 

Initial payment date 


Headcount form sent out and live on INFORM 

Thursday 21 st January 2010 

Headcount date and Census date 


Headcount deadline return date 

Friday 26 th February 2010 

Final payment date and mid-term 

adjustment date and live on INFORM 

Friday 19 th March 2010 

Mid-term adjustment deadline 


Contact Us 


Development Manager 

Joanne Fisher 0116 305 6566 

Senior Early Learning and 

Childcare Development 

Advisors 

Kerry Geever and Dionne Royston 

0116 305 8032 


Development Advisors 

Blaby 

Sarita Gilbert 

Melanie Dobson 

0116 305 6613 

Charnwood 

Jayne Pearce 

Brenda Clayton 

Sam Thrower 

Jane Gemmell 

0116 305 8038 

Harborough 

Ann Lee 

Christine Thomas 

0116 305 6613 

Hinckley and Bosworth 

Linda Newcombe 

Donna Clarke 

0116 305 5711 

Melton 

Brenda Clayton 

Sandie Wrzyszcz 

0116 305 8038 

North West Leicestershire 

Helen Lowe 

Natasha Odom 

0116 305 6557 

Oadby and Wigston 

Angela Dunnett 

Jane Gemmell 

0116 305 6557 

Senior Management 

Information Officer 

Mark Hearfield 0116 305 6512 

Business Support Officers 

Gordon Beck and Praksha Bathia 

0116 305 6816 


Acting Early Learning and 

Childcare Improvement 

Managers 

Nikki Walters 0116 305 6689 

Sue Wilson 0116 305 8337 

Senior Early Learning and 

Childcare Improvement Advisors 

Ailsa Robinson, Hilary Price, 

Gillian Sykes 

Early Learning & Childcare 

Improvement Advisors 

Blaby 

Sarah Lissaman 

Jackie Bateman 

Charnwood 

Eleonora Teszenyi 

Julia Beckreck 

Nicky Turner 

Jane Meade 

Naseen Moolia 

Harborough 


Jusith Kirby 

Hinckley and Bosworth 


Liz Smith 

Jennie Bainbridge 

Melton 

Gill Rogerson 

North West Leicestershire 

Jane McNee 

Nikki Sneddon 

Cathryn Wilkinson 

Oadby and Wigston 

Valerie Tobin 

Contact Philippa Newton, 

Sarah Steel, Julie Doleman 

or Lindsey Norman 

0116 305 6418 / 6817 / 6739 /5810 

Paul Barradale 

0116 305 6586 

Senior Workforce 

Development Officer 

John Clayton 

Workforce Development 

Officers 

Linda Eady, Alison Barnes, 

Hannah Patani and Laura Upton 

Workforce Development 

Assistants 

Julie Burnside, Natalie Dixon 

and Kiti Vekaria 

Training booking line 

0116 305 6392 

Recruitment helpline 

0116 305 6555 

Finance helpline 

0116 305 5788 

Monitoring Officer 

Sara Lamont 0116 305 8252 

Marketing Officer 

Nathaniel Aust 0116 305 7373 

Mobile Community 

Centre Officer 

Jane Tinsley 0116 305 8253 

Childcare Sector 

Partnership 

Rhian Belcher, 

Representative for children and 

young people from 0-19 years 

0207 512 2112 

Minaxi Patel 

Representative for the 

voluntary sector 

0116 229 3029 

Wendy Watmough 

Representative for childminders 

0114 264 7334 

Sam Graveling 

Representative for day 

nurseries 

01484 40 70 70 

Ros Browse 

Representative for pre-schools 

0116 229 1994 

Early Learning and Childcare Service Room G23, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester LE3 8RF 

Tel: 0116 305 5829 Email: childcare@leics.gov.uk www.leics.gov.uk/earlylearning

Partnership Plus Spring 2010 - Leicestershire County Council

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